M *** (1951, David Wayne, Howard Da Silva, Martin Gabel, Steve Brodie, Raymond Burr, Norman Lloyd, Luther Adler, Glenn Anders) – Classic Movie Review 772

Director Joseph Losey’s faithful 1951 remake of the 1931 Fritz Lang classic, relocated to 50s California, is an intriguing and disturbing film noir thriller. But it’s surprisingly bloodless and proves one of his disappointments.

Despite its continuing relevance as a story and topic, M remains mostly lukewarm as a movie, with unexpectedly uninspired and unenthusiastic-seeming direction and a sometimes lame and apathetic screenplay by Norman Reilly Raine and Leo Katcher.

All this is a bit of a nasty surprise for fans of the great director, as the subject is perfect material for a Losey film and was even ideal for a fresh take with an American remake in the early Fifties. The pacing is desultory and the handling lacks authority and a firm grip.

But making David Wayne sympathetic as Martin Harrow, the child serial killer the police are trying to track down, provides a dangerous new slant that adds a whole troubling layer.

Peter Lorre’s portrayal in the original was pitiful and scared, played as a terrified hunted animal. It’s fascinating to compare the performances and the movies.

Both Ernest Laszlo’s striking black and white cinematography and Losey’s encouraging way with directing some fine actors also help to save it. The sad-looking, much-put-upon looking Wayne cuts a credible and persuasive tragic figure. He was the first to receive a Tony award for acting on Broadway. In 1947, the first year the Tony Awards were presented, he won the Best Supporting Actor (Musical) Award for Finian’s Rainbow.

Martin Gabel is first rate as Charlie Marshall, the mob boss who helps track the killer. Meanwhile highly effective in support are Luther Adler as Dan Langley, the gang’s boozy attorney, and Howard Da Silva and Steve Brodie as the cops on the case, Inspector Carney and Lieutenant Becker.

Raymond Burr and Pottsy and Norman Lloyd as Sutro are also essential ingredients in the cast list.

Norman Lloyd celebrated his 100th birthday on November 8 2014.

While filming The Prowler (1951) in Italy, Losey was summoned to testify before the congressional House Un-American Activities Committee, bent on rooting out supposed Communist subversion in Hollywood. Losey fled to Britain, where he picked up his career, initially under the pseudonym of Joseph Walton. Fritz Lang fled the other way, to America, in the 30s, to escape the Nazis.

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(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 772 derekwinnert.com