Anthony Mann Movies
A resident of the "Far Side of Paradise" in critic Andrew Sarris' groundbreaking 1968 study of Hollywood film, Anthony Mann forged a successful career helming genre pictures whose artistry often put Hollywood's avowed "prestige" films to shame. Though his crime movies and Westerns never won Mann prizes in his lifetime, he earned the adulation of the 1950s French critics and ensuing generations of cinéastes for his integration of character insight and settings, as well as his skill with action.Born in Southern California, Mann relocated to New York City with his family when he was ten. An aspiring actor from childhood, Mann quit high school in 1923 after his father died. Soon after his Broadway debut as a walk-on, Mann moved to larger roles on and off-Broadway. Along with acting, Mann also worked as a production manager, stage manager, and set designer, but he realized by the 1930s that directing was his preferred vocation. Mann's relative success as a Broadway director attracted Hollywood's attention by the late '30s. Producer David O. Selznick hired Mann in 1938 to be a talent scout and casting director, giving Mann his first taste of film directing as the supervisor on screen tests for Gone With the Wind (1939), Rebecca (1940), and Intermezzo (1939).
Moving to Paramount in 1939 (and changing his name), Mann served as an assistant director for several years, working on such films as Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels (1941). Mann finally got his chance to direct with the low-budget Dr. Broadway (1942). Cutting his teeth on a series of B-thrillers and musicals for Paramount, Universal, RKO, and Republic Pictures, Mann learned to make the most of the thin scripts he was assigned by using lighting, camera angles, and camera movement to enhance what little story there was. Mann's style increasingly matured in a series of sharp black-and-white, film noir-thrillers from 1947 to 1950. T-Men (1947), his first real success, featured an ominous, location-shot urban atmosphere that gelled with a story of government agents' infiltration of a crime ring, while Desperate (1947) contained the archetypal noir image of a violent beating lit by a sole swinging light. Raw Deal (1948) highlighted Mann's tough, economical, yet expressive narrative talent in a harsh revenge story featuring a memorably psychotic Raymond Burr. Though his name was not on it, He Walked by Night (1948) bore Mann's touch in its semi-documentary, expressively lit examination of a master criminal and the cops on his trail.
After Border Incident (1949), a gritty story pitting G-men against Southwest immigration smugglers, Mann shifted to the Western. Though they were flops, Devil's Doorway (1950) and The Furies (1950) were notable as early revisions of the genre, with Devil's Doorway exploring a Native American war vet's struggles against white settlers and The Furies centering on Barbara Stanwyck's troubled relationship with her rancher father. Mann hit his Western stride, though, when he returned to the noir concerns with manhood, ethics, and violence in Winchester '73 (1950). Mann's first in an eight-film collaboration with star James Stewart, Winchester '73 set the parameters of Mann's Western "hero," "a man who could kill his own brother," and his re-interpretation of the Western landscape. Shot on-location in ultra-noir black-and-white, Winchester '73's increasingly jagged terrain matched the psychological disintegration of Stewart's Lin McAdam as he seeks revenge for his father's death, ending with a cliff-bound shoot-out. An enormous hit, Winchester '73 not only launched Mann's exceptional series of 1950s Westerns, but also helped establish Stewart's complex postwar star image.
Though Mann also dabbled in other genres, including the Stewart war movie Strategic Air Command (1955), biopic The Glenn Miller Story (1954) -- with Stewart in the eponymous role -- and literary adaptation God's Little Acre (1958), Mann's Westerns elevated him to A-list status in the '50s. Graduating to Technicolor with Bend of the River (1952) and to CinemaScope with The Man from Laramie (1955), Mann's next quartet of Westerns with Stewart were equally forceful (and popular) journeys into troubled Westerner psyches. Veering away from pastoral landscapes, Mann set his films in mountains, forests, and desert salt flats that were a spectacularly photographed index of Stewart's heroes' neuroses. Doing the right thing for the sake of the community exacts a considerable, violent cost on Stewart's ex-con in Bend of the River and his loner in The Far Country (1955) (both scripted by Winchester '73's Borden Chase). As in Winchester '73, the affable "Jimmy Stewart" reveals a disturbing ability to match the villain's cruelty amid harsh Oregon and Alaska settings. Stumbling on a dysfunctional family worthy of Greek drama in The Man from Laramie, Stewart's vengeful interloper gets dragged through a fire and shot through the hand on the way to unearthing the rot bred by the expansive Waggoman ranch. With its handful of characters and all-outdoor action, The Naked Spur (1953) evoked a chamber drama intimacy as Stewart's bounty hunter tracks Robert Ryan's criminal, reaching the edge of hysteria (and a turbulent river) in the process. After Mann and Stewart parted ways, Man of the West (1958) was the only subsequent Mann Western on a par with his Stewart quintet. Though Gary Cooper rarely matched Stewart's raw tension, his ex-con encounters familial violence akin to Winchester '73, with an added element of sexual kink, sealing Mann's vision of the brutality needed to become a "Man of the West."
Finished with the epic West, Mann turned to the epic in the early '60s. Though his majestic rendering of the exploits of 11th century Spanish hero El Cid (1961) was a highly popular kinetic spectacle, his subsequent The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) failed to reach a large audience, despite its pictorial beauty and engrossing action, and bankrupted its producer. Mann died of a heart attack during production of the spy thriller A Dandy in Aspic (1968) in 1967, preventing him from experiencing the adoration enjoyed by such other late '60s critical rediscoveries as Douglas Sirk and Nicholas Ray. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Also known as Reign of Terror, The Black Book is a bold effort by director Anthony Mann to film a French Revolution epic on a "B" detective picture budget. Robert Cummings stars as Charles D'Aubigny, who has been engaged by a group of political moderates to retrieve a little black book from Revolutionary leader Robespierre (Richard Basehart). The book allegedly contains evidence that Robespierre has been acting in his own interest rather than on behalf of the new government. D'Aubigny is compelled to deal with the tangible threat of Robespierre's chief henchman (Charles McGraw) as well as his uncertainty concerning the loyalties of those working with him. The Black Book is retrieved, but not before Robespierre has self-destructed on his own. The cheapness of The Black Book works in its favor, especially its overuse of shadows; while this photographic device was intended to disguise the seediness of the sets, it accurately conveys a "dark" period in French history that here is literally as well as figuratively dark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Arlene Dahl, (more)
- 1948
Violent and viscerally sexual, Anthony Mann's muscular low-budget noir tells the tale of a framed gangster's quest for vengeance after he busts out of prison. Once freed, gangster Joe Sullivan Dennis O'Keefe) and his girl friend Pat (Claier Trevor) set off to find the mobster who set him up. The kidnapping of Ann Martin (Marsha Hunt), the social worker who wrote to Joe in prison, leads the fugitive into a romantic triangle of death, passion and tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Claire Trevor, (more)
- 1947
With 1947's Desperate, a disturbing, noirish twist on traditional moral values, responsibility, and guilt, director Anthony Mann entered the ranks of class-A directors, though he'd still have to spend a few more years in "B" pictures. In his first important role, Steve Brodie plays newlywed trucker Steve Randall, who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time during a fur robbery. Kidnapping Steve, the criminals, led by Walt Radak (Raymond Burr), threaten to mutilate Mrs. Randall (Audrey Long) unless Steve confesses to a murder committed by Radak's brother during the theft. Pretending to play along with the villains, Steve manages to escape with his wife in tow. The rest of the film is a prolonged chase, with the Randalls pursued by both the crooks and the cops. A surprise ending caps this film noir mini-classic, which is best appreciated when not seen in its computer-colorized version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Brodie, Audrey Long, (more)
One of director Anthony Mann's earlier films, Railroaded features John Ireland as Duke Martin, a seedy criminal looking to skim off of his boss' money. Instead of making the extra cash by his usual means--a small gambling operation run by beautician Clara Cahhoun (Jane Randolph)--Duke (Ireland) chooses instead to hold up the beauty parlor at gunpoint. Things go awry, however, when the cops hear Calhoun's (Randolph) assistant scream in terror. In a spray of gunfire, both a policeman and Martin's partner in crime are killed. Meanwhile, a local delivery boy is accused of killing the police officer. Detective Mike Ferguson (Hugh Beaumont) is assigned to the case, and quickly begins to butt heads with Duke, who he realizes from the start is up to no good.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ireland, Sheila Ryan, (more)
The moodily evocative docudrama T-Men stars Dennis O'Keefe as Dennis O'Brien, a treasury agent determined to bring a counterfeiting ring to justice. O'Brien and his partner Tony Genaro (Alfred Ryder) go undercover to gain the confidence of the ruthless Detroit mob responsible for the phony money. The plot, compelling though it is, takes second place to the film's stylish set pieces, superbly directed by Anthony Mann and brilliantly photographed by John Alton. Among the film's most famous moments is the scene in which two-bit hood Wallace Ford is bumped off in a steam bath by sadistic hood Charles McGraw, not to mention the harrowing vignette wherein O'Keefe, posing as a crook, must stand by silently as his partner Ryder is murdered. One of the finest examples of the film noir form, T-Men proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that a film didn't need to have a lush budget, brilliant Technicolor and Clark Gable to score a hit with postwar moviegoers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Mary Meade, (more)
Nora Goodrich (Brenda Marshall) is a dedicated research scientist who is very close to a breakthrough in her field of anesthetics. She allows herself to be used as the subject of an experiment, and becomes the victim of sabotage by her jealous assistant (Hillary Brooke), who is her rival for the affections of the same man (William Gargan). Nora is scarred by the accident, but fate takes a hand when a vicious blackmailer (Ruth Ford), part of an extortion scam that was being worked on her, breaks in to her apartment. In the ensuing struggle, the lady grifter is killed and then mistaken for Nora, while the real Nora goes into hiding. Taking the identity of the dead woman, she realizes how she has been betrayed and maimed and plots an elaborate revenge, undergoing reconstructive surgery that changes her whole appearance. She then reintroduces herself into the lives of her former associates, in her new guise, and begins her revenge. Before her plans can be concluded, however, her masquerade backfires on her, when she finds herself accused by the police -- of the murder of Nora Goodrich. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1946
In this WW II romance, a small-time nightclub singer who works in a little Manhattan nightclub has a one-night stand with a handsome fly-boy. The next day, the B-29 pilot is sent to the Pacific and once there, his crew mischievously paints the picture of the singer upon his plane with the words "The Bamboo Blonde" beneath it. The pilot takes off to become one of the most fearsome fighters of the war, earning himself considerable renown back home. Ever the entrepreneur, the nightclub owner sees a chance to make big bucks off of the singer. He succeeds and she becomes famous. Later the pilot returns, but though he wants to be with his Bamboo Blonde he cannot for he is engaged to another -- at least for the moment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Langford, Ralph Edwards, (more)
- 1945
In this drama, an amnesiac awakens and finds himself accused of murder. Fortunately, a female cabbie helps prove his innocence. Things look bleak until a bullet wound helps him regain his memory and he can prove he didn't kill anyone. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, (more)
This ambitious independent production was packaged by producer W. Lee Wilder, brother of Billy Wilder, and distributed by Republic. The title character, played with relish (and a bit of mustard) by Erich Von Stroheim, is an arrogant vaudeville artiste specializing in a trick-gunshot act. A dyed-in-the-wool misogynist, Flamarion at first pays little attention to his beautiful assistant Connie (Mary Beth Hughes)-just as well, since Connie is already married to Flamarion's other assistant, Al Wallace (Dan Duryea). Bored with marriage, Connie begins playing up to her boss, the result being the "accidental" death of Al during Flamarion's act. Having committed murder for Connie's sake, Flamarion fully expects to be sexually compensated-but he doesn't know the treacherous Connie as well as the late Al did. Future cult favorite Anthony Mann's direction is rather perfunctory, suggesting perhaps that he was somewhat intimidated in the presence of the flamboyant Von Stroheim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Beth Hughes, Dan Duryea, (more)
- 1945
In this musical comedy, an arrogant war journalist is sailing back to the Big Apple after the end of WW II. En route, he has been assigned to watch over a band of teenagers who were trapped in Europe four years ago while entertaining the troops. Their entrapment has done nothing to dim their enthusiasm for performing and while waiting for passage the crews entertain everyone at every opportunity. Songs include: "I'll Buy That Dream" (sung by Anne Jeffreys), "Heaven Is a Place Called Home," "Seven O'Clock in the Morning (Waking up Boogie)," "Somebody Stole My Poor Little Heart" (Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel), and "The Lord's Prayer" (arranged by Albert Hay Malotte). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Haley, Marcy McGuire, (more)
- 1944
A bizarre love affair forms the basis of this drama. It all begins with a few love letters between a Marine sergeant stationed overseas and a young woman back in the States. As soon as his tour is finished, the sergeant begins looking for the woman back home. He finds the girl's mother and she informs him that her daughter has gone away. The man is heartbroken until a friend of the mother tells him that the mother never had a daughter; the whole affair was manufactured by the lonely woman. When the mother learns of her friend's betrayal, she kills her. She then tries to kill the Marine, but during the scuffle, a gigantic painting of her "daughter" slips off the wall and crushes her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
A druggist's pretty assistance ignores the call of the bright lights and audience that runs in the veins of her show biz family. Eventually though, the family succeeds in getting the talented lass to perform the music of a struggling young composer. His music is great and she enthusiastically helps him to launch his new show. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Jimmy Lydon, (more)
- 1943
In this musical, the teenage daughter of a popular movie star tires of being ignored by her separated parents and decides to make it as a star on her own. She does. Songs include: "It Had to Be You," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
In this mystery, a Times Square doctor rescues a chorus girl who, as part of a publicity stunt, was preparing to leap off a building. He later becomes friends with a killer who asks the doctor to take $100,000 to his estranged daughter. Before the doctor can run his errand, mobsters show up and shoot the killer. They then steal the key to the safe deposit box carrying the cash leaving the doctor to be blamed for the murder. Fortunately, he is able to capture the crooks and clear his name. He also manages to again save the chorus girl from a second attempt at jumping off a building. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- MacDonald Carey, Jean Phillips, (more)
- 1942
Cult-favorite director Anthony Mann's second filmic effort was the unprepossessing Universal mini-musical Moonlight in Havana. Allan Jones stars as hotshot baseball player Johnny Norton, in Havana for spring training. It turns out that Johnny has a beautiful singing voice, but only when he's suffering from a cold. Enterprising nightclub manager Barney Crane (William Frawley) attempts to inflict poor Johnny with cold germs, resulting in unchecked zaniness whenever our hero recovers sufficiently to lose his voice. The film's 63-minute running time manages to accommodate the drunken comedy relief of Hugh O'Connell and Jack Norton, and an abundance of musical numbers, courtesy of Allan Jones, Jane Frazee, the Horton Dancing Group, the Jivin' Jacks and Jills and Grace & Nicco. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Jones, Jane Frazee, (more)
