The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)

A blonde (Evelyn Keyes) arrives from Cuba to New York with smuggled diamonds in her possession. But what she doesn't know is that she contracted smallpox in Cuba and is now slowly infecting the city of New York through all the people she comes in contact with. Based on the magazine article SMALLPOX: THE KILLER THAT STALKS NEW YORK by Milton Lehman and directed by Earl McEvoy (THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN). This is a nifty, tight and tense little "B" thriller has a quasi documentary flavor to it, mostly due to its narration and on the spot location filming in New York. There's a noir-ish feel to it, not only in Joseph Biroc's night shooting but in the relentlessness of Keyes' performance and the fait accompli of her character's fate. The screenplay by Harry Essex is pedestrian but director McEvoy never lets it stand but keeps it moving. The large supporting cast includes Dorothy Malone, William Bishop, Lola Albright, Barry Kelley, Jim Backus, Richard Egan, Connie Gilchrist, Celia Lovsky and Whit Bissell.