D.O.A. (1949)

95% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(2,459 ratings)

"I want to report a murder...mine." So begins D.O.A. Told in flashback, the story tells of how vacationing CPA Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) becomes the recipient of a deadly poison known as iridium. Told by a doctor that he hasn't long to live, Bigelow desperately retraces his movements of the… More "I want to report a murder...mine." So begins D.O.A. Told in flashback, the story tells of how vacationing CPA Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) becomes the recipient of a deadly poison known as iridium. Told by a doctor that he hasn't long to live, Bigelow desperately retraces his movements of the previous 24 hours, trying to locate his murderer. Through the aid of his secretary Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) (who doesn't know of her employer's imminent demise), Bigelow traces a shipment of iridium to a gang of criminals who've used the poison in the commission of a crime. But for much of the film, it remains unclear why Bigelow himself was targeted. Though we know from the outset that Bigelow isn't long for this world, the film builds up an incredible amount of suspense towards the end, when Bigelow is taken "for a ride" by a psychopath (Neville Brand). with a penchant for pummeling his victims in the belly. DOA was remade in 1988 with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.
Directed By: Rudolph Maté
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 30, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Apr 30, 1950
Studio: Acme DVD Works

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Sweltering Borgesian fantasy
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Apesar de determinados elementos que não envelheceram bem (como as referências na trilha às paqueras do herói), tem uma premissa fascinante que consegue gerar boa dose de suspense.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Rudolph Maté's seminal thriller rapidly decomposes into a campy, confusing bore.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
It stands as one of the finest of the post-war B thrillers.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Features a murder victim who acts as a detective to solve his own murder.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
Crafty, potent little noir.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Frank Bigelow is an accountant living on borrowed time. Someone has slipped luminous toxin into his bourbon and now he has just a few days to solve his own murder. <i>D.O.A.</i> is over-acted, over-scripted and under-appreciated. An absolute delight!
AJ V

An extremely exciting, suspenseful movie, a really good movie.
xGary X

Directed by a cinematographer, and it shows. One of the best looking noirs filmed in high contrast black and white, and Edmond O'Brien is interestingly cast out of his usual whiter than white type. The only blemish is the bizarre use of a comedy flute noise every time he… More
Directed by a cinematographer, and it shows. One of the best looking noirs filmed in high contrast black and white, and Edmond O'Brien is interestingly cast out of his usual whiter than white type. The only blemish is the bizarre use of a comedy flute noise every time he encounters a member of the opposite sex, which as you can imagine, does not sit very well with the otherwise grimly dark atmosphere. A great concept, well executed, and far better than the gimmicky remake.
Michael G

It's always fun to watch a character with nothing left to lose in action.
Buddy A

A film with a classically great hook: a man who has solved his own murder. The film doesn't really take off until the second act, but when it does, it really gets moving. In many ways, this film is grandfather to the modern action picture, which wound up borrowing a lot of its… More
A film with a classically great hook: a man who has solved his own murder. The film doesn't really take off until the second act, but when it does, it really gets moving. In many ways, this film is grandfather to the modern action picture, which wound up borrowing a lot of its techniques. While the film is somewhat cheesy and occasionally overacted (especially in the "wolf-whistles" that accompany the passing of every attractive woman, definitely one the film's lowest attributes), its style and its great combination of hook and ending makes this a film noir classic. Recommended.
Anthony V

One of the best Film Noir movies ever made.