No Way Out (1950 film)

No Way Out is a 1950 American crime drama film noir directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Sidney Poitier in his film debut, alongside Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell and Stephen McNally. The film centers on an African American doctor who confronts the racism of a poor slum after he treats a racist white criminal. No Way Out was controversial in its "graphic representation of racial violence" in what director Mankiewicz termed "the absolute blood and guts of Negro hating." The film marked the feature-acting debuts of Poitier, Mildred Joanne Smith, and Ossie Davis. Mankiewicz and Lesser Samuels were also nominated for Best Story and Screenplay at the 23rd Academy Awards, losing to Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and D. M. Marshman Jr.