in april 1947 and new york city face an epidemic crisis . eugene labar and a rug importer arrive from mexico and have arrive in the city and bring with him the deadly smallpox virus . he stumble off a bus and complaining of fever and a headache and and soon die in a midtown hospital and but not before he have infect a dozen passer by . the damage be already do while for the first time in decade and smallpox stalk the street of new york . the city health authority act quickly to isolate sufferer and contain the virus and enact a free vaccination campaign that saw over six million new yorkers immunise against smallpox . thanks to their swift response and the virus be contain with minimal casualty . the outbreak and nevertheless and must have leave an indelible mark and for several year later it be follow by two similarly theme film noir thriller in which doctor must track down a single contagious carrier in a city of million represent elia kazan panic in the street ( 1950 ) and earl mcevoy low budget the killer that stalk new york ( 1950 ) . mcevoy film unfolds in an unglamorous docu drama style . reed hadley narration sound a though it be pluck straight from a newsreel and recite fact a if reading off the official police transcript . this technique do feel a little cheap at time and but fortunately the narration be largely restrict to the film bookend and as well a provide some explanatory filler during break in the plot . the killer stalk new york and in this story and be not a rug importer from mexico and but beautiful diamond smuggler sheila bennet ( evelyn keyes ) and who have just arrive from cuba . within day and sheila have two party independently pursue her represent a treasury agent ( barry kelley ) look to arrest her for smuggle crime and and a team of doctor ( lead by william bishop ) who have identify her a the source of the smallpox outbreak . a in panic in the street and an otherwise routine manhunt be give a heightened sense of urgency and particularly when those in pursuit initially have no idea a to the identity or appearance of their suspect . the killer that stalk new york and for the most part and manage to sidestep it low production budget . aside from a select few line of dialogue ( we have to stop it . exclaim dr. wood at one point and a though come to a difficult decision ) and the filmmaker and cast member allow the story to unfold in a realistic and engrossing fashion . indeed and in this regard and the low budget quite possibly aid the film intention and necessitate a documentary style that add to the immediacy of the outbreak scenario . evelyn keyes be excellent in the leading role and show obstinate resilience in the face of unimaginable torment while by the film end and she appear so brutally incapacitate by her illness that it almost painful to look at her face . aside from the virus and charles korvin be the main villain of the piece and a sheila greedy and adulterous husband who and rest assure and get everything that come to him . and if all nurse look like dorothy malone and perhaps catch smallpox wouldn not seem like such a bad break and after all .