Panic in the Streets is a 1950 American film noir medical drama / thriller, directed by Elia Kazan. released by 20th Century Fox studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was shot exclusively on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, and features numerous scenes around the city and Port of New Orleans along the Mississippi River and showing various New Orleans citizens in speaking and non-speaking roles.The film tells the story of Lieutenant Commander Clinton Reed, an U.S. Public Health officer of the United States Public Health Service (now in the United States Department of Health and Human Services), Officer / Lt. Cmdr. Reed is played by Richard Widmark and accompanied by a grizzled old veteran detective of the New Orleans Police Department, a captain Tom Warren, portrayed by Paul Douglas. They have only a day or two of frantic intense search and interviews in which to prevent a greater outbreak of a deadly epidemic of pneumonic plague (nicknamed from the Middle Ages / Medieval era pandemic disease in Europe known as the "Black Death"), after Reed determines a waterfront homicide victim is also an index case and the first to be found carrying the disease. Co-stars include Barbara Bel Geddes (as Reed's wife Nancy), Jack Palance (in his film debut) and Zero Mostel – the latter two play crooks, associates of the victim who had prompted the public health investigation. The film was also the debut of Tommy Rettig, (first farm boy owner of collie dog "Lassie" in 1950s TV show "Lassie" who played the Reeds' son.

The film was released later on DVD format by 20th Century Fox as part of the "Fox Film Noir collection", along with Laura and Call Northside 777, on March 15, 2005.

The score was composed by Alfred Newman.

The film was originally named Port of Entry, subsequently later as Outbreak, and ultimately Panic in the Streets.