Joseph L. Mankiewicz made No Way Out the same year (1950) that he made All About Eve. This movie (why it's called No Way Out is absolutely anyone's guess) is your standard anti-racist Hollywood fare from 1950. It's a good enough drama, with a sensational race riot in the film's center. Aside from the high drama of the riot (which is filmed very, very well, without showing even a little bit of violence), the rest of No Way Out is quite predictable stuff. The whole thing is tied together gorgeously by Sidney Poitier in one of his earliest screen appearances. (This is 5 years before Blackboard Jungle but must have been filmed just before Raisin in the Sun appeared on Broadway). Linda Darnell is great in this too, and Ruby Dee plays a small (uncredited) role! The real star here, though, is Richard Widmark, who gives a superb performance as a vile racist asshole. The performance is never sympathetic, and Widmark doesn't worry a bit about whether or not the audience will hate him. It's bold and rich work for a script that doesn't quite deserve it.
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