Drama,Thriller,Crime
United States of America
Panic in the Streets, released in 1950, is a film noir thriller directed by Elia Kazan. The film stars Richard Widmark as Dr. Clint Reed, a medical doctor who is tasked with tracking down the source of a deadly pneumonic plague that has broken out in New Orleans.
The film begins with a group of criminals playing cards in the slums of New Orleans. One of them, an illegal immigrant named Kochak (Lewis Charles), wins a large amount of money. Blackie (Jack Palance), the leader of the group, becomes angry and starts a fight with Kochak. In the process, Kochak is killed.
The next morning, when Dr. Reed is called to examine the body, he discovers that Kochak had pneumonic plague. Dr. Reed realizes that, if the disease spreads, it could infect the entire city and cause a massive epidemic.
Dr. Reed, along with police captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas), is tasked with locating all the people who came into contact with Kochak and inoculating them before they spread the disease further. The challenge is complicated by the fact that the criminals who killed Kochak are on the run and refuse to come forward.
Dr. Reed and Captain Warren must work together to track down the killers and convince them to be inoculated before it's too late. Along the way, they face numerous obstacles, including interference from the city's political leaders, who don't want to cause a panic, and resistance from the killers themselves.
The film was notable for its use of documentary-style filming techniques and its focus on the city of New Orleans, which served as a character in its own right. Panic in the Streets was highly acclaimed upon its release and is now considered a classic of the film noir genre.
