Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1
Moving away from poverty row/public domain titles I then switched to a definite classic in the nor genre. I watched the docudramatic Panic in the Streets (1950) the other night. This movie was directed by Elia Kazan and starred Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas (great character type actor) and featuring the big screen debut of Jack Palance.
Here's the IMDB summary:
As you can see this movie takes place in New Orleans and Kazan took the unusual step (at the time) to actually film the movie in the actual city even going so far as to cast locals as extras and in bit speaking parts. The atmosphere of the film is heightened by this as no studio bound film could lend the air of authenticity that the actual locations offer in spades. You really get the feel of the grittiness of the city.
There are a couple very striking things about this movie. The whole point of not letting the media know about the plague is one of them. There's a newspaperman that keeps following Reed and Warren and he finally pieces together the story. There's a scene where the newspaperman confronts Reed and Warren. They tell the guy why the story can't go out (mainly because panic would ensue and everyone would bolt from the city including the killers) and it gets VERY testy. Eventually Warren has the newspaperman booked on flimsy charges.
This is pretty interesting stuff as Kazan was trying to show that he's a true American by showing in this way how government is right to go after commies and such and approving of the methods taken. It was all a bluff though as Kazan was one of those blacklisted. The parallels between this situation and how some people these days think these kind of methods should be used on terrorists are quite intriguing and makes the film very topical.
The other striking thing about this movie is how Blackie (Palance) and his associate are being chased at the end of the film. They decide to high tail it on a shipping boat to Hondoras (sp) and the images remind one of rats scurrying to get away from their captors. I thought that was very interesting and compelling.
Kazan's direction of this movie is fantastic and there are some great shots. Widmark does a pretty good job but I think he's a bit miscast as the good guy in this movie. Jack Palance's debut was VERY good. You really got to see the kind of actor and roles he would take on later in his career. His mannerisms and way of talking (he tries to find out why the cops are after the killers of a poor illegal) and there's a scene where he menacingly holds and tries to pry information from his victim's cousin. Palance was menacing and quite convincing in the role. He also did all the stunt work for the ending chase scene.
All in all this was a damn fine movie and I give it 3 1/2 stars.
Moving away from poverty row/public domain titles I then switched to a definite classic in the nor genre. I watched the docudramatic Panic in the Streets (1950) the other night. This movie was directed by Elia Kazan and starred Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas (great character type actor) and featuring the big screen debut of Jack Palance.
Here's the IMDB summary:
One night in the New Orleans slums, vicious hoodlum Blackie and his friends kill an illegal immigrant who won too much in a card game. Next morning, Dr. Clint Reed of the Public Health Service confirms the dead man had pneumonic plague. To prevent a catastrophic epidemic, Clint must find and inoculate the killers and their associates, with the reluctant aid of police captain Tom Warren, despite official skepticism, and in total secrecy, lest panic empty the city. Can a doctor turn detective? He has 48 hours to try..
There are a couple very striking things about this movie. The whole point of not letting the media know about the plague is one of them. There's a newspaperman that keeps following Reed and Warren and he finally pieces together the story. There's a scene where the newspaperman confronts Reed and Warren. They tell the guy why the story can't go out (mainly because panic would ensue and everyone would bolt from the city including the killers) and it gets VERY testy. Eventually Warren has the newspaperman booked on flimsy charges.
This is pretty interesting stuff as Kazan was trying to show that he's a true American by showing in this way how government is right to go after commies and such and approving of the methods taken. It was all a bluff though as Kazan was one of those blacklisted. The parallels between this situation and how some people these days think these kind of methods should be used on terrorists are quite intriguing and makes the film very topical.
The other striking thing about this movie is how Blackie (Palance) and his associate are being chased at the end of the film. They decide to high tail it on a shipping boat to Hondoras (sp) and the images remind one of rats scurrying to get away from their captors. I thought that was very interesting and compelling.
Kazan's direction of this movie is fantastic and there are some great shots. Widmark does a pretty good job but I think he's a bit miscast as the good guy in this movie. Jack Palance's debut was VERY good. You really got to see the kind of actor and roles he would take on later in his career. His mannerisms and way of talking (he tries to find out why the cops are after the killers of a poor illegal) and there's a scene where he menacingly holds and tries to pry information from his victim's cousin. Palance was menacing and quite convincing in the role. He also did all the stunt work for the ending chase scene.
All in all this was a damn fine movie and I give it 3 1/2 stars.
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