The Cinematheque

“Kazan [directs] with a keen sense of appreciation for violence and suspense … There is an electric quality to the climax staged in a warehouse on the New Orleans waterfront.”

Thomas M. Pryor, The New York Times

Panic in the Streets is a tense, realistic exemplar of director Elia Kazan, praised for its on-location filming in New Orleans, sharp dialogue, strong performances (especially from Jack Palance and Richard Widmark), and unique blend of genres. Widmark plays Clint Reed, a public health official who has only 48 hours to locate a killer infected with a plague that threatens to spread into an epidemic. This crime thriller is motivated by public health urgency, a combination that feels even more relevant today due to its focus on infectious disease and societal fear. Kazan’s film was awarded at both the Venice Film Festival and the Academy Awards (the latter for its story treatment). Panic represented a turning point for Kazan’s prestigious filmmaking; the next year he would direct A Streetcar Named Desire.

The March 28 screening of Panic in the Streets will be introduced by festival curator and co-founder Harry Killas.