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No Way Out (1950)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 August 1950 (USA)
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Tagline:
Is it a question ...or an answer
Plot:
The Biddle brothers, shot while robbing a gas station, are taken to the prison ward of the County Hospital; Ray Biddle...
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Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Ruby Dee At New York A.M.P.A.S. Screening Of "No Way Out" September 21
(From CinemaRetro. 9 September 2009, 2:10 PM, PDT)
Actor Richard Widmark Dies at 93
(From IMDb News. 26 March 2008)
(From CinemaRetro. 9 September 2009, 2:10 PM, PDT)
Actor Richard Widmark Dies at 93
(From IMDb News. 26 March 2008)
User Comments:
Intelligent, Groundbreaking Film
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Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Richard Widmark | ... | Ray Biddle | |
| Linda Darnell | ... | Edie Johnson - Mrs. John Biddle | |
| Stephen McNally | ... | Dr. Dan Wharton | |
| Sidney Poitier | ... | Dr. Luther Brooks | |
| Mildred Joanne Smith | ... | Cora Brooks | |
| Harry Bellaver | ... | George Biddle | |
| Stanley Ridges | ... | Dr. Sam Moreland | |
| Dots Johnson | ... | Lefty Jones - Orderly |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Zanuck wanted to schedule the release of "No Way Out" a year after "Pinky," a 1949 movie about racial prejudice, because he wanted "a gradual buildup of audience receptivity."
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "Biography: Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel" (1999)
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Soundtrack:
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (34 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for No Way Out (1950)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| No Way Out ? ?? | richsass |
| Couldn't make this film today | lfdow |
| Notes on NO WAY OUT | JSlack3 |
| Oscarnomination 1950: Nancy Olson vs Linda Darnell | famalberts |
| Sign language | BCarl |
Recommendations
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After watching this film on television a couple weeks ago (TMC is the best), I was surprised how obscure 'No Way Out' really is. However, I wasn't exactly surprised.
The film follows Dr. Brooks (Sidney Poitier), an ER doctor whose first real-world experience is as intern in the prison ward of a New York hospital. While on duty, the brothers Biddle (the older of which is played by Richard Widmark), come in following a confrontation with the police. Both suffer from superficial injuries, but the younger brother's health is declining rapidly due to what Brooks diagnoses as a brain tumor. The kid dies while Brooks is operating, feet away from his brother. The racist Ray Biddle soon accuses Brooks of murder, but won't allow an autopsy to be conducted on his brother to determine the cause of death.
Poitier turns in a great performance as the hard-working young doctor, who is debased by the hollow accusations of a bigot. They dig at his core and bring up insecurities that would be common to anyone in the medical field, but are aggravated by the pure hatred of Widmark's equally well-played character.
While the script borders on stereotypes at times, you have to remember that these stereotypes were very real during the time it was written. The writer does a fantastic job of adding depth, personality, beyond the paper figures. Brooks is a practical man, who supports his family and tries to not let the circumstances bring him down. Behind the veneer of hatred, Biddle is a deeply insecure and misguided man who has let circumstance blacken his core. Mankiewicz and Samuels do an amazing job at bringing life to a situation that was taboo for the time.
Aside from the competent acting and well-executed script, the film featured a moving and well-choreographed race riot that fully captures the raw hatred that can surface between groups of people who face the same everyday problems and circumstances, but are torn by one difference (color, or creed, or religion).
This is definitely a film well worth seeing. For its time, the movie was groundbreaking for its portrayal of both racists and their victims. While today the movie may seem tame, it undoubtedly struck some sensitive nerves during its release. The film deserves to be more widely known, if only for its content.