Detective Story (1951 film)

Detective Story
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWilliam Wyler
Screenplay byRobert Wyler
Philip Yordan
Based onDetective Story
1949 play
by Sidney Kingsley
Produced byWilliam Wyler
StarringKirk Douglas
Eleanor Parker
William Bendix
Cathy O'Donnell
George Macready
Gladys George
Joseph Wiseman
Lee Grant
Gerald Mohr
CinematographyLee Garmes
John F. Seitz (uncredited)
Edited byRobert Swink
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • November 6, 1951 (1951-11-06) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million[1]
Box office$2.8 million (rentals)[2]

Detective Story is a 1951 American crime drama directed by William Wyler and starring Kirk Douglas that tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. The ensemble supporting cast features Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, and George Macready. Both Lee Grant and Joseph Wiseman play large roles in their film debuts. The film was adapted by Robert Wyler and Philip Yordan from the 1949 play by Sidney Kingsley. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Academy Award for Best Director for Wyler, Best Actress for Parker, and Best Supporting Actress for Grant.

An angry New York detective is one of a precinct of cops in a grim daily battle with the city's lowlife. Little does he realize that his obsessive pursuit of an "abortionist" is leading him to a discovery closer to home. The characters who pass through the precinct over the course of the day include a young petty embezzler, a pair of burglars, and a naive shoplifter.

  1. ^ "It's About Time to Revise Purity Code, Sez Wyler". Variety. February 6, 1952. p. 2.
  2. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1951', Variety, January 2, 1952.