Film: No Way Out (1950)

Nominated for the Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay Oscar® at the 1950 Academy Awards, No Way Out is an intense drama about racial hatred that pulls no punches. When a white patient in a hospital dies under the care of a black intern (Sidney Poitier), the victim’s racist brother (Richard Widmark) seeks to destroy the doctor’s career. Although the hospital’s idealistic Chief Resident (Stephen McNally) tries to diffuse the escalating tension, the victim’s ex-wife (Linda Darnell) seems to go along with the vengeance-seeker—until she realizes she’s on the wrong side.

This screening is part of November Wednesday Matinees: A Celebration of Sidney Poitier, curated and introduced by film historian Carrie Ricky. Check out the Athenaeum Events page for more.