Paramount Pictures | Release Date: October 24, 1951 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
88
The first-rate cast, Lee Garmes' camerawork and the tense, excellent script (by Phil Yordan and, uncredited, Dashiell Hammett), all help build toward an unsurprising but memorable climax. [16 Oct 1996, p.2]
88
Filmed during that great early period of his career when he played heels better than anyone ever had, Kirk Douglas is the morally tortured 21st Precinct New York cop who lets unbridled hatred for street scum poison his marriage. [28 Oct 2005]
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerStaff (Not Credited)
Set in a precinct house, the film shows its theatrical origins. [25 Oct 2005]
80
Los Angeles TimesSusan King
William Wyler directed this hard-hitting, beautifully acted 1951 adaptation of Sidney Kingsley's Broadway hit. Kirk Douglas is remarkable as a tough-nosed, moralistic police detective who is accused of roughing up a shady doctor. [25 Oct 2005, p.E3]
75
Set entirely in a police station, the play shows both the drama and routine of police work. Kingsley made them all eloquent in a snappy-patter way. Kirk Douglas gives a powerhouse performance as the detective who is wound too tight for his own good. [26 Sep 1997, p.34]
70
Orlando SentinelCrosby Day
Grimly realistic. [25 Feb 2001, p.17]
70
The action is stagey, but there's certainly enough going on.