No Way Out (1950)

A black doctor is assigned to treat two white racist suspects who are brothers, and when one dies, it causes tension that could start a race riot.

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Lesser Samuels

Stars:

Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Widmark	...	Ray Biddle
Linda Darnell	...	Edie Johnson
Stephen McNally	...	Dr. Dan Wharton
Sidney Poitier	...	Dr. Luther Brooks
Mildred Joanne Smith	...	Cora Brooks
Harry Bellaver	...	George Biddle
Stanley Ridges	...	Dr. Sam Moreland
Dots Johnson	...	Lefty Jones

Storyline

The Biddle brothers, shot while robbing a gas station, are taken to the prison ward of the County Hospital; Ray Biddle, a rabid racist, wants no treatment from black resident Dr. Luther Brooks. When brother John dies while Luther tries to save him, Ray is certain it's murder and becomes obsessed with vengeance. But there are black racists around too, and the situation slides rapidly toward violence.

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Plot Keywords:

racism | riot | doctor | hospital | black doctor | 

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Taglines:

Is it a question ...or an answer

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

September 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

El odio es ciego

Filming Locations:

USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the black actors who were part of the race riot scene found out that they were getting paid less than their white equivalents, they protested until accommodations were made.

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Goofs

The Deputy asks Dr. Brooks if he's going to need any instruments. His reply; "you keep them locked up". The deputy's answer is "this ain't no maternity ward doc". Implying they can be used by any criminal as weapon against the staff. But they are not locked in a secure cabinet in a nondescript room. They're locked in cases with glass doors that line the hallway of the ward. Easily smashed, access to instruments that could be used as weapons.

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Quotes

Dr. Dan Wharton: We wanted to examine your ex-husband's body. To make sure he died from the causes we think he did. We're not permitted to without permission of the family.
Edie Johnson: Well, what about Johnny's brothers?
Dr. Dan Wharton: They won't allow it.
Edie Johnson: For cash they will.
Dr. Dan Wharton: I'm afraid not.
Edie Johnson: For two bits they'd sell his eyeballs.
Dr. Dan Wharton: You're fond of them, I can see that.
Edie Johnson: They're lovable.

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Crazy Credits

The 20th Century Fox logo appears without its familiar fanfare. Instead, the film's music theme begins when the logo is displayed.

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light (2000)

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Soundtracks

Sophisticated Lady
(uncredited)
Music by Duke Ellington
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish and Irving Mills

User Reviews

A still powerful race-conflict melodrama

As in other 1950s films, Richard Widmark is very scary and Sidney Poitier very noble herein. There is little preaching in Mankiewicz's screenplay and it has splendidly filmed action sequences. The rap that Mankiewicz's films are "all talk and no action" is untenable (see, especially, "The Quiet Man" and "Five Fingers"), though the talk he wrote was often very incisive and very witty.

Notable for the debuts of Poitier, Ossie Davis, and Ruby Dee, this melodrama is of more than historical interest. It is a gripping, noirish tale of a nightmare experienced by a young black doctor. Although the ending is predictable, and Linda Darnell's character chances unconvincingly often and unconvincingly far (and her clothes are inconceivable for a drive-in car hop!), "No Way Out" is more than a historical curiosity. (And Mankiewicz deserves reconsideration as one of the directors who really was the author of the films he directed, up there with Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges.)