80,000 Suspects (1963)

A doctor (Richard Johnson) on staff at a hospital and his nurse wife (Claire Bloom) approach a marital crisis. But their problems must be put aside when a major smallpox epidemic breaks out. Based on the novel PILLARS OF MIDNIGHT by Trevor Dudley Smith and written and directed by Val Guest. The film blends two genres and the mix isn't always a smooth fit. One is a domestic melodrama concerning marriage, trust, communication and infidelity, the other is a medical thriller as the original disease carrier is tracked down, tracking all his contacts and giving the vaccine to the general population. Not surprisingly, the film works best at the almost documentary like medical and police sequences. The relationship sequences aren't as bad as they could have been but they seem almost trivial when placed against the bigger picture. It's always a treat to see the wonderful Claire Bloom and she as well as Richard Johnson, Yolande Donlan and Michael Goodliffe bring some nice shading to the marital portions. With Kay Walsh and Cyril Cusack.