Panic in the Streets ***** (1950, Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jack Palance) – Classic Movie Review 2070

Director Elia Kazan’s thought-provoking New Orleans 1950 film noir chase thriller is sizzlingly raw and realistic. It stars Richard Widmark as a medical-health-official doctor and Paul Douglas as a world-weary police captain who lead a life-or-death manhunt. It is memorable as being wholly shot on location in New Orleans, featuring locals with varied levels of acting experience in speaking and extra roles.

US Public Health Service officer Clinton Reed (Widmark) and Police Captain Tom Warren (Douglas) have only a day or two to prevent an epidemic of pneumonic plague after Reed determines a waterfront homicide victim is an index case. So they are desperately trying to track down the Black Death plague-carrying killer, gangster Blackie(played by Jack Palance in his film debut), who is hiding out on the run among a gang of violent crooks.

There’s a distinguished, intelligent realist-style screenplay by Richard Murphy and Daniel Fuchs, based on an original story by Edna Anhalt and Edward Anhalt, who won the 1951 Oscar for Best Story. There is admirable naturalistic acting from the ideal cast, which also stars Barbara Bel Geddes (as Reed’s wife Nancy), Zero Mostel and Tommy Rettig ( in his film debut as the Reeds’ son). Also in the cast are Dan Riss, Alexis Minotis, Guy Thomajan, Tommy Cook, Edward Kennedy, Lewis Charles, Raymond Muller and William Dean.

With the script and acting taken care of, all that’s left is for ace cinematographer Joe MacDonald to take his cameras out in the streets for some superbly atmospheric location shooting. And a  commanding Kazan pulls all the various complex elements together beautifully. He won the International Award at Venice Film Festival in 1950 but failed to win the Golden Lion. Alas the location shooting pushed the budget up to a high $1,400,000 and the film wasn’t profitable, as it could have been if made for $850,000 in the studio.

The film was released on DVD in 2005 by 20th Century Fox as part of its Film Noir collection, along with Laura and Call Northside 777.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2070

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