On K List of Movie Reviews
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The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
3/24
3/24:
The Killer That Stalked New York is 70% medical drama and 30% noir with shades of
The Naked City.
There are two connected stories going on at the same time: the smallpox epidemic and the woman's search for her husband who skipped out
on her with the diamonds. The film title may be misleading in the noir sense but is correct when it comes to the
word "that" instead of "who" because it's exactly what the authorities are looking for.
At first, I thought it was the girl who started the smallpox, but it turned out to be the other way. Then, I thought it was
a typhoid because there's no such thing as smallpox anymore which was declared completely eradicated in 1980, thanks
to vaccination. But yes, it's an infamous infectious disease that was responsible for the death of 500 million people worldwide
in the final 100 years of its existence.
The acting is good but is overshadowed by what's going on. I like how the mayor did his job quickly with zero
financial consideration or whatever else. The film is based on what happened in 1947 when an outbreak occurred in New York
City, and over six million were vaccinated during one month. As a result, only two people died. Patient Zero first contracted it
on vacation in Mexico City before returning to New York City. Willard Parker Hospital, as shown in the film, was the
epicenter.
All in all, film noir or not, The Killer That Stalked New York is captivating because of the subject matter.