Panic in the City (1968) User Reviews

Of some merit

[sinuous · 6/10 · 27 May 2006]

I am somewhat surprised that it is even available to purchase -- since it is not the kind of kitschy-bad that can earn a movie cult status, nor notable as any popular achievement either. Its chief virtue is a sort of understated competence.

"Panic..." is plotted as a stereotypical doomsday thriller and the characters are almost, but not quite, cut from cardboard templates. But decent performances and some unusual casting choices for that era give it a certain tragic power.

A romantic subplot between a white middle-aged G-man and Latina doctor is spare, with none of the histrionics you might expect from a low-budget thriller of this sort.

The film's presentation of Los Angeles is a mostly unglamorous town of vacant lots, auto machine shops, shabby apartment complexes, and sterile hospital waiting rooms. The choice of locations adds considerably to its bleak tone. The conspirators operate in this vacant environment, and literally work themselves to death constructing an atomic bomb to use on the city. The nearly-as-anonymous protagonists do not fare much better in their efforts to find and to stop them.

Made in the 60's and in color, but staged more like a 40's "B" picture, "Panic in the City" is not exceptional, but it is not half bad.

Panic In The City... What Panic?

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 11 June 2022]

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Panic In The City; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25

TOTAL: 5.75 out of 10.00

Okay, people, set those tongues firmly in your cheeks and enjoy this slice of Boys-Own Adventure. It's Mother Russia versus Uncle Sam, and I don't mean Boys Vs Girls - we're back in the time of the cold war.

What struck me as unusual was how in-depth the writers went with their fictitious plans. I'm not saying that Eddie Davis (who also directs) and Charles Savage get the theory of atomic fusion correct - I'm not a rocket scientist, so I wouldn't know. But what they do give the viewer is a logical and credible story. For example, in the opening scenes, we watch a man staggering down streets while another follows close behind: When the man collapses in the street, his tail rifles through his pockets. The next thing we witness is a police car pulling over, and the man's rushed to the hospital. Most writers wouldn't think to have the tailer lift the injured man's identity. It's a small thing, but the pleasure is in the details. And the writers keep those tiny specifics coming. It places the story above your average cold-war thriller, making it more enjoyable. One downside is the characterisations - The men are strong and capable - The women need the men. It's a pity as one of the leads is a female doctor. However, the writers fail to imbue her personality with the traits a woman required in the 1960s to claw and climb her way up to the head of her chosen field. She should be strong, confident, resilient, and driven. Sadly, Dr Paula Stevens is none of these. As such, she becomes a slight non-entity, a piece of eye candy to fall for the dashing hero, Dave Pomeroy. Another letdown was the panic. Apart from a select few, nobody else knows they should be trying to get the hell out of dodge. It probably came down to budgetary issues, but there is a distinct lack of people losing their heads. And that is sad because it would have added a greater emotive power to the narrative and extra interest for the audience.

For the most part, the direction is your standard point and shoot, though Davis slips in a few nice pans and camera angles. These stop the film from becoming too uninteresting. The average cinematography allows the cast's talents to shine through, and it's them and the story that held my attention best.

The cast is excellent, especially Howard Duff and Nehemiah Persoff, who play the juxtaposed agents, pitted against one another. Duff is the perfect hero - strong-jawed and rugged. Persoff is the ideal combatant - driven, ominous, ambitious, and galvanized. As I said before, it's a shame the female characters weren't a tad stronger: I would have loved to see Linda Cristal in a robust role. Dr Stevens is similar to Victoria Cannon, whom she portrayed in The High Chapperal - the woman of the piece.

I would happily recommend Panic In The City for a Sunday Morning or Afternoon viewing. It's one of those entertaining flicks you don't need to think about much - Not because it's silly but rather because it's pretty complete and enjoyable. So if you prefer your cold-war thrillers in a 60s Boys-Own Adventure style, or you're a chauvinist, then Panic is a film for you. At least for one watch.

So before the big bad bomb goes boom, please visit my Killer Thriller Chillers, The Game Is Afoot, and The Final Frontier lists to see where I ranked Panic In The City.

Take Care & Stay Well.

Nuclear Terror

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 1 November 2018]

One of the earliest made for TV films that I recall is Panic In The City which is a no frills thriller about some rogue Soviet agents assembling a bomb in the city of Los Angeles. Nehemiah Persoff is our rogue agent and he's got pretend defector scientist Oscar Beregi on the job. This is something that has been years in the making.

When one of the scientists as he's later identified collapses on an LA street and is brought to the hospital he's diagnosed with a hopeless case of radiation poisoning. But someone breaches security to kill this man afraid of what he might spill. That brings the FBI in the person of Howard Duff and and his immediate superior Stephen McNally on the job.

There are a couple of good female parts. Linda Cristal as a doctor who diagnoses the original victim and conceivably could get something romantic going with Duff if things weren't breaking so fast. Also all American Anne Jeffreys who played perky Marion Kerby on Topper is in a totally different kind of part as a Russian agent.

It is a bit slow but really picks up the pace in the last third. As for the climax, all I will say is nuclear bombs should really be built in proper facilities and not someone's basement.

Kind of drab

[Wizard-8 · 25 February 2013]

The cover of the DVD box for this forgotten movie trumpets one of the actors in it, which happens to be Dennis Hopper. Actually, Hopper (who is almost unrecognizable) only plays a minor role in the movie. That didn't give me a problem. Watching the movie itself, one will be struck by how much it resembles a made-for-TV movie of the era, with its limited production values and flat loot. But that didn't give me a problem. What did give me a problem was the story. Actually, the first twenty or so minutes of the movie aren't that bad - there is some mystery and intrigue that kept me interested. However, after those twenty minutes are over, the next 45 or so minutes will put many viewers to sleep, with endless talk and an investigation that makes little progress. Things do pick up again in the last 25 or so minutes, but many viewers will have abandoned ship long before this part of the movie comes across. The movie also suffers from the fact that we never learn why the bad guys are doing what they are doing. Had there been more tension and action in the middle, as well as explanation for the bad guys scheme, we might have had something here. But as it is, it's more or less a disappointment.

yawn

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 2 May 2020]

Look at that junky VHS cover, pushing Dennis Hopper as the star of this film while he barely has a role in it. Oh Amazon Prime, you got me again.

This would be a better description: National Bureau of Investigation agents investigate the mysterious death of a nuclear scientist and soon learn that a group plans to set off a nuclear explosion in Los Angeles. Boredom ensues.

This was made by Eddie Davis, who eventually went to Australia and remade the noir movie D.O.A. as Color Me Dead.

Linda Cristal, who was in The Dead Don't Die is the other reason that I watched this. Nehemiah Persoff, who is also in Psychic Killer, would go on to voice Papa Mousekewitz in the An American Tail movies. And hey! George Barrows is in this. Who is that? Why Ro-Man the Robot Monster!

Well-Cast, Honest and Seminal Thriller; Plot: to Assemble an A-Bomb in L.A.

[silverscreen888 · 7/10 · 28 November 2005]

"Panic in the City" reminds many viewers of "Hawaii 5-0", "Mannix" and other later 1960s quality TV shows. The shots are not highly imaginative, but they are usually well-chosen by director and co-writer Eddie Davis. The script by Davis and Charles E. Savage may be described as serviceable also; but it has the same intelligence as the other shows mentioned above do; and in my view, it is unusually well-cast, is gifted with very good interiors and has a pace that is everywhere satisfying. This is included among my reviews because I consider it to be the first of the apocalyptic thrillers, later much copied, that combines the hallmark of the best of this genre--solid detail and believable work by police/spies etc.--with a setting in a city of people, not an isolated laboratory or rural hideout. The storyline concerns a plot to bring together the parts of an atomic bomb in a US city. The intention is to use it for leverage; and the Russians behind the plot are at least as interested in seeing if they can do the job as in the use; this is the sort of idea one saves for the right occasion. Getting wind of the plot. US agents led by Howard Duff as Dave Pomeroy, working under his boss, Stephen McNally, begin to close in slowly on the perpetrators. The key to the plot turns out to be five keys. One is a scientist who wants to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and is persuaded by the other side to help them assemble the bomb when their first plan fails, fine actor Oscar Beregi. The second is the man pushing the project, Nehemiah Persoff, who is at odds with his boss Gregory Morton. The third is aides to Persoff, such as Anne Jeffreys, Dennis Hopper and others. The fourth is the men who work with Duff, such as his lady, Dr. Linda Cristal, Eddie Firestone and an assortment of competent agents. The last is the size of Los Angeles, which works against the agents' actions at every turn. The plot reaches a point when the bomb is assembled; then there are a dozen twists leading to a thrilling end I will not reveal here. The music by Paul Dunlap is more-than-competent and unobtrusive as well. Alan Stensvold provided lucid cinematography, The art director Paul Sylos gave the film a clean modern look; set decorator Raymond Boltz Jr. and costume designer Charles Arrico did even better, giving the film a realistic and attractive style that almost qualifies as "style". Others in the cat include Charles Barrows, John Hoyt, Steve Franken, Wesley Lau, Paul Pickard, Walter Reed and Cal Currens. This is not a great film; but it is an honest one...and that I suggest is the source of its unusual build and power. Among the cast, Beregi, Morton, Duff and McNally are very good as always. A well-acted and thoughtful adventure film.

How do you evacuate L.A. before terrorists strike?

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 11 July 2014]

What could have been an intriguing view of "Things to Come" considering the acts of terrorism going on around the world today ends up a silly cartoon-like thriller with Boris and Natasha like villains and an over-the-hill leading man who ends up with the sexy younger woman as if he was an Americanized version of James Bond as played by Roger Moore. Howard Duff, still attractive, is out to trap Russian terrorists and stop their attempts to poison an entire city. Linda Cristal is the sexy scientist he utilizes in his quest, and of course, they end up in a romance together while working side by side in their attempts to save the world.

Poor Anne Jeffreys is saddled with a one-dimensional Natasha like spy, made to look extremely severe. If recent pictures of her still being gorgeous (in her 90's!) hadn't surfaced, you'd swear her face would crack into pieces with the stone-faced character she is forced to play here. A climactic chase through L.A. is the one highlight of the film, following over an hour of boring dialog explaining the ridiculous plot to an audience its writers assume are dumb enough to believe what is going on could actually take place. Americans are presented as noble fighters for democracy, while the European villains of various nationalities are all one dimensional and anti-democracy. The only thing this is missing is a reference to "Fearless Leader".

Decent Atomic Showdown in this Eurospy vs FBI Thriller

[meddlecore · 7/10 · 26 January 2011]

When a European scientist working in the US falls, nearly dead, on the street from radiation poisoning, FBI agent Dave Pomeroy (Howard Duff) is given the task of tracking down the source of the radiation. Before he gets a chance to question the dying man, he finds that he has been murdered in his hospital bed by a hired assassin (Dennis Hopper).

The assassin was hired by August Best (Nehemiah Persoff), the leader of a cell from a secret cabal of European spies who have infiltrated various institutions in the US. The leader is a mad scientist Dr. Strangelove type character who has mutinied his cell and started to assemble a Nuclear Bomb in the basement of a home in a suburb of Los Angeles, with plans on blowing it up in a major US city.

He has blackmailed another member of the cabal, Dr. Cerbo (Oscar Beregi Jr)- a Nuclear Scientist- into assembling the bomb. All while Pomeroy and the FBI are hot on the case of tracking them down, though seemingly always a few minutes behind...

This doomsday thriller/mystery is spun together with a love story, between Pomeroy and the sexy Dr Paula Stevens (Linda Cristal), a radiologist from the hospital.(y'know...for the ladies) What at first begins as a utilitarian relationship quickly develops into something deeper as the film progresses.

When Best's handler denounces his insane plot and tells him the cabal's plans to place him under arrest, he goes nuts, killing his handler and running off to put his scheme into action. He forces Cerbo to quickly finish and initiate the bomb. As the the fission reaction begins, Best shoots Cerbo, only to be shot by Pomeroy, who finally manages to track them down via FBI cunning, seconds later....but it's too late...the reaction has begun and it is only a matter of time before it explodes...will Pomeroy be able to stop the bomb from exploding as people watch from their front lawns and windows? or will his efforts be in vain...?

A decent, not great, but solid enough Euro Spy vs FBI pre-apocalyptic thriller from the height of cold war era tensions. While the finale is pretty bizarre and will probably have you laughing...i'd say it is definitely worth a watch, though the quality of the DVD is poor- like a bad VHS transfer to DVD from the late 90s.

The film has very nice framing and mise en scene from director Eddie Davis, nothing overly symbolic but at least it is visually appealing. As far as I'm concerned, it's worth it alone for Dennis Hopper's cameo, the 60's bathing suits, and the hilarious finale. 7 out of 10 cause I love this kinda stuff. It's good for what it is.

Okay plot, mundane execution

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 25 February 2019]

PANIC IN THE CITY is a B-flick thriller that looks and feels very dated, so I was surprised to see that it was made in the late 1960s rather than the 1950s. The plot is pure Cold War and sees a square-jawed hero tracking down a Russian spy who plans to unleash a nuclear bomb on the city. What follows is rather cheap and creaky, seemingly made on an indie budget which means there's a lot of small talk and rough edges rather than genuine thrills. A couple of familiar faces show up here and there but the genuinely interesting moments are few and far between, although there's no faulting the plot.

Cheap but energetic thriller.

[g-hbe · 6/10 · 1 September 2018]

Agent Pomeroy (Howard Duff) is called in to crack a bunch of saboteurs planning an atomic explosion in LA. Another cheapie which kept us (slightly) entertained while we pointed at the screen and wondered 'who's that?' Howard Duff is one of those actors who was rarely off our screens in our younger years but somehow we never can remember his name or what he was in. Linda Cristal was the pretty young wife in 'The High Chaparral' and who do we have here but a very youthful Dennis Hopper! Probably much to his chagrin he gets bumped-off early on, perhaps to get started on Easy Rider (or did Hang 'em High come first?). Whatever, this was a good story that moved along nicely but was obviously a bit short in the funding department. On the plus side, we get to see the seamier, workaday reality of the city that is mostly shown in other movies as a glamorous, high-rolling place, and we found that quite refreshing and 'real'.

Panic in the Editing Room

[PCC0921 · 6/10 · 22 February 2024]

This low-budget, atomic-age, science-fiction film did make it to the movie theaters, but it also gives off a very ominous, TV-movie-look, when watching the film. Unfortunately, to make things even worse, you still can't find a copy of Panic in the City (1968), in its original theatrical version. According to IMDB, the film was shot in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio, but the only versions available, come from a television SD, 4:3 version, found on YouTube, thus emphasizing the cheapness. Panic in the City (1968), has a lot of potential, even though it is low-budget. The 4:3 aspect ratio is the problem, when it comes to properly judging it. The film probably would garner more respect, if it was remastered into HD. It does have a very good cast, veteran acting, starts off pretty good and has a strange parallel to the Dark Knight Rises (2012). What that parallel is, I can't tell you. You'll have to find out on your own. The supporting cast consists of acting names from film and TV-past, like John Hoyt, Dennis Hopper, Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H*, 1972-1983), Deanna Lund (Land of the Giants, 1968-1970) and the ravishing, Linda Cristal, who plays the main-female lead to Howard Duff's, Agent Pomeroy.

Panic in the City (1968), is another atomic-age, Cold War, action movie, about bad-guys making an atomic bomb in Los Angeles and the American agents trying to stop them. Can the good-guys save the day? Paul Dunlap, the music composer for Panic in the City (1968), also did the soundtrack music, for the Three Stooges/Curly Joe DeRita, theatrical films, of the 1960s. What really hurts Panic in the City (1968), are the strange, but oddly interesting, film-technique choices, that director Eddie Davis, chooses for this film. The pace of the film is slow in parts. Too much time is wasted, watching people walking to cars and driving around parking lots. The film has a very plastic feel to its style, because it is produced in a textbook, but low-budget way. There are some confusing camera shots, set-piece locations (everything looked like the scenes were shot at the houses and offices of the cast and crew). There are also some odd editing choices, that re-emphasized the low-budget elephant-in-the-room. One glaring mistake found in a scene, has a car chase happening, but all the shots in the middle of the chase, look like the exact same curve, shot three times. Panic in the City (1968), has the potential to be good, but there are some negative points.

PMTM Grade: 5.9 (D) = 6 IMDB.