:
Edmond O'Brien,
Pamela Britton,
Luther Adler,
more...
:
Rudolph Maté
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Mill Creek Entertainment
: Film Noir, Vintage Noir
: 83 min.
: English
see additional details...
System Requirements
|
|
"I want to report a murder...mine." So begins D.O.A. Told in flashback, the story tells of how vacationing CPA Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) becomes the recipient of a deadly poison known as iridium. Told by a doctor that he only has a few hours to live, Bigelow desperately retraces his movements of the previous 24 hours, trying to locate his murderer. Through the aid of his secretary Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) (who doesn't know of her boss' imminent demise), Bigelow traces a shipment of iridium to a gang of criminals who've used the poison in the commission of a crime. Bigelow had been targeted because he'd notarized the shipment, which came from the chemical firm where he works. Though we know from the outset that Bigelow isn't long for this world, the film builds up an incredible amount of suspense towards the end, when master crook Holiday (William Ching) orders his crazed henchman (Neville Brand) to take Bigelow for "a ride." DOA was remade in 1988 with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
|
| D.O.A. only O.K.
by eifert
July 6, 2004 - 9:53 PM PDT
|
|
|
3 out of 4 members found this review helpful
|
D.O.A. is shot in the classic film noir style, and that's why I enjoy it so much.
The plot is the gimmick that sold the movie. A man is poisoned and only has a little time to live. He tries to solve the murder before he drops dead. The mystery plot is confusing. Even when the killer is revealed I still had half a dozen questions unanswered. Is it worth the watch? Yes. Is it The Postman Only Rings Twice? No, Postman had plot holes, but that wasn't why that movie was successful. It was because the leads were so convincing. The scenes of goofy Edmund O'Brian being smooth with the ladies are very funny, but totally unrealistic. O'Brian was not a leading man. The secondary characters seemed pulled from other movies. The foreigner Luther Adler could have been playing a part in Casablanca. Also, the director could have done without the slide-whistle wolf call whenever O'Brian saw a dame he liked.
Director Rudolph Maté (cinematographer for Pride of the Yankees & Sahara) did better with sound cues when O'Brian was trying to think of the night before, and the sound of the jazz club quietly played in the background. With a talented Cinematographer directing, it's no surprise that the movie's visual style is excellent.
San Francisco looks great. |
| DOA dud
by Basil918
April 16, 2004 - 12:10 PM PDT
|
|
|
4 out of 6 members found this review helpful
|
| Absurd dialogue, choppy action, confusing plot. But great shots of late-40s San Francisco. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.92)
114 Votes
add to list 
|
 |
|
|
 |
| San Francisco Movies |
|
|
| A complete-as-I-can-make-it list of movies shot in and around SF (with LOTS of help from www.norcalmovies.com) and the Bay Area. I'll try to put comments and info about the movies and rate the ones I've seen. Please email me with any errors or add. info. |
dydeth
|
|
|
see all lists |
|
|
Your cart
DGood
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.