D.O.A. (1949)

Some have called this film the best of all noirs, and there are many reasons for it. Edmond O'Brien, who usually played seconds, is here the lead, feeling bad on a small vacation trip and learning he has been poisoned and having only few days left to live - and he can't understand why, since there is no reason. He starts pulling loose ends, which throw him into a maze of complications of what was originally only a minor intrigue, perhaps even only a mistake.The most impressing element of the film though is its composition. It starts very merrily with an extremely happy party with many lovely girls and charming women, leading eventually to a joint where the party continues, and where a strange man puts something into his drink. You only see his collar. There it begins. The collar will only reappear in the end.The race for him to find out what has happened continues throughout the film at a constantly higher gear, and there are some very nasty villains involved too, and many doubtful ladies. This film actually has everything associated with a noir and to the brim, and the conclusion is, mildly speaking, deadly.You leave the film shaken and very much disturbed, while perhaps the most rewarding lesson of the film is the insight into the fact that it is in death that you discover life. I would give 11 if it were possible.

Copyright 21 April 1950 (in notice: 1949) by Cardinal Pictures Inc. Released through United Artists. New York opening at the Criterion: 30 April 1950. U.S. release: 21 April 1950. U.K. release (on the lower half of a double bill): 29 May 1950. Australian release: 4 August 1950. 7,518 feet. 83 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A vacationing accountant spends his remaining days searching for his murderer after poison is slipped into his drink at a San Francisco nightclub. NOTES: Re-made in 1969 as Color Me Dead, and then re-made again (this time under its original title) in 1988.COMMENT: Edge-of-the-seat excitement delivered by a novel, intriguing and for the most part ultra-taut (the final scene between O'Brien and Britton would have been twice as effective at half the length) script; imaginative shooting in the actual streets, buildings (including the famous Bradbury Building) and transport of Los Angeles and San Francisco; driving direction by Rudolph Mate - the best of his career - as he stunningly forces the camera to track madly along the roadways; and vividly realistic acting by the leads and the entire cast down to the smallest bit player. Superlatively moody cinematography should be added to the ledger. And I liked Tiomkin's score, though many critics complained it was too Mickey Mouse and/or intrusive. I thought it perfect. An emotional romantic theme coupled with suitable mood "pointers" puts the drama across with a vitality that matches the powerful camerawork.OTHER VIEWS: All producer Harry M. Popkin's films are must viewing for connoisseurs. This one is no exception, despite the typically very slow beginning. Edmond O'Brien is not quite able to manage all the dialogue, while Pamela Britton is a bit of a drawback as his lady love, but Ernest Laszlo's camera, brilliantly filming on location in San Francisco is actual buses and sub-ways and warehouses and jazz dives, along with Rudolph Maté's surprisingly vigorous direction (I would certainly rank this as his most powerful film) of Rouse and Greene's riveting script, all adds up to superlatively thrilling entertainment. - JHR writing as Charles Freeman.

This is a work of film noir. It involves the sad case of a man who knows he is going to die. He also knows approximately when. He has been poisoned by someone and it is slow acting. There is no cure and he devotes what little time he has left to finding the people responsible for his "death." There is suspense all the way as he goes from place to place, running into roadblock after roadblock. He has to analyze along the way, putting two and two together, never knowing if his next breath is going to be his last. This has become a classic because we pull for a man who really has no hope. A cleverly done piece with stark images and a modest script.

As this film opens protagonist Frank Bigelow goes into the Homicide Department of a police station and tells then he wants to report a murder; his own. The action then jumps back to show us what happened to him. He was an accountant from a small town who was taking a break in San Francisco; shortly after arriving his secretary/girlfriend, Paula, phones him to him that a client had called and wanted to talk to him… he tells her that he'll deal with it when he gets back. He then goes out to a jazz bar with some people he just met; while there somebody switches his drink. He notices that it tastes wrong and leaves most of it. The next day he feels unwell and sees a doctor… he is shocked to be told that he has been given 'luminous poison' for which there is no antidote; if he is lucky he will live a week.Frank is determined to discover who killed him and why. He calls Paula and asks about the man who tried to contact him and learnt that he was dead; an apparent suicide. Frank is convinced that this can't be a coincidence so heads to the man's office Los Angeles. As his remaining time runs out he discovers a motive but as he starts to close in on the person responsible others are determined to further shorten his life to prevent their involvement in an illegal scheme being exposed.This film noir has a great hook; as soon as we hear Frank report his own murder we want to know what happened and why. The fact that we know Frank is dying gives the proceedings a good sense of urgency, the central mystery is definitely intriguing and the tension mounts nicely throughout. Edmund O'Brien does a solid job as Frank; nicely capturing his reaction to the terrible situation; his denial and panic are definitely believable. The rest of the cast is pretty good too; Neville Brand is particularly memorable as a sadistic killer named Chester. On the down side there are some weak attempts at humour early on as every time Frank sees a pretty woman we hear what sounds like a swanee whistle; something that gets irritating fast… thankfully once he is poisoned he has other things on his mind. Overall this is a solid film noir that fans of the genre should enjoy.