Detective Story (1951)

On one day in the 21st Precinct squad room, assorted characters form a backdrop for the troubles of hard-nosed Detective Jim McLeod.

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Philip Yordan (screenplay), Robert Wyler (screenplay)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kirk Douglas	...	Det. James McLeod
Eleanor Parker	...	Mary McLeod
William Bendix	...	Det. Lou Brody
Cathy O'Donnell	...	Susan Carmichael
George Macready	...	Karl Schneider
Horace McMahon	...	Lt. Monaghan
Gladys George	...	Miss Hatch
Joseph Wiseman	...	Charley Gennini
Lee Grant	...	Shoplifter
Gerald Mohr	...	Tami Giacoppetti
Frank Faylen	...	Det. Gallagher
Craig Hill	...	Arthur Kindred
Michael Strong	...	Lewis Abbott
Luis Van Rooten	...	Joe Feinson
Bert Freed	...	Det. Dakis

Storyline

Jim McLeod is a hard-nosed and cynical detective. He believes in a strict interpretation of the law and doesn't believe in turning the other cheek. The current object of his zealousness is Karl Schneider, an abortionist responsible for the death of several young women. Schneider's lawyer tells the precinct lieutenant that McLeod has his own personal reasons for going after his client. It turns out that his wife was a patient before they met, although Jim knew nothing of it. His world suddenly turned upside down, McLeod is too late in re-evaluating his priorities.

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Plot Keywords:

shoulder holster | shoulder | holster | taxi | detective | 

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Taglines:

The love story of a man whose wife was more woman than angel!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

William Wyler engaged Dashiell Hammett to adapt the Sidney Kingsley play for the screen. After three weeks Hammett returned the advance check to Wyler, saying he couldn't do it. At the time Hammett was under scrutiny for his alleged Communist affiliations and was blacklisted.

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Goofs

About 40 minutes into the film, Jim Mcleod misidentifies himself as "Dan Mcleod of W.85 St".

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Quotes

Detective James McLeod: At an autopsy the other day I watched the medical examiner saw off the top of a man's skull, take out the brain and hold it in his hand.
[holds out his hand]
Detective James McLeod: Like that.
Mary McLeod: Why are you telling me this?
Detective James McLeod: Because I'd give my soul to take out my brain, hold it under the faucet and wash away the dirty pictures you put there tonight.
Mary McLeod: Dirty pictures?
Detective James McLeod: Yes!
Mary McLeod: Oh, I see. I see. Yes, that would be fine... if we could. But when you wash away what I may have put there, you'll find you've a rotten spot in your brain, Jim...

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Connections

Referenced in Tales of the City: Episode #1.4 (1993)

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Soundtracks

Main Title
(uncredited)
from The Accused (1949)
Music by Victor Young

User Reviews

Powerful Kirk Douglas Performance in NYC Precinct Drama

Adapted from a stage play by Sidney Kingsley, "Detective Story" depicts a day at a New York police precinct in the early 1950's. The film resembles a feature-length episode of "Barney Miller" without the jokes as the detectives bring various shoplifters, petty thieves, and embezzlers into the station for booking. However, the film does not lack humor as a broad hammy performance by Joseph Wiseman and an only slightly subtler take on a Brooklynese shoplifter by Lee Grant lighten up the often heavily dramatic proceedings.

The central character, Detective Jim McLeod, is an unforgiving, by-the-book veteran, who sees the world in black and white, good versus evil, with no shades of gray in between. Kirk Douglas brings McLeod to life in one of his finest, most powerful performances. Douglas's Oscar-caliber work is matched by a fragile, deeply felt performance by Eleanor Parker as McLeod's wife, who harbors a secret from her past that, unknown to either McLeod or his wife, connects back to an on-going police case. The scenes between Douglas and Parker are among the best in the film.

Veteran director William Wyler retains most of the play's action in the central precinct room and only occasionally breaks from the claustrophobic set for a breather. Lee Garmes photographed "Detective Story" in crisp black and white, and some of the shots of New York City could be framed and hung on a wall. With a cast of top character players that includes Gladys George, William Bendix, Frank Faylen, and George Macready, the multi-character, multi-plotted "Detective Story" is a powerful, well-acted film that somehow is less often seen than its quality warrants.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1952 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Detective Story

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1