Elia Kazan directed this thriller that stars Richard Widmark as Dr. Clinton Reed, Lt. Commander of the Public Health Service who is called upon when a murder victim in New Orleans also shows signs of bubonic plague, and he is determined to track down anyone who may have had contact with the victim, which is difficult to do when they don't even know who he is. Reed tries to convince disbelieving civil authorities of its importance, since the infection could spread in 48 hours if not stopped. Jack Palance and Zero Mostel play two crooks who are infected, but don't know it. Suspenseful and smart film with fine acting, and an interesting storyline unique for its time.

Not every black and white melodrama from the Fifties needs to be considered a noir film; that designation doesn't work for me here. Nor does the title actually, because there's really never any panic to speak of except in the feverish race by authorities to find the source of pneumonic plague brought into the country by a stowaway on a cargo ship. For what it is though, there are some intermittent thrills as Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) and Police Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) combine forces to methodically pinpoint the the cause of the infection and bring those responsible to light.The one to keep your eyes on here is gangster Blackie, 'Walter' Jack Palance in his big screen debut. Almost gangly in comparison to his later film roles, Palance brings a hostile malice to his character that seethes in every scene he's in. Which made it almost comical to me why he seemed so determined to pin down subordinate Poldi (Guy Thomajan) for some undetermined loot that he thought cousin Kochak smuggled into the country (it turned out to be perfume!). You knew Blackie could play rough, but I never expected to see him throw Poldi over the stairwell with his mother watching - yikes!Richard Widmark's character takes charge right from the start after he's called in from his day off as a naval medical officer. The picture juxtaposes his high pressure job requirements with a serene home life, but he always exhibits an intensity throughout, even as his wife tries to keep him grounded in family responsibilities. Funny, but every time I saw Barbara Bel Geddes I couldn't help thinking of June Cleaver waiting for Wally and the Beaver to come walking through the door any minute.The finale was a pretty realistic nail biter considering how Palance, Mostel and Widmark had to maneuver their way around those slick pilings under the warehouse dock. I was expecting one of them to lose their balance and go completely in the drink, and had to wonder whether they did that all in one take. I never doubted Palance's athleticism though, after watching him maneuver his way up the tow line of the docked ship in port. The film makers really put him through the wringer for his very first picture.

Intense, gripping drama / thriller from director Elia Kazan, set in New Orleans. A gang of lowlife criminals murder one of their own, not knowing the man was carrying pneumonic plague. A stubborn public health doctor, Clinton Reed (the excellent Richard Widmark, playing a somewhat flawed yet still likable hero) figures things out and does his damnedest to try to prevent the disease from spreading, with the sometimes reluctant help of police captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas). The movie does have an appropriate amount of atmosphere in some of its scenes, particularly in the opening, but for the most part actually takes place in the day time, and truthfully isn't in a typical film noir type of mode. Kazan, however, would strive for realism at all times, casting many locals to basically play themselves. He does allow the pace to slow at times, giving Widmark and Barbara Bel Geddes a crucial character driven scene that both lets the actors show off their chops and effectively humanize their characters. But the story does have a fine forward momentum nevertheless, leading to a climactic chase scene. Concocted by Edward and Edna Anhalt (adapted by Daniel Fuchs, and scripted by Richard Murphy), who won an Oscar for it, it serves as a potent forerunner of more recent movies such as "Outbreak" (In fact, the working title of this movie *was* "Outbreak"!). It gets a lot of effectiveness from its often antagonistic interplay between its actors, especially leads Widmark and Douglas, as well as the pivotal casting of soon-to-be legend (Walter) Jack Palance, in his first major screen role; he makes for a wonderful heavy (naturally), with an amazing physical presence and that instantly recognizable visage. Zero Mostel is quite a hoot as his more nebbish-y accomplice; other performers such as Lewis Charles (as the doomed man at the beginning), Emile Meyer as the hostile Nile Queen captain (with him, Palance, and Douglas on hand, "Panic in the Streets" doesn't lack for real tough guys in its cast), and Guy Thomajan as the flunky Poldi also do quite well; Tommy Rettig of 'Lassie' fame plays Reed's son and director Kazan can be seen as Cleaver, the mortuary assistant. Overall, a highly enjoyable and stylish movie, with Kazan going more for long shots than close ups, that entertains sharply from beginning to end. Eight out of 10.

Very few films have this kind of "flow", this kind of clever logistics. It is as though no strain went into the formation of the movie, but instead was the result of complete inspiration.The plot is that of a doctor and detective bonding together to stop a plague that is hidden in the underworld.The pace is unbelievably perfect. We are drawn in, hook, line, and sinker, into the story. Some movies struggle to do what this does. This movie not only tells a story, but takes you on a journey.One watches this and is mesmerized by the flow that is so natural. One wonders if it is incredibly clever writing or incredibly clever directing. Obviously, both are involved.