D.O.A. (1950)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Rudolph Maté

Writers:

Russell Rouse (writer) and
Clarence Greene (writer)

Release Date:

30 April 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

A picture as excitingly different as its title!

Plot:

Frank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why.

Plot Keywords:

Accountant | Doctor | Dying Man | Attempted Murder | Photographer

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Edmond O'Brien	...	Frank Bigelow
Pamela Britton	...	Paula Gibson
Luther Adler	...	Majak
Beverly Garland	...	Miss Foster (as Beverly Campbell)
Lynn Baggett	...	Mrs. Philips
William Ching	...	Halliday
Henry Hart	...	Stanley Philips
Neville Brand	...	Chester
Laurette Luez	...	Marla Rakubian
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Sam
Cay Forrester	...	Sue
Frank Jaquet	...	Dr. Matson (as Fred Jaquet)
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Dr. Schaefer (as Larry Dobkin)
Frank Gerstle	...	Dr. MacDonald
Carol Hughes	...	Kitty
Michael Ross	...	Dave
Donna Sanborn	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Baldwin	...	St. Francis Hotel desk clerk (uncredited)
Diana Barrymore	...	Woman checking into hotel (uncredited)
Teddy Buckner	...	Club trumpeter (uncredited)
Frank Cady	...	Eddie (bartender) (uncredited)
Jadie Carson	...	Bandleader (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Police captain (uncredited)
Douglas Evans	...	Eddie (salesman on phone) (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Man at fisherman table (uncredited)
Shifty Henry	...	Club bassist (uncredited)
Ray Laurie	...	Club pianist (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Leo (bartender) (uncredited)
Virginia Lee	...	Jeanie (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	Homicide detective (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Man in hallway (uncredited)
Hugh O'Brian	...	Jazz fan (uncredited)
Jerry Paris	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Phillip Pine	...	Angelo (uncredited)
Lynne Roberts	...	Jane Carlyle (buyer) (uncredited)
Van Streeter	...	Club saxophonist (uncredited)
Ivan Triesault	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Cake Witchard	...	Club drummer (uncredited)

Directed by
Rudolph Maté

Writing credits
Russell Rouse		(writer) and
Clarence Greene		(writer)

Produced by
Joseph H. Nadel	....	associate producer
Harry M. Popkin	....	executive producer
Leo C. Popkin	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Arthur H. Nadel

Art Direction by
Duncan Cramer

Set Decoration by
Al Orenbach

Costume Design by
Maria P. Donovan		(as Maria Donovan)

Makeup Department
Irving Berns	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marty Moss	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Mac Dalgleish	....	sound recordist
Ben Winkler	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Jack N. Young	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Fuqua	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Carl Gibson	....	grip (uncredited)
Gene Hirsch	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James Potevin	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Frank Tanner	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	musical director
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Edward F. Dunne	....	technical advisor
Arnold Laven	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cardinal Pictures (II)

Distributors

• United Artists (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Hal Roach Video (1996) (USA) (VHS) (colorized)
• VCI Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Master Movies (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Englewood Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Classics (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Englewood Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Roan Group, The (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Roan Group, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Questar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Better Television Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (TV)
• Passport International Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• St. Clair Vision (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Constantin-Filmverleih (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Sampo-Filmi (1956) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1951) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Finnkino (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV)

Runtime:

83 min | West Germany:77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1950-1956) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cardinal Pictures (II)

Trivia:

Debut of Beverly Garland.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After finding out who's in the photo, Bigelow leaves the photography studio and immediately starts getting shot at. He heads toward the factory (screen right) where the shots are supposed to be coming from, but all the shots being fired and ricocheting off the ground, pipe, barrel, etc. are coming from the other direction (screen left).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Homicide Detective: Can I help you?
Frank Bigelow: I'd like to see the man in charge.
Homicide Detective: In here...
Frank Bigelow: I want to report a murder.
Homicide Captain: Sit down. Where was this murder committed?
Frank Bigelow: San Francisco, last night.
Homicide Captain: Who was murdered?
Frank Bigelow: I was.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In a Spiral State (2009)

Utterly brilliant thriller!

Forget the crappy 1980s remake starring Dennis Quaid, this is the real deal! From the fantastic opening sequence ("I want to report a murder" ... "Who was murdered?" "I was") to the inevitable end, this is an utterly brilliant thriller that will have you riveted to your seat! Edmond O'Brien, a great character actor who was in everything from the classic rock'n'roll movie 'The Girl Can't Help It' to Peckinpah's western masterpiece 'The Wild Bunch' (he played the old coot, you probably won't recognize him here), is the "hero" who is told he has been poisoned and has days, maybe even hours to live. He frantically tries to find out who did it and why. Some people complain that O'Brien's character isn't all that likable, but I think that makes the movie even stronger. When you DO find out the who and why it doesn't really make that much sense but I don't think it matters all that much in the end, the journey is the thing, and only a very picky Noir fan could be disappointed with this. On top of that, Neville Brand, who later in the 1950s played Al Capone in 'The Untouchables' TV series, and later still starred in Tobe Hooper's gonzo cult classic 'Death Trap' (a.k.a. 'Eaten Alive'), plays one of the most memorable screen villains of all time, the dim witted Chester, a real nasty piece of work! 'D.O.A.' comes with my highest recommendation. If you like thrillers you'll LOVE this!