Joan was 30 years old in this film. I haven't seen her yet in any of her earlier films. But, imo, she was at her loveliest in this one.
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She's so beautiful and charming in this film, you can't help falling in live with here.
shareI agree with all the posters to this particular stream re the loveliness of Joan Bennett. What surprises me is the totally credible cockney accent she effects throughout this movie. As a lover of all things linguistic, I marvel at how she pulled this off as most U.S. actresses of that period eschewed attempting the very tricky, highly nuanced British accent. I also found her versatility among her most endearing talents, as one poster pointed out she was a lovely vixen in one movie and a convincing matron in another, less than a decade apart. Her role as Elizabeth's mother in Father of the Bride is, perhaps, the most notable example of this disparate age portrayal versatility. Hats off to a beautiful woman and highly competent actress.
In a related matter, does any one know whether the ever debonair and sophisticated George Sanders was actually speaking German in his scenes in Germany or, was he an able practitioner of a form of German pig Latin when,if spoken very fast, and owing to the many lengthy German words, can sound much like German to non-German speakers? I experimented on this with my wife, a classically trained singer, and she said it sounded very much like German, but would not fool a native or accomplished speaker of German. Santiago
I certainly agree that Joan Bennett was a real beauty, but found her attempt at a Cockney accent very unconvincing, very inconsistent. As for accents, little Roddy McDowall was age 13 when the movie was made (1940-41) and already he had the caricature "Ew, I say!" and "Rah-ther!" down pat, not the kind of accent you might expect from a cabin boy on a freighter. I couldn't tell whether George Sanders was supposed to be German or British, but he rattled off the German easily. When I switched on the subtitles to find out what he was saying they never translated any German sentences, but just said "German." If Sanders was meant to be German, he spoke English in a genuine upper crust accent. The pompous patriotic speeches between Sanders and Pidgeon at the end probably made the 1941 movie audiences stand up and cheer, but 74 years later they are more than just dated, they are laughable.
Do yourself a favor. Read Geoffrey Household's "Rogue Male" instead of watching this flick. It's a real thriller.
Joan was a purified Blond, like her older sister, Constance Bennett...and her career was going south until Hedy La Marr appeared on the scene and many top actress's of that period...Vivian Leigh, Joan Crawford, Jane Greer among others tried to copy the Hedy look...Jet Black hair, parted in the middle. Joan came the closest and her career had improved since. Crawford made one movie with that look and it flopped..."Ice Caspades of 1939", cause she looked awful. The comics of that day made comments about Joan and Hedy, went something like this..."And why does Hedy make Joan wear all her old hair..."
shareJoan Bennett is indeed lovely in this movie. Not only that: She is the emotional center of Man Hunt, as her portrayal of this lonely young Cockney woman that is both longing to love and longing to be loved is gut-wrenching. There is a certain sense of hopelessness to the love story that I didn't expect to find in a noirish anti-nazi thriller.
Could any hell be more horrible than now and real?
-Jim Morrison
I absolutely loved her character, which is really bad, because I just watched Scarlet Street (1945), and hated her character in that one. Danm, she was good! But that's back when we had actors and actresses, not like the majority today, who are just "movie stars".
"In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
Agree with all, JB was beautiful in this, even if I didn't always buy her accent. Long way from The Woman In The Window, where she put on that awful (it was good, acting wise, but it freaked me out) back and forth with Dan Duryea ("Hey Lazy Legs..." "Oh, Jaw-nayyyy!"). She was sleaze incarnate in that film, cute as a button here.
Takes two to tumble it takes two to tango
Speak up don't mumble when you're in the combo
COunt me also as a very big fan of Joan Bennett. Another great who also had a very good actress for a sister in Constance, similar to Joan Fontaine and Olivia deHavilland, if today not as well known.
Anyway, I was on the lookout to see Man Hunt since I knew it was one of Joan's better films. I have not seen much of her work yet always very much enjoy seeing what I have. I have to find WOman in the Window, since I hear that is also very good. Scarlett Street as noted is a must see, and a totally different (but very believable) character to Jerry in this one. (And of course as the mother in Father of the Bride - I always am reminded of how casting must have went for that one - "Who will be convincing as Liz Taylor's mother?")
Great performance here, really elevating the film from a kind of noirish chase film. I loved her scenes especially playing off against the upper crust with her very convincing Cockney accent, and if I may say very hot looking. And her expressiveness. She was really something. I wish there were more of her films out there.
Good comments Kenny, as always. Scarlet Street is one of my all-time favorites but Woman in the Window is not far behind. Even on IMDB, the ratings are about the same - 7.9 vs. 7.8. Of course, both films feature the same three stars: Edward Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea. Edward Robinson plays against his "type" in both films and I must say, he was great.
Speaking of Scarlet Street, there is much to like. One of the little things that impressed me was the dialogue between Robinson and Bennett. For example, at the coffee shop during their first meeting. Bennett would say something like "I bet you're an artist." Robinson would answer so: "Hmm, well, (pause) I paint." Simply great interplay.
She was great in Suspiria.
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