This is the first English language study of Jules Dassin (1911-2008), who began as a contract director at MGM in 1941 and earned his reputation with the films noirs Brute Force (1947), The Naked City (1948), Thieves' Highway (1949), and Night and the City (1950). Exiled to Europe after being unofficially blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, Dassin re-surfaced to direct such popular hits as Rififi...