- D.O.A. is an oddly memorable film noir that features a dying man who must solve his own eventual murder. And while on vacation, no less! The man is Frank Bigelow (Edmund O'Brien), and he finds himself poisoned by "luminous toxin", which the end credits inform us is "an actual poison" that may or may not have something to do with iridium. Regardless of the details, Bigelow has no idea who poisoned him or why, but two (out of two) doctors agree that he has only a short time to live. He starts his investigation by following up on an urgent call that came into his office the previous day only to find that the caller apparently killed himself. Bigelow is understandably skeptical and soon discovers that the truth revolves around a bill of sale that he notarized some time ago. People kill over the most boring things sometimes.
- The film is basically a standard potboiler with one interesting gimmick and some occasionally impressive direction. Specifically, the director, Rudolph Maté, uses fast-moving tracking shots well and often to follow Bigelow as he frantically runs around trying to solve his own murder. I can't offer unqualified praise, though, since this same film also employs a musical "wolf whistle" effect to highlight the presence of attractive women onscreen. It's the sort of thing you might expect in a Mel Brooks movie, but it had no business whatsoever being in this film. As for the characters, Bigelow is "not the most diplomatic person in the world," which is enough to make him fairly interesting. His secretary/girlfriend Paula (Pamela Britton) seems a bit smothering in both capacities, but at least she has a personality. Most of the other characters are sliced rather thin, and, by the end, it's difficult to care who really poisoned Bigelow. The film is commendable, however, in that it doesn't fail to deliver on the promise of its title. I was worried that the writers might invent some last-minute anti-toxin, but truly Frank Bigelow is dead on, or slightly after, arrival.
- The Bradbury Building, which also provided a memorable setting for Blade Runner and Double Indemnity, is used in this film.
