csab-39797 I've seen most Film-oiNoirs but when I stumbled across D.O.A. I wasn't expecting much since I'd never heard of it. Well 15 min in I was hooked. The concept of the story nont only drags you in like a true who done it story but it makes you think "what would you do?" "How would you act?" It's crazy to think of. Anyway I highly recommend this film .. It's fast paced and keeps your attention if you're not a film noir fan.j

mark.waltz Some mickey finn's aren't just to knock you out; they are to kill you, and in the case of the one visiting businessman Edmund O'Brien gets in a San Francisco jazz and jive club, it's going to be a slow, painful one. As we see him for the first time, he's reporting a murder to the local authorities and when asked who the victim is, he coldly pronounces, "Me". Fasten your seatbelts tightly at that point. The roller-coaster tension has just begun, and the twists and turns are quite sudden. The jive session O'Brien walks in on and meets his destiny is one of the hottest examples of how music adds a mood to a dramatic film. Much like the Elmer Bernstein score for "The Man With the Golden Arm", the music adds an invisible character to the story, becoming like a phantom after O'Brien learns that there is a toxin in his system that gives him between a day and two weeks to live. It's not only physical agony but psychologically frightening that guides his determination to find out how this happened, and why.A very crowded San Francisco view of Market Street gives added tension to this superb film noir, one of the all time classics. This replaces the light humor of the opening scenes where every time a sexy woman appears, there's a funny musical accompaniment indicating an ogling whistle. Pamela Britton's clinging girlfriend is a bit grating, showing her obsessive personality. Luther Adler adds more intrigue as a key player in this intrigue. Look quickly for a brunette Beverly Garland in her film debut as a secretary with key information to clues O'Brien has discovered. This is a must for film students and fans of film noir, and like "Detour" and a Hans full of others shows the strength of independent production, not giving any control to studio brass and ending up with an artistic classic from the moment it is released.

Tweekums As this film opens protagonist Frank Bigelow goes into the Homicide Department of a police station and tells then he wants to report a murder; his own. The action then jumps back to show us what happened to him. He was an accountant from a small town who was taking a break in San Francisco; shortly after arriving his secretary/girlfriend, Paula, phones him to him that a client had called and wanted to talk to him… he tells her that he'll deal with it when he gets back. He then goes out to a jazz bar with some people he just met; while there somebody switches his drink. He notices that it tastes wrong and leaves most of it. The next day he feels unwell and sees a doctor… he is shocked to be told that he has been given 'luminous poison' for which there is no antidote; if he is lucky he will live a week.Frank is determined to discover who killed him and why. He calls Paula and asks about the man who tried to contact him and learnt that he was dead; an apparent suicide. Frank is convinced that this can't be a coincidence so heads to the man's office Los Angeles. As his remaining time runs out he discovers a motive but as he starts to close in on the person responsible others are determined to further shorten his life to prevent their involvement in an illegal scheme being exposed.This film noir has a great hook; as soon as we hear Frank report his own murder we want to know what happened and why. The fact that we know Frank is dying gives the proceedings a good sense of urgency, the central mystery is definitely intriguing and the tension mounts nicely throughout. Edmund O'Brien does a solid job as Frank; nicely capturing his reaction to the terrible situation; his denial and panic are definitely believable. The rest of the cast is pretty good too; Neville Brand is particularly memorable as a sadistic killer named Chester. On the down side there are some weak attempts at humour early on as every time Frank sees a pretty woman we hear what sounds like a swanee whistle; something that gets irritating fast… thankfully once he is poisoned he has other things on his mind. Overall this is a solid film noir that fans of the genre should enjoy.

LeonLouisRicci Quintessential Film-Noir where Elements of the Genre are so Stunning that the Film can be Forgiven for some rather Awkward Moments. The continuous Over-the-Top and Cringe Inducing Musical Score from Dimitri Tiomkin Betray the Surreal and Expressionistic aspects of the Movie with Silly (wolf whistles) and Sappy (violining the love moments), is the Film's Biggest Misstep.All of the Scenes with Edmond O'Brien's Girlfriend, either on the Phone, the Beginning, or in The End, are Intrusive at Best and Intolerable at Worst.These Things would Sink a Lesser Movie and Irritate so much that it Couldn't Recover. But this one is so Full of Great Stuff that Overall these remain Inconsequential. The Great Opening Premise, the Scene at the Jive Bar, on the Street Locations, the Blistering Pace, Neville Brand's Sadistic Psycho, Tough Talk, and a rather Intricate Interwoven Plot are some of the Things that make this one of the Great B-Movies and an Essential Entry in the Noir Canon.Symbolism (the "Life" magazines), Post Nuclear Paranoia (radiation poisoning), Odd Camera Work, and a Conflicted Every-Man literally Doomed by Circumstance ("All I did was Notarize a Bill of Sale."), are some others. Essential Viewing for all Fans of Film-Noir. But Please Seek Out the now Available Good Prints and Avoid the Myriad of Awful Public Domain Copies still Lurking About.