Panic in the Streets (film)

Panic in the Streets
Theatrical release publicity artwork poster
Directed byElia Kazan
Screenplay byRichard Murphy
Daniel Fuchs
Story byEdna Anhalt
Edward Anhalt
Produced bySol C. Siegel
StarringRichard Widmark
Paul Douglas
Barbara Bel Geddes
Jack Palance
Zero Mostel
CinematographyJoseph MacDonald
Edited byHarmon Jones
Music byAlfred Newman
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • September 15, 1950 (1950-09-15)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,400,000[1]

Panic in the Streets is a 1950 American medical-themed film noir thriller, directed by Elia Kazan and released by 20th Century Fox. It was shot exclusively on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, and features numerous scenes around the city and Port of New Orleans along the Mississippi River and showing various New Orleans citizens in speaking and non-speaking roles.[2]

The film tells the story of Lieutenant Commander Clinton Reed (Richard Widmark), an officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, and Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas), a grizzled veteran detective of the New Orleans Police Department. The men have only a day or two of frantic intense search and interviews in which to prevent a greater outbreak of a deadly epidemic of pneumonic plague (a form of the pandemic disease known as the "Black Death" in Medieval Europe), after Reed determines a waterfront homicide victim is also an index case and the first to be found carrying the disease. The supporting cast includes Barbara Bel Geddes as Reed's wife Nancy, along with Jack Palance (in his film debut) and Zero Mostel – the latter two play crooks, associates of the victim who had prompted the public health investigation. The film was also the debut of Tommy Rettig, best known for playing Jeff Miller in the early seasons of the television series Lassie, who appears as the Reeds' son.

The film was released later on DVD format by 20th Century Fox as part of the "Fox Film Noir collection", along with Laura and Call Northside 777, on March 15, 2005.

The score was composed by Alfred Newman.

The film was originally named Port of Entry, subsequently later as Outbreak, and ultimately Panic in the Streets.[3]

  1. ^ Memo from Darryl F Zanuck to Elia Kazan 1 July 1952, Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck, Grove Press, 1993 p 214
  2. ^ Panic in the Streets at IMDb.
  3. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.