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Detective Story
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Kirk Douglas, in a suit and hat, grabs George Macready by the collar with one hand and raises his fist in a tense confrontation in Detective Story (1951).
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Kirk Douglas, in a suit and hat, grabs George Macready by the collar with one hand and raises his fist in a tense confrontation in Detective Story (1951).
Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready in Detective Story (1951).

Detective Story

film by Wyler [1951]
Written by
Lee Pfeiffer
Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. His book The Essential Bond: An Authorized Guide to the World of 007 (written with...
Lee Pfeiffer
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Detective Story, American film noir, released in 1951, that is widely considered a classic police drama and is noted for its realism. Kirk Douglas gave a critically acclaimed performance as Jim McLeod, a dedicated New York police detective who is fanatical in his enforcement of the law. A complex man hiding great psychological pains, he launches into violent rages at the slightest provocation. He is particularly angered when he has to interrogate an erudite abortionist...

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