Panic in the Streets (1950)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Richard Murphy (screenplay)
Daniel Fuchs (adaptation)

Release Date:

12 June 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

THE SCREEN'S GREATEST EXCITEMENT OF THE YEAR! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A doctor and a policeman in New Orleans have only 48 hours to locate a killer infected with pneumonic plague.

Plot Keywords:

Plague | Doctor | Illegal Immigrant | Epidemic | Autopsy

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Lt. Cmdr. Clinton 'Clint' Reed M.D.
Paul Douglas	...	Capt. Tom Warren
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Nancy Reed
Jack Palance	...	Blackie (as Walter Jack Palance)
Zero Mostel	...	Raymond Fitch
Dan Riss	...	Neff - Newspaper Reporter
Tommy Cook	...	Vince Poldi - Younger Brother

Also Known As:

Outbreak (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #14313)

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

According to Richard Widmark, Jack Palance did his own stunt of climbing the boat rope after two stuntmen failed.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Blackie and Fitch slide down a pile of coffee bags there is a crew member reclined on the pile they climb over on their way to escape

Quotes:

Nancy Reed: If there's a plague here, you're the most important guy in this town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Temperatures Rising: Panic in the Sheets (#1.20)" (1973)

Soundtrack:

Fine and Mellow

Simple but Still Effective and With a Great Villain

In New Orleans, an illegal immigrant feels sick and leaves a poker game while winning the smalltime criminal Blackie (Walter Jack Palance). He is chased by Blackie and his men Raymond Fitch (Zero Mostel) and Poldi (Guy Thomajan), killed by Blackie and his body is dumped in the sea. During the autopsy, the family man Lieutenant Commander Dr. Clinton Reed (Richard Widmark) of the U.S. Public Health Service finds that the dead man had pneumonic plague caused by rats and he needs to find who had any type of contact with the man within forty-eight hours to avoid an epidemic. The City Mayor assigns the skeptical Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) to help Dr. Clint to find the killers that are infected with the plague and inoculate them.

"Panic in the Streets" discloses a simple story, but it is still effective and with a great villain. The engaging plot has not become dated after fifty-seven years. Jack Palance performs a despicable scum in his debut, and the camera work while he tries to escape with Zero Mostel is still very impressive. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Pânico nas Ruas" ("Panic in the Streets")