Detective Story (1951) on Netflix
Approved19511h 43mCrimeDramaFilm-Noir
In the 21st Precinct squad room, Detective Jim McLeod books a shoplifter, two burglars and an embezzler. His main target is Karl Schneider, a doctor he believes has killed young women.
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- Rotten Tomatoes71%
Trailer
Plot summary
On one day at the 21st Precinct, Detective Jim McLeod books a shoplifter, two burglars and Arthur Kindred, a young man who stole from his employer to impress a girl he loves. Kindred's employer, repaid the money, wants the charges dropped, and McLeod refuses, holding that leniency only leads to more crime, while his partner Lou Brody takes the people brought in with more sympathy. McLeod, the son of a violent criminal, hates lawbreakers, and his chief target is Karl Schneider, a doctor the courts have acquitted before and whom McLeod blames for the deaths of young women and their babies. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Monaghan, has been troubled by his heavy-handed approach to suspects and witnesses.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Detective Story (1951)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- While making Detective Story, the Motion Picture Production Code forbade plotlines about killing police officers or references to abortion; Joseph Breen proposed calling abortion "baby farming", yet on release many critics still read Dr. Schneider as an illicit abortionist.
- Joseph Breen and director William Wyler asked the MPAA Production Code Committee to allow the killing of police officers when the plot absolutely required it; the committee agreed and the code was amended, lifting the previous ban.
