D.O.A. (1949)

Touches You

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This isn't as well known or as good as something as "The Maltese Falcon", but it's still great. It seems like noir just doesn't exist anymore and the only thing left of it are parodies and tributes. I've been watching "The Twilight Zone" so much that any black and white film that isn't a comedy seems like a long episode. This movie starts with a guy going to the police saying he's already dead. No, he's not a ghost, he's just drunken this poison that will slowly kill him. The whole movie is done through flashback. A lot of the first third is actually really mundane, with him just going to a party and having fun. He then goes to these doctors after feeling ill and they say he was poisoned. The protagonist is named Frank Bigelow. After seeing Roger Ebert's review of "Deuce Bigalo: European Gigalo", it's hard for me to trust a movie with a guy named Bigelow. I really love Bigelow's relationship with his girlfriend, Paula. It makes it all the sadder when you know he's going to die from the poison. ***1/2

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.

I've seen most Film-oiNoirs but when I stumbled across D.O.A. I wasn't expecting much since I'd never heard of it. Well 15 min in I was hooked. The concept of the story nont only drags you in like a true who done it story but it makes you think "what would you do?" "How would you act?" It's crazy to think of. Anyway I highly recommend this film .. It's fast paced and keeps your attention if you're not a film noir fan.j

This one plays out like a science fiction mystery-thriller with it's "luminous poisoning" idea. Seems they could have found real poisoning idea for this film - like he's being poisoned slowly over time and goes to the doctor because he's getting sicker or something. This film's fictional poison and it's cure are a silly idea for a realistic crime-mystery. I can easily buy into this idea for sci-fi but not for a supposedly realistic crime-drama. I also think the idea of a fictional cure is worse than the idea of a fictitious poison - I guess they wanted an "all's well that ends well" finale that didn't pan out for our lead. The film has it's good points: it's interesting watching this poor guy uncover who poisoned him and why. But that's about it. The film is not as good as it's made out to be in my opinion but worth a watch.5/10