The film opens with a credit sequence superimposed over a drive down Bourbon Street. Most of the classic neon signs and attractions are now sadly long gone. In the 1950's it's estimated that fifty different burlesque shows, striptease acts and exotic dancers plied their trade on Bourbon Street.
We see on the trek Lenny Gales Sugar Bowl. Lenny was a comedian from Buffalo, NY, in the Crescent City, they billed him "Gales Of Laughter," across the street is the El Mexico and El Rocco Bars/Restaurants. We pass The Original Toney' Spaghetti House at 212 Bourbon St. We see the Show Bar, with the Moulin Rouge across the street. We drive past The Magic Lock Cocktail Lounge, Brennan's Vieux Carre' Restaurant, The Oriental Laundry (now Rick's Cabaret) the Gunga Den (now Stiletto's).
The Gunga Den's "Featured dancers during the 1950s-1960s included Von Ray the Texas Tornado (the Most Beautiful World’s Champion Flagpole Sitter), Carol Lynne (“Tanniger The Red Bird” who performed in a swinging bird cage), Penni Peyton (and her $100,000 Treasure Chest), Sandy Shore (the Shakin’ Queen of New Orleans), Wild Cherry and Kitty West (Evangeline the Oyster Girl)." (Saint Charles Ave. Magazine)
We continue past The Famous Door Bar (still there), The Flamingo Lounge with The Treasure Chest Lounge across the street (gone). The Silver Slipper Club, Leon Prima’s 500 Club, Stormy's Casino Royal, The 5 O'Clock Club, and Rizzo's Restaurant, all gone, it's quite a tour of what we have lost, it would be nice to see that without the credits.
It's sort of a companion piece to The Killer That Stalked New York (1950). This go round the dead man found in the Mississippi is carrying pneumonic plague.
For those who may ask, pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The symptoms include fever, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough. These symptoms typically start about three to seven days after exposure. It is one of three forms of plague, the other two being septicemic plague and the more familiar bubonic plague.
The pneumonic form of plague may occur following an initial bubonic or septicemic plague infection.
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| Poldi (Thomajan), Kochak (Charles), Fitch (Mostel) |
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| Blackie (Palance) |
He was an illegal alien named Kochak (Lewis Charles),who jumped ship. He was a cousin to a man Poldi (Guy Thomajan) who hangs around with a small time racketeer named Blackie (Jack Palance) and his second banana Raymond Fitch (Zero Mostel). He was sitting in on a card game at Blackie's. He was winning but was getting too sick to continue playing. He gets up and leaves with a lot of Blackie's money. Blackie with Fitch and Poldi go after him they corner him down by the river. Blackie kills him and takes back his money.
When the police find the body and do an autopsy the coroner notices the man obviously was very sick, his blood shows a bacterial infection. They contact Lt. Cmdr. Clinton 'Clint' Reed M.D. of the U.S. Health Service who confirms the coroner's findings. Reed recognizes the bacteria as pneumonic plague.
Reed shifts into high gear. He has the body incinerated and has all those who came into contact with the dead man inoculated. Calling a meeting with the Mayor and all the relevant members of the New Orleans city government they develop a plan of action. They have about 48 hours to contain an outbreak. One main point he makes is the importance of not notifying the press in order to avert the "panic in the streets" of the title. A mass evacuation of New Orleans could potentially spread the plague across the U.S.
Reed is teamed with New Orleans Police Department Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) and they start off at loggerheads with each other. Warren wants to use the press to try and get a handle on the man's associates while Reed thinks if he does that the killers will just slip out of town. Reed lets the police pull in all suspects and "stoolies." Reed takes off for the Seamen's Hall and offers $50 dollars to anyone who can identify him. That offer gets the break they are looking for.
For Blackie and Fitch all the un-explainable hoopla from the police over an illegal alien register to them as "he must have been carrying something valuable." They hound the now sick with plague Poldi, who they think is holding out on them. They want to know what he got from Kochak.
The film directed by Elia Kazan is beautifully shot in high contrast Black & White by cinematographer Joseph MacDonald. The use of actual locations recalls the use of New York City in Dassin's The Naked City, and ten years in the future 1960's The Savage Eye.
Noirsville
The cast is excellent. There are some great sequences in the film. The intense scenes between Poldi, Fitch and Blackie, the chase in and on the roof of the coffee warehouse, the scramble of the fugitives like rats under the docks. It hits on all cylinders. 10/10
When the police find the body and do an autopsy the coroner notices the man obviously was very sick, his blood shows a bacterial infection. They contact Lt. Cmdr. Clinton 'Clint' Reed M.D. of the U.S. Health Service who confirms the coroner's findings. Reed recognizes the bacteria as pneumonic plague.
Reed shifts into high gear. He has the body incinerated and has all those who came into contact with the dead man inoculated. Calling a meeting with the Mayor and all the relevant members of the New Orleans city government they develop a plan of action. They have about 48 hours to contain an outbreak. One main point he makes is the importance of not notifying the press in order to avert the "panic in the streets" of the title. A mass evacuation of New Orleans could potentially spread the plague across the U.S.
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| Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) left |
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| Lt. Cmdr. Clinton 'Clint' Reed M.D. (Widmark) |
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| Reed get a bite |
For Blackie and Fitch all the un-explainable hoopla from the police over an illegal alien register to them as "he must have been carrying something valuable." They hound the now sick with plague Poldi, who they think is holding out on them. They want to know what he got from Kochak.
The film directed by Elia Kazan is beautifully shot in high contrast Black & White by cinematographer Joseph MacDonald. The use of actual locations recalls the use of New York City in Dassin's The Naked City, and ten years in the future 1960's The Savage Eye.
Noirsville
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| Nancy Reed (Barbara Bel Geddes) |
The cast is excellent. There are some great sequences in the film. The intense scenes between Poldi, Fitch and Blackie, the chase in and on the roof of the coffee warehouse, the scramble of the fugitives like rats under the docks. It hits on all cylinders. 10/10
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