Review – Panic in the Streets

Elia Kazan – in his pre-HUAC-rat days – directed this little piece of paranoia about possible plague carrier loose on the streets of New Orleans. Members of the Public Health Service don’t get as much screen time as the armed forces, but here the officer in charge is certainly the hero. He has to find some criminals who mugged and killed an illegal immigrant who would likely have died anyway from the plague. Though the premise is interesting enough, the plot turns out to be a long parade of dead ends. The supporting cast includes Jack Palance and Zero Mostel. Mildly amusing