Panic in the Streets

Released Jun 12, 1950

1h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

List

97%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

77%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

After Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) is called in to supervise an autopsy of a unknown man, he discovers that the John Doe died of pneumonic plague. Revealing his discovery to the mayor and city officials, Reed is informed that he has 48 hours before the public will be told about a potential outbreak. Joined by Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) and his wife, Nancy (Barbara Bel Geddes), Reed must race against time to find out where the unknown man came from.

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Gavin Lambert

Sight & Sound

It has not only a particularly good story, but a sharpness and flexibility of observation in the writing and handling that occasionally makes it more than a melodrama about a city under the threat of plague.

Sep 25, 2021

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

There is vivid action, nice human touches and some bizarre moments. Jack Palance gives a sharp performance.

Nov 1, 2007

Full Review

Tom Milne

Time Out

A classy thriller, much less laden with significance than most Kazan movies.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

[Elia] Kazan makes great use of the New Orleans locations and atmosphere and takes the viewer into seedier parts of the city than usually seen in Hollywood films set in the city.

Nov 22, 2022

Full Review

Jean-Luc Godard

La Gazette du Cinéma

An intelligent renewal of the thriller form, in which the plot unfolds hand in hand with the spreading of a plague.

Sep 2, 2021

Full Review

Dudley Early

Austin American-Statesman

If you are n fingernail chewer, the excitement and suspense of this film will have you eating your nails down to the knuckle.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 2, 2020

Full Review

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Steve D

Better in theory than execution.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

dave s

Often lost in the shadows of his better-known classics, Elia Kazan's Panic in the Streets is an overlooked gem. Set in New Orleans, Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) assists police in the search for a killer (Jack Palance) after a murdered man is found to be a carrier of pneumonic plague. More relevant today than ever before, it is a tightly knit thriller that follows the authorities in their race against time to prevent a deadly epidemic. With the exception of a few secondary characters, the acting is stellar throughout, especially from Widmark and Palance in the lead roles. If interested in the body of work from the legendary director beyond A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, Panic in the Streets is must-see viewing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

it was odd to see this movie for the first time in 2021

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One part germinal pandemic thriller, one part early buddy cop procedural, perhaps the most prescient part of Kazan's taut and naturalistic drama is how it predicts the dismissal by officials of scientific evidence.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

paul d

A great movie to watch when in quarantine for COVID-19 in 2020! This is a fine film, a well-done mix of crime thriller, social commentary and human drama. Widmark and Marshall are very good, but it is Zero Mostel and above all Jack Palance that provide zest and unpredictability every time they are on the screen. And the City of New Orleans itself is a great character in the film as well.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

eat m

Epic chase scene through coffee warehouses.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Elia Kazan

Director

Richard Widmark

Lt. Cmdr. Clinton 'Clint' Reed M.D

Paul Douglas

Capt. Tom Warren

Barbara Bel Geddes

Nancy Reed

Jack Palance

Blackie

Zero Mostel

Raymond Fitch

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Synopsis

After Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) is called in to supervise an autopsy of a unknown man, he discovers that the John Doe died of pneumonic plague. Revealing his discovery to the mayor and city officials, Reed is informed that he has 48 hours before the public will be told about a potential outbreak. Joined by Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) and his wife, Nancy (Barbara Bel Geddes), Reed must race against time to find out where the unknown man came from.

Director: Elia Kazan
Screenwriter: Richard Murphy, Daniel Fuchs
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 33m

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