The visual style of "The Naked City" was inspired by New York photographer Weegee, who published a book of photographs of New York life titled "Naked City" (1945). Weegee was hired as a visual consultant on the film, and is credited with helping to craft its imagery. But film historian William Park has argued that, despite Weegee's work on the film and its title coming from Weegee's earlier work, the film owes its visual style more to Italian neorealism rather than Weegee's photographic work.