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Detective Story

7.3

2,294

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Original title

Detective Story

Year

1951

Running time

99 min.

Country

United States

Director

William Wyler

Screenwriter

Philip Yordan, Robert Wyler. Theater: Sidney Kingsley

Cast

Music

Miklós Rózsa

Cinematography

Lee Garmes (B&W)

Producer

Paramount Pictures

Genre

Film noir. Drama | Cop Movies. Crime

Synopsis

On a day in the life of the 21st Precinct detective squad, we meet a batty old lady; petty embezzler Arthur, and the wonderful girl whose unrequited love may redeem him; a pair of blustering, but dangerous, burglars; a charmingly naive shoplifter who observes the activity with timorous interest; and Detective Jim McLeod, self-appointed crusader who has no mercy for lawbreakers. He little suspects his obsessive pursuit of an abortionist is leading him to personal disaster.

Rankings Position

#84 Best Film Noir Movies
#138 Best Crime Movies

Awards: 1951: 4 Nominations for Oscar: Director, Actress (Parker), Supporting Actress (Grant), Screenplay Adapted

1951: Golden Globes: 3 Nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Drama

1951: BAFTA Awards: Nominated for Best Film

1951: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nominated for Best Director

1951: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Drama Screenplay

1951: National Board of Review: Top 10 Best Films

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Critics' reviews

"The first-rate cast, Lee Garmes' camerawork and the tense, excellent script (by Phil Yordan and, uncredited, Dashiell Hammett), all help build toward an unsurprising but memorable climax"

Michael Wilmington: Chicago Tribune
"Filmed during that great early period of his career when he played heels better than anyone ever had, Kirk Douglas is the morally tortured 21st Precinct New York cop"

USA Today
"William Wyler has polished the legit hit by Pulitzer-prizewinner Sidney Kingsley into a cinematic gem."

Variety Staff: Variety
"William Wyler directed this hard-hitting, beautifully acted 1951 adaptation of Sidney Kingsley's Broadway hit. Kirk Douglas is remarkable as a tough-nosed, moralistic police detective who is accused of roughing up a shady doctor"

Los Angeles Times
"Though the film rarely ventures out of the single indoor set that housed Sidney Kingsley's 1949 Broadway hit, Detective Story makes an even better movie than a play."

Time
"Detective Story is a hard-grained entertainment, not revealing but bruisingly real."

Bosley Crowther: The New York Times
"Detective Story is methodical in its depiction of the sometimes traumatic events of one day in a precinct but the marvelous quirks and shadings of these characters create highly exciting drama."

TV Guide

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Detective Story

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