California accountant Edmond O'Brien (as Frank Bigelow) briskly walks into a Los Angeles police station to declare he has been murdered. This startling accusation turns out to be true because Mr. O'Brien was poisoned earlier, and there is no cure. Neither we nor O'Brien know who administered the poison, or why it happened. Next, we flashback to see O'Brien's story. Two days earlier, he left his office for a vacation in San Francisco. Although he appears to be romantically engaged with blonde secretary Pamela Britton (as Paula Gibson), O'Brien appears to be very interested in some other female companionship. He leaves his hotel door open to listen in on a party and later joins the revelers for a night on the town. At a bar, O'Brien is lured away by a sexy blonde while a mysterious figure prepares his fatal drink...
"D.O.A." (Dead on Arrival) is a strange but entertaining film. Credit should go to director Rudolph Mate and black-and-white photographer Ernest Laszlo for giving it a stylish look. They know how to make the cameras and performers move beautifully. In an early role, Neville Brand (as Chester) is his nasty best. There are a few problems, however. A minor one is the initially unclear and later juvenile relationship between O'Brien and his secretary. A major one is the soundtrack, which is credited to the otherwise esteemed and skillful Dimitri Tiomkin. Most notably, after O'Brien's character goes on vacation, a weird sound effect plays every time he sees an attractive woman. These sound effects are loud, distracting and unnecessary. Someone should have noticed this was not a "Three Stooges" comedy.
******* D.O.A. (4/30/50) Rudolph Mate ~ Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Neville Brand
"D.O.A." (Dead on Arrival) is a strange but entertaining film. Credit should go to director Rudolph Mate and black-and-white photographer Ernest Laszlo for giving it a stylish look. They know how to make the cameras and performers move beautifully. In an early role, Neville Brand (as Chester) is his nasty best. There are a few problems, however. A minor one is the initially unclear and later juvenile relationship between O'Brien and his secretary. A major one is the soundtrack, which is credited to the otherwise esteemed and skillful Dimitri Tiomkin. Most notably, after O'Brien's character goes on vacation, a weird sound effect plays every time he sees an attractive woman. These sound effects are loud, distracting and unnecessary. Someone should have noticed this was not a "Three Stooges" comedy.
******* D.O.A. (4/30/50) Rudolph Mate ~ Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Neville Brand