Panic in the Streets

An unrecognized gem, this outstanding noir film from Elia Kazan makes a worthy companion piece to his On the Waterfront from four years later. And it is still timely today, depicting a public health hazard that threatens New Orleans, in the form of an infection brought into port by an illegal alien. Panic in the streets is just what Richard Widmark is trying to avoid, as a Navy doctor responsible for public health, when a murdered hood turns out on autopsy to have pneumonic plague. He works assiduously to contain and quarantine the infection, but needs the initially reluctant help of police captain Paul Douglas to find the murderer(s) before they flee and spread the disease to parts unknown. That would be Walter Jack Palance in a memorable screen debut, with Zero Mostel as his flunky and foil. Widmark is both steely and fragile as he fends off medical disaster, while the clock ticks on solving a crime with no clues. Barbara Bel Geddes makes the absolute most of her few scenes as his lovely, straight-talking wife. The dialogue and character work are astoundingly naturalistic and flavorsome, as are the classic noir cinematography, of black shadow and atmospheric light, and the dockyard and warehouse location settings. With FEMA so much in the news these days, it’s fascinating to watch a federal officer deal with police, politicians, and press to fend off a public health disaster. If only “Brownie” had Widmark’s competence and conviction! (1950, dvd, n.) *8*