a neat race against time premise a murder john doe be find to have pneumonic plague and so while the health authority and nopd battle everybody and each other try to find his waterfront contact and the murderer think the heat be because the victim infect cousin be hold out on them . this movie be freely available from the internet archive and it well worth download . a lot ( all . ) of this movie be film in genuine new orleans location and which make it interest to look at for what be now period detail and though to me it do look under expose and even for noir maybe mobile light rig then weren not what they be . there be also a plenty of location background noise and which be slightly distract car horn in the love scene and anyone . there be a lot of non professional supporting artist in crowd scene and and this may explain why the pacing of the film be slightly saggy to begin with not much chance for retake or recasting and though the final chase be worth hang on for . there not much wrong with the lead actor either represent jack palance be genuinely scary a a charismatic and intelligent psychopath the late scene a he alternately comfort and threaten the sick cousin be terrific and while widmark and a he often do and pitch the righteous anger of the man on a mission at a believable level most of the time . somebody should remake this no supernatural and no mysticism and no special fx and just a good yarn full of character conflict and and a topical theme . another reviewer mention the writer john kennedy otoole and and that spot on with the number of oddball new orleans type pepper this dark and sleazy and against the clock drama . there even a midget newspaper seller . community . what community . dyou think youre living in the middle age .