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CrimeDramaThriller

M

- The most gripping motion picture you've ever seen!

Remake of the 1931 Fritz Lang original. In the city, someone is murdering children. The Police search is so intense, it is disturbing the 'normal' criminals, and the local hoods decide to help find the murderer as quickly as possible.

Release Date : 1951-03-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Superior PicturesColumbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : M (1951)

Cast

David Wayne

Character Name : Martin W. Harrow

Original Name : David Wayne

Gender : Male

Howard Da Silva

Character Name : Inspector Carney

Original Name : Howard Da Silva

Gender : Male

Martin Gabel

Character Name : Charlie Marshall

Original Name : Martin Gabel

Gender : Male

Luther Adler

Character Name : Dan Langley

Original Name : Luther Adler

Gender : Male

Steve Brodie

Character Name : Police Lt. Becker

Original Name : Steve Brodie

Gender : Male

Raymond Burr

Character Name : Pottsy

Original Name : Raymond Burr

Gender : Male

Glenn Anders

Character Name : Riggert

Original Name : Glenn Anders

Gender : Male

Norman Lloyd

Character Name : Sutro

Original Name : Norman Lloyd

Gender : Male

Walter Burke

Character Name : MacMahan

Original Name : Walter Burke

Gender : Male

John Miljan

Character Name : Blind Baloon Vendor

Original Name : John Miljan

Gender : Male

Roy Engel

Character Name : Police Chief Regan

Original Name : Roy Engel

Gender : Male

Janine Perreau

Character Name : The Last Little Girl

Original Name : Janine Perreau

Gender : Female

Leonard Bremen

Character Name : Lemke (as Lennie Bremen)

Original Name : Leonard Bremen

Gender : Male

Benny Burt

Character Name : Jansen

Original Name : Benny Burt

Gender : Male

Bernard Szold

Character Name : Bradbury Bldg. Watchman

Original Name : Bernard Szold

Gender : Male

Robin Fletcher

Character Name : Elsie Coster

Original Name : Robin Fletcher

Gender : Male

Karen Morley

Character Name : Mrs. Coster

Original Name : Karen Morley

Gender : Female

Jim Backus

Character Name : The Mayor

Original Name : Jim Backus

Gender : Male

Jorja Curtright

Character Name : Mrs. Stewart

Original Name : Jorja Curtright

Gender : Female

Frances Karath

Character Name : Little Girl in Hallway

Original Name : Frances Karath

Gender : Female

Abdullah Abbas

Character Name : Man in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : Abdullah Abbas

Gender : Male

Fred Aldrich

Character Name : Sam (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Aldrich

Gender : Male

Don Anderson

Character Name : Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Anderson

Gender : Male

Al Bain

Character Name : Man in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Benjie Bancroft

Character Name : Cab Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Benjie Bancroft

Gender : Male

George Barrows

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : George Barrows

Gender : Male

Ivan Bell

Character Name : Man in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : Ivan Bell

Gender : Male

Madge Blake

Character Name : Police Station Witness (uncredited)

Original Name : Madge Blake

Gender : Female

Willie Bloom

Character Name : Man in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : Willie Bloom

Gender : Male

Ewing Miles Brown

Character Name : Minor Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Ewing Miles Brown

Gender : Male

Boyd Cabeen

Character Name : Hood (uncredited)

Original Name : Boyd Cabeen

Gender : Male

James J. Casino

Character Name : Man in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : James J. Casino

Gender : Male

Michael Cirillo

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Cirillo

Gender : Male

Bing Conley

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Bing Conley

Gender : Male

Jane Crowley

Character Name : Woman in Mob (uncredited)

Original Name : Jane Crowley

Gender : Female

Russell Custer

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Russell Custer

Gender : Male

Bill Welsh

Character Name : Dr. Graham (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Welsh

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

It could be anyone's child, anyone's, no one is safe. M is directed by Joseph Losey and written by Norman Reilly Raine and Leo Katcher. It stars David Wayne, Howard Da Silva, Martin Gabel, Luther Adler, Steve Brodie and Raymond Burr. Music is by Michel Michelet and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo. Fritz Lang's original film from 1931 is a seriously classy classic, no doubt about it and although making a remake seems to many like birthing the devil's spawn, the 1951 version exists. How great to find that it's a very fine offering, one that was made at the right time (the film noir zeitgeist) and puts its own slant into the mix. Story here has been relocated to Los Angeles, where there's a child murderer on the loose and not only are the cops under pressure to capture the fiend, but also the criminal underworld since there's too much heat being brought into the vicinity of their operations. Narrative is structured in three ways, the operations of the police investigation, the criminal mobsters forming their own plan of seek and eradicate, and of course we follow the despicable actions of the killer, Martin W. Harrow (Wayne). Following closely from the original's template, Losey instils key haunting images and the killer's traits, whilst giving them their own identity within the grimy downtown L.A. locales. That we are in Bunker Hill and taking in such landmarks like the Angels Flight railway and the Bradbury Building, makes for some superb period flavours. Couple these with Laszlo's spell bindingly noir compliant cinematography, and Losey has got atmosphere to burn. Cast are giving good turns, with many noir favourites doing their thing, best of all, mind, is Wayne as the tormented kiddie killer. Getting more screen time than Peter Lorre does in the original, Wayne gives us a different interpretation that works for a high end portrayal of a man at the mercy of his desperate urges. None more so at pic's denoument, where he is cast to the floor and proceeds to outpour his very being. Wayne would never be this good again. It's not close to being as good as Lang's original, and the thread of the crime underworld worrying about their image is just daft. It's also safe to say that there's no deepness on show, there's some reasoning for why Harrow is as sick as he is - and a little snippet of vigilante paranoia, but this does fail to expand upon some serious themes. That said though, this is certainly a worthy entry in the file that contains remakes that hold their own. 7/10