D.O.A.

"A Picture As Excitingly Different As Its Title!"

1949 1h 23m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 206🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 13,762

MysteryThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.

“A Picture As Excitingly Different As Its Title!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Edmond O'Brien
Frank Bigelow
Pamela Britton
Paula Gibson
Luther Adler
Majak
Beverly Garland
Miss Foster
Lynn Baggett
Mrs. Philips
William Ching
Halliday
Henry Hart
Stanley Philips
Neville Brand
Chester

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rudolph Maté
Writers: Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene, Russell Rouse
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rudolph Maté, shot by Ernest Laszlo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Arthur H. Nadel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Edmond O'Brien and Pamela Britton and Luther Adler carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A Picture As Excitingly Different As Its Title!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042369 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rudolph Maté directs. Ernest Laszlo behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Arthur H. Nadel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Rudolph Maté, shot by Ernest Laszlo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Arthur H. Nadel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Edmond O'Brien and Pamela Britton and Luther Adler carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A Picture As Excitingly Different As Its Title!".
8IMDB entry: tt0042369 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo
Original score: Dimitri Tiomkin
Editing: Arthur H. Nadel
Costume design: Maria P. Donovan
Makeup / hair: Irving Berns
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: D.O.A. (1949)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 13,762 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

2 wins total

Also by

Rudolph Maté

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-08-17
★ 9/10
Edmond O'Brien is one of my favourite actors of the period, and if you need any startling evidence of why, just check out his performance here in Rudolph Mate's heartily original noir-shocker, 'D.O.A.'. Another great reason to check the film out, the Polish-born director, made a smooth transition from being a great cinematographer, and this is probably his most shining triumph helming a picture. If you have ever wondered why 'film noir' has been considered such a consistently rewarding and enthralling body of cinematic work, like the earlier 'Pre-Code' era, check this one out, and others of its ilk. A sheerly delightful film that holds up well today. Though I haven't checked its 80's remake out, I'm not too curious about it, other than the slight curiosity from its notoriety of it being the film in which Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan met and eventually decided to marry. Other than that, I'm more than content simply watching this.
CinemaSerf2022-07-09
★ 7/10
"I was to report a murder"... "Whose?"..."Mine!"... Edmond O'Brien is cracking in this dark and atmospherically paced thriller about a man who discovers that he has been deliberately poisoned by luminous toxin and may only have a few hours/days/weeks left to live. He can't understand who would want to do this and sets out to find the culprits. Much of the story is recounted via his "deathbed" explanation to an unbelieving police squad room and it is superbly directed (by Rudolph Maté) with loads of twist and turns in the plot; a tension-building score and more than one potential candidate for villain. Pamela Britton "Paula" is also great as his albatross-like girlfriend who would long since have driven me to bathe in a tub of uranium and the rest of the cast, especially a truly sinister Neville Brand as "Chester" keep us interested right til the death...