The Killer That Stalked New York (AKA: Frightened City) is directed by Earl McEvoy and adapted to screenplay by Harry Essex from a story by Milton Lehman. It stars Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop, Dorothy Malone and Lola Albright. Music is by Hans Salter and cinematography by Joseph Biroc.
As the Police search for a diamond smuggler flown in from Cuba, doctors frantically trawl through an unprotected New York for a smallpox carrier, unaware that it is in fact the same person.
The Blonde Death!
Based on a real life incident the year previously, The Killer That Stalked New York is a very efficient thriller that has earned the right to be viewed now on its own terms. Comparisons are inevitably drawn with Panic in the Streets, the Elia Kazan film from the same year that deals in the same premise as here, but don't let anybody try and convince you otherwise, McEvoy's movie isn't in the same class. There is a reason Columbia Pictures delayed the release of "Killer" for six months. That said...
It's a tautly constructed movie by McEvoy, decently performed by the cast (Keyes especially impressive carrying the film) and the documentary like approach to the piece works very much in its favour; even if Reed Hadley's stentorian narration is rather intrusive to the escalating drama. Bonus as well comes from having Biroc on photography duties, it's not so much about chiaroscuro techniques, in fact we don't really see the best noir visuals until the last fifteen minutes, but more about dripping a foreboding atmosphere over the New York City locales. As poor Sheila stumbles through the city, her alienation and disorientation is deftly brought out of the screen by the one time Oscar winner (The Towering Inferno).
The race against time medical aspects of the drama hold the attention span well, we are constantly wondering who is going to succumb to "the blonde death" next? Though this core theme of the picture comes at the cost of narrative intrigue elsewhere, for instance there's infidelity in the mix involving our leading lady, but it barely registers and poor Lola Albright, playing a character of much potential, gets shunted out the way to be replaced by some more medical peril announced by Hadley's public service voice! As efficient as the film is, and it's easily recommended to the noir crowd, much more could have been made of this story.
B picture by name, B picture by nature, but hugely enjoyable in that sweaty time filling way. 6.5/10
As the Police search for a diamond smuggler flown in from Cuba, doctors frantically trawl through an unprotected New York for a smallpox carrier, unaware that it is in fact the same person.
The Blonde Death!
Based on a real life incident the year previously, The Killer That Stalked New York is a very efficient thriller that has earned the right to be viewed now on its own terms. Comparisons are inevitably drawn with Panic in the Streets, the Elia Kazan film from the same year that deals in the same premise as here, but don't let anybody try and convince you otherwise, McEvoy's movie isn't in the same class. There is a reason Columbia Pictures delayed the release of "Killer" for six months. That said...
It's a tautly constructed movie by McEvoy, decently performed by the cast (Keyes especially impressive carrying the film) and the documentary like approach to the piece works very much in its favour; even if Reed Hadley's stentorian narration is rather intrusive to the escalating drama. Bonus as well comes from having Biroc on photography duties, it's not so much about chiaroscuro techniques, in fact we don't really see the best noir visuals until the last fifteen minutes, but more about dripping a foreboding atmosphere over the New York City locales. As poor Sheila stumbles through the city, her alienation and disorientation is deftly brought out of the screen by the one time Oscar winner (The Towering Inferno).
The race against time medical aspects of the drama hold the attention span well, we are constantly wondering who is going to succumb to "the blonde death" next? Though this core theme of the picture comes at the cost of narrative intrigue elsewhere, for instance there's infidelity in the mix involving our leading lady, but it barely registers and poor Lola Albright, playing a character of much potential, gets shunted out the way to be replaced by some more medical peril announced by Hadley's public service voice! As efficient as the film is, and it's easily recommended to the noir crowd, much more could have been made of this story.
B picture by name, B picture by nature, but hugely enjoyable in that sweaty time filling way. 6.5/10