Top 50 Greatest NYC Movies — #14

The Clock (dir. Vincente Minelli, 1945)

By rights, this romantic drama should have been filmed on location. But, with World War II still winding down, the studio didn’t find this feasible so Minelli recreated the entire city (including a replica of Penn Station) entirely on the back lot and with rear projection. The one-day romance between Robert Walker and Judy Garland is a tour of New York, featuring a native showing a visitor around, falling in love in the process. We follow them on a double-decker bus ride, a visit to the Central Park Zoo, a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a meeting at the titular clock in the Astor Hotel. This closely echoes the popular “meet-up” spot for real-life couples of the time: under the clock at the Biltmore Hotel.

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