Under secret orders

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Movie
German title Under secret orders
Original title Panic in the streets
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1950
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Elia Kazan
script Richard Murphy
music Alfred Newman
camera Joseph MacDonald
cut Harmon Jones
occupation
synchronization

Under Secret Orders (original title: Panic in the Streets ) is an American thriller by the director Elia Kazan from 1950. A story by Edna Anhalt and Edward Anhalt served as a template . In Austria the film was released under the title Das Schiff der Verdammten .

action

After the fight over a card game, Kochak is killed in New Orleans by gangster Blackie and his two cronies. One of the buddies is Kochak's cousin Poldi, the other calls himself Fitch. The body is found at the city docks and taken to the coroner. The coroner is surprised that the dead man has no papers with him. He also found a virus in his blood. He alerts Dr. Reed who works for the U.S. Health Service. Even though Reed is off, he examines the body. He diagnosed pneumonia. Anyone who comes in contact with the corpse can be infected. The identity of the dead person needs to be established as well as who he has been in contact with in the last five days. Reed is conferring with people from the city government, police and other agencies. But everyone has doubts whether the effort is justified. Reed manages to convince them that there are only 48 hours left to save New Orleans from pneumonic plague. In order to prevent a mass panic, the press should not be informed.

Police chief Warren and his people start questioning Slavic immigrants because Reed thinks the dead man is an Armenian , a Czech or something similar. While Reed believes Warren is not taking the whole thing seriously enough, Warren believes that Reed just wants to distinguish himself. Angry Reed believes the dead man entered the country illegally and hands out copies of the dead man's picture to the National Maritime Union . A young woman then leads Reed to her friend, who brought Kochak ashore, from a ship of the “Nile Queen”.

Fitch, who was also interrogated by Warren, goes to Blackie and warns him. Blackie explains the police interest with the fact that Poldi is expecting a large smuggling shipment for Kochak. Warren is now convinced of Reed's integrity and questions the Nile Queen's crew with him. After a sick cook is found, Reed is allowed to vaccinate the crew. You find out that Kochak in Oran , has come to the ship, Algeria and shish kebab was obsessed. Warren and Reed examine the Greek restaurants, an owner says they never saw Kochak. A short time later, Reed and Warren are called to the restaurant owner's apartment. His wife, Rita, died of pneumonia. A reporter wants to publish the story. To Reed's surprise, Warren throws the reporter into jail without further ado. When Reed comes home exhausted, his wife tells him that she is pregnant. A few hours later, Reed and Warren experience the anger of the mayor, who disapproves of the reporter's arrest. The reporter says his story will appear in the morning paper in four hours.

In the meantime, Blackie tries to get information about the contraband from Poldi. Poldi is seriously ill and is already delirious. Blackie gets his doctor to help Poldi. Reed and Warren get a tip from a nurse and arrive at the house just as Blackie and Fitch are carrying the sick Poldi down the stairs. The two drop Poldi and flee. At the docks, Reed tries to explain to the fugitives why they are being hunted. But the men continue to flee. Blackie tries to get on a ship, but falls exhausted into the dock. At the end, Warren shows Reed a couple of bottles of perfume from the contraband. The end of the crisis is announced on the radio.

background

Jack Palance made his feature film debut with the film. In the opening credits he is listed as Walter Jack Palance. Director Kazan has a cameo as the coroner's assistant in the film.

In 1972, an unofficial remake appeared on American television under the title Killer By Night , which was broadcast in Germany under the title The Invisible Murderer . Directed by Bernard McEveety , however, it was about an impending diphtheria epidemic.

Reviews

For the lexicon of international film , Unterkretbefehl was “[e] in a documentary colored thriller, with a sure sense of the milieu and atmosphere”. The film is "[t] rotz some improbabilities and concessions to the genre remarkable: sober, exciting, excellently played". Prisma described the film as an "excellently cast thriller about the threat to a city from a virus". The film comes up with "sober black and white pictures in the New Orleans waterfront". "Richard Widmark as Dr. Reed and Paul Douglas as Captain Warren ”. "What is remarkable about the work of one of the most famous American directors is the rapid rendition of the events," said the Protestant film observer . In doing so, however, "[the] human nuances in the material [...] would fall short".

The magazine Filmstudio spoke of a film "that [...] presents itself as a documentary hit". It is about a "carefully polished crime film with a new idea that makes it pleasantly different from the usual murder films". Director Kazan has "the unique gift of underlining dramatic situations with small details, a method that he also uses with brilliance in this film". With his camera he shows "the milieu [of New Orleans' underworld] is so cold and so truthful that one gets into breathless tension." The conclusion was: "A great film with a skilful director."

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1951 , Edna and Edward Anhalt were awarded the Oscar in the category Best Original Story. At the Venice International Film Festival , director Kazan received the “International Award” for his film.

synchronization

The German dubbed version was created in 1950 by Ultra Film Synchron GmbH Munich.

role actor Voice actor
Dr. Reed Richard Widmark Arnold Marquis
Capt. Tom Warren Paul Douglas Rudolf Reiff
Nancy Reed Barbara Bel Geddes Tina Eilers
Blackie Jack Palance Peter Pasetti
Reporter Neff Dan crack Anton Reimer
Mayor Murray H. Waller Fowler Jr. Wolfgang Eichberger
John Mefaris Alexis Minotis Klaus W. Krause
Commissioner Dan Quinn Val winter Walter Holten

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Under secret orders. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ See prisma.de
  3. ↑ Ev. Munich Press Association, Review No. 118/1951.
  4. ^ Film studio . Issue 13, March-April 1955.
  5. ↑ See synchrondatenbank.de