Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Detective Story
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready
Quizzes
Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema).
Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia
Publicity still with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman from the motion picture film "Casablanca" (1942); directed by Michael Curtiz. (cinema, movies)
Best Picture Movie Quote Quiz
USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
Pop Culture Quiz
Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, with her dog, Toto, from the motion picture film The Wizard of Oz (1939); directed by Mervyn LeRay. (cinema, movies)
Classic Closing Lines
Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface (1983), directed by Brian De Palma
Famous Hollywood Film Characters Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun(1986) directed by Tony Scott.
Can You Guess the Movie by the Scene?
Bag end on Bagshot row from the movies Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in Hobbiton, New Zealand, Australia
You Ought to Be in Pictures: 8 Filming Locations You Can Actually Visit
Discover
Entrants falling and tumbling over while chasing the cheese at the 2016 'Cheese Rolling' held at Cooper's Hill, in the Cotswolds, Brockworth England
7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Festivals
Town of Sisimiut located on the coast of the Davis Strait on Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay, Greenland
The Largest Islands in the World
Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time
Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact.
6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan
Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)
6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders
Monitor. Varanus salvadorii is a monitor lizard found in New Guinea can grows to 2.7 metres (9 ft.) aka Tree crocodile, Crocodile monitor, Salvadori's monitor, artellia, reptile
7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles
World Data Locator Map: Australia
Is Australia an Island?
Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready
Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready Kirk Douglas (left) and George Macready in Detective Story (1951).

Detective Story

film by Wyler [1951]
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article 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 (played by George Macready). McLeod later learns that before he met his wife (Eleanor Parker), she went to the doctor for an abortion. The news ...(100 of 184 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.