Tudor City on Film: FBI

This edition of Tudor City on film concerns an episode from the longtime television staple, FBI. 

Entitled "Ratlined," it starred Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki as the chief on-the-ground team for the New York City branch of the FBI. They manage, one way or another, to get everything thrown at them done.          

Our story begins with two professionals ‒ a reporter and a cameraman ‒ headed out of the 41st Street cul-de-sac.

They arrive at No. 5, which has been transformed into the Luxury Suites Hotel. A line of cars pull up, and the Prime Minister of Jordan gets out. The press begins shouting questions, but for some reason, he answers the girl. Then, suddenly, shots ring out.

The gunman apparently misses the Prime Minister and instead kills the reporter, the FBI initially believes. Later it turns out that the reporter was in fact the target.  

The plot percolates along elsewhere for a while, then returns to the North Park. 

There are diplomatic meetings held, in this case the delegate from China meeting an FBI higher-up to discuss the case. Who cares what they're saying, the park looks great.

And finally, in the last sequence, the male lead's girlfriend breaks up with him in a restaurant. As she exits, the painting behind her indicates it is the Tudor City Steakhouse. In 1928, artist Georgia O'Keeffe painted East River from the Shelton Hotel from her 30th floor suite in the hotel. A much larger copy was made and now hangs in the restaurant.

More EDIE SEDGWICK

 

International film posters

Today, we re-visit Ciao! Manhattan, which we first posted about seven years ago. An underground movie, it's acquired a cult following over time thanks to its poor-little-rich-girl star, Edie Sedgwick. The ending was depressing, but the post was a big hit.

The years passed, and it got us wondering if there were any other photos around. After a diligent search, here are the results. 

First, there was a photo depicting Edie in a gravity-defying pose on the Sharansky Steps, shooting the cameraman a knowing look. 

Sedgwick radiating Sedgwickiness at the top of the steps. Over her shoulder, the fallout shelter sign mounted on the wall of No. 45.

Another variation on the theme.

Afterward ‒ sans leopard skin coat ‒ Edie bums a cigarette from a guy with the perfect pudding bowl haircut, as another helper with a blunt bob looks looks on. Even the off-camera staff's hair is groovy.

Finally, a rare color photo. Who knew that the color of Edie's cap was blue? While you ponder that question, you might want to take a look at the original post.

Tudor City COLORIZED

Here are some pictures that began life as black-and-white photographs that now have been cleverly colorized by hitting a button on a computer. How simple is that?

Midtown Manhattan around 1932. Tudor City is just to the left of center.

Two studies made from No.5, showing the Chrysler building and The Woodstock, and the view toward No. 5's very own weathervane. 

The entrance to the South Park was based on the English graveyard model, the Lich Gate.  

From the rooftop of No. 45, one can see The Woodstock, the Empire State building, the Daily News building, the Chanin building, and the Chrysler building.

The underpass of the former tunnel on 42nd Street, lined with stairs leading up to Prospect Place. A trolley car makes its way through.

Edie Sedgwick in a still from the film Ciao! Manhattan (read more about it here). Whatever happened to that leopard skin coat is anyone's guess, but the Civil Defense sign is still there on the north wall of No. 45.

Tudor City on Film: NEW AMSTERDAM

This edition of Tudor City on Film deals with a drama series from NBC about how a new medical director breaks the rules and fixes the system ‒ or at least tries to ‒ at America's oldest public hospital. The name of the fictitious hospital is New Amsterdam, but it's clearly standing in for Bellevue, the country's oldest.

This excerpt is taken from Season 4, Episode 2.

There's a party thrown on the rooftop of No. 45, and the mood is convivial. Some lovers have intimate conversations, but we dismiss them, intent on something else.

It is suddenly night and time for what we've been waiting for. 

There, on the middle roof, are Dr. Max Gordon (Ryan Eggold) and Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman). Since they first hooked up ‒ in the previous episode ‒ Max and Helen have been hot and heavy for each other.

Here they are more relaxed. She repeats she has a job offer in London, and says she has doubts about whether to take it. Max seems sympathetic but noncommittal.

Minutes later, they rejoin the party. Then Max calls for silence and announces they're both going to leave. For London. Together.

The thought of its medical director leaving stops the party cold. Cut to next scene.

Tudor City on Film: UGLY BETTY

This installment of our ongoing series of films shot in the enclave is taken from the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty.

It tells the story of Betty Suarez, who lands a job at a glam fashion journal despite having a kooky personality and a one-of-a-kind style. 

The particular scene we are interested in is Season 4, episode 2, entitled The Butterfly Effect, Part Two.



At the start of the sequence, Betty and her boss walk along Tudor City Place, following a nearby U.N. conference.

They make small talk about office gossip. . .

. . . as they make their way across the street.

After many more shots of the pair, and some mutual confessions, he pronounces they should be "friends" forever, and throws his arm casually over her shoulder. 

Cut to next scene.

Tudor City on Film: PERSON OF INTEREST

This episode of Tudor City on Film zooms in on Person of Interest, a procedural TV series about a particularly modern kind of paranoia: fear of computer surveillance. 

The storyline centers around a crime-predicting artificial intelligence program developed by a mysterious billionaire, who recruits a former CIA agent to stop crime before it happens.

The show ran for five seasons on CBS, more of a popular hit (92% on the Tomatometer) than a critical one (66 metascore on Metacritic). It's now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Tudor City's bridge is the setting for a brief sequence in Season 2, Episode 6: "The High Road," starting at 7:32. 

The sequence begins with a couple in conversation on the Tudor City Bridge. 

They are old friends. The woman (Paige Turco) is aware that the man (Jim Caviezel) works for a billionaire with some kind of crime-predicting software.

Then, with little preamble, he produces a wedding ring and proposes marriage. 

In fact, he has an assignment in suburbia and needs a "wife," so it is a sham proposal!

She knows it's a sham, and wishes it wasn't. They depart for suburbia. 

Tudor City on Film: THE POLITICIAN

This chapter of Tudor City on Film focuses on The Politician, a Netflix series from ubiquitous producer Ryan Murphy.

The show tells the story of a wealthy, tightly-wound young man seeking political office. He has no moral compass and will do anything to win. In Season One, he runs for student body president; in Season Two, for a New York state senate seat. 

Reviews of the series have been withering, with critics calling it a "perplexingly stale glimpse into American politics". . . "hollow". . . "ridiculous". . . "pointless." Thus, you might want to skip directly to the Tudor City sequence: Season 2, Episode 1, starting at 45:32.

The sequence begins with the title character (Ben Platt) standing on the sidewalk of the Tudor City Bridge, on a street miraculously devoid of parked cars.

A stretch limo pulls up.

He gets in.

Inside the limo is the politician's rival, the incumbent NY state senator (Judith Light) and her cutthroat campaign manager (Bette Midler). They're not happy.

He gets right to the point, informing them he's learned that the senator is in a throuple relationship with two men, and threatens to leak this news to Page Six. "Drop out of the race and give me what I want," says he.

"Evil little troll" is the senator's response. He exits the car onto Tudor City Place. Lurch to next scene.

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Thanks to Molly Rushing for the sighting. Dear readers, this blog always welcomes story ideas.

Tudor City on Film: DECOY

This installment of Tudor City on Film looks back at Decoy, a '50s TV series about an undercover policewoman, said to be the first show to feature a female cop as its star. Set and shot in New York City, Decoy premiered on October 15, 1957, and ran in syndication for 39 episodes. 

Its star, Beverly Garland, was a B-movie actress better known for her television work, appearing in everything from My Three Sons and The Twilight Zone to Magnum, P.I. and Friends. On Decoy, she plays Casey Jones, an undercover cop who impersonates various characters ‒ drug addicts, babysitters, nightclub photographers, exotic dancers ‒ to solve crimes.

Tudor City appears in the very first episode behind the opening credits, a 42-second tour de force that firmly establishes the show's noir credentials.

The sequence begins with Policewoman Jones racing out of No. 2. It's mid-morning, and she's wearing a walk-of-shame-worthy outfit: a black evening gown with matching gloves, and a mink stole.

To the sound of screeching violins, she rushes over to the Tudor City Bridge.

She turns to face the camera, and the show's title appears.

She lights a cigarette, a favorite noir gesture.

Tribute title card appears.

She draws heavily on the cigarette, which she plainly needs.

Turning away from the bridge, she walks down Tudor City Place.

The sequence ends as a car drives by and picks her up. In the background is No. 2, then a year old.

Amazingly enough, this title sequence has absolutely no bearing on what follows, and is only vaguely explained ‒ Jones is driven to a crime scene, where a detective looks at her evening gown and asks what she's been working on. "Narcotics," she replies coolly, with no further explanation.

Decoy is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. See the first episode on YouTube here.

A big thank you to Anne Stoddard and Debra Register for sharing this gem!