D.O.A.

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D.O.A.

1949,

1h 23m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

88%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) 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 (Pamela Britton), 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.

Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Mate's direction of the first portion of the story lingers too long over it, spreading the expectancy very thin, but when he does launch his suspense-building it comes over with a solid wallop.

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Nick Schager

Slant Magazine

May 1, 2006

Rudolph Mat's seminal thriller rapidly decomposes into a campy, confusing bore.

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Walter Goodman

New York Times

Mar 25, 2006

Incidental pleasures include a bevy of suspiciously beautiful women... the wide lapels and fedoras favored by the heavies, and the ''in'' talk of the period, featuring words like ''hip,'' ''jive'' and ''kicks.''

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Sep 21, 2026

A clever high-concept exterior and a grimy thematic underbelly.

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Sep 2, 2026

2.5/4

there are enough impressive tracking shots, close-ups, canted angles, and inventive lighting to earn the film’s reputation as a hallmark of noir, even if the protagonist falls far short of earning our empathy

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jul 29, 2026

It’s a little plodding in the beginning but when [Rudolph] Maté takes the camera into the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the film is energized with a gritty, restless vigor.

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Jan 26, 2019

The best thrilling mystery movie ever made!

Harry R

Aug 27, 2018

1950, when this noir was made, was a long time ago (nearly 70 years as of this writing). The wolf whistles played whenever a pretty woman's onscreen (which I first suspected were included after the fact of the filming by some internet prankster), Neville Brand's over-the-top "I'm a craaa-zzzzy psycho" routine, much here seems dated now, but the suspense of watching a dead man search for his killer still packs a wallop. And makes for a good movie experience.

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Draco S

Jul 23, 2018

Frantic paced and a little difficult to follow but delivers solid shocks. I watched it on a quiet Monday night- and if you are interested l would recommend doing the same.

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Abraham P

Jul 7, 2018

There are a lot of characters with a lot of action, but this is a good flick, especially if you like classic movies.

Finn G

Oct 31, 2017

The movie relies on the ending, and as I didn't understand the title until the ending, it resonates even more with me in a rare kind of way.

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Leia R

Aug 15, 2010

It's really pulpy and kinda silly at times, but it's really well paced and suspenseful.

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Rudolph Maté

Director

Edmond O'Brien

Frank Bigelow

Pamela Britton

Paula Gibson

Luther Adler

Majak

Beverly Garland

Miss Foster

Lynn Baggett

Mrs. Philips

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Synopsis

Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) 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 (Pamela Britton), 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.

Director: Rudolph Maté
Producer: Leo C. Popkin
Screenwriter: Russell Rouse, Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene, Clarence Greene
Production Co: Cardinal Pictures, Harry Popkin Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 1949, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2016
Runtime: 1h 23m

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