Review of Panic in the Streets (1950) by Randy T — 01 Apr 2010
A murder victim in New Orleans turns out have a form of plague, and it's up to a doctor and the police chief to find the guilty party and stop an epidemic. Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas are both wonderful as the doctor and cop, respectively, setting up the classic hate-each-other-then-earn-other's-respect dynamic.
The other performances are just as winning: Barbara Bel Geddes as Widmark's wife, Jack Palance as the intimidating, animalistic murderer, and Zero Mostel as his toadying henchman (plus a host of non-professionals who Kazan directs very well).
As is often the case with these movies, watching the bad guys is a lot more enjoyable than watching the good guys, and its those segments that are the most noir-ish. But the manhunt scenes are quite compelling as well, and the film as a whole really holds up.
Fantastic chase scene at the end, with a number of memorable shots along the way. I can't think of anything negative that stands out, except that I wish there was a little more Palance in it.
This review of Panic in the Streets (1950) was written by Randy T on 01 Apr 2010.
Panic in the Streets has generally received positive reviews.
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