Sounds like it might be a good movie even though is has a 6.5 rating on IMDB. I have not seen the Fritz Lang version but would really like to see that one.
Just looked. It is on youtube....the 1931 version.
I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola
Missed it, caught the end. Damn forgot it was on.
shareI realize that Joseph Losey did his best, but some films lose their magic when remade. Often a location can be a vital part of a film, almost becoming a character itself...the move from Weimar Republic Germany to 1950's Los Angeles dramatically changed the feeling of this film.
I would personally recommend Fritz Lang's 'M' (1931) as one of the finest films of its era. And feel that it stands very well today as a masterpiece of filmmaking. The same cannot be said for Losey's effort.
I don't feel we ever needed an American version of M, like so many other films given this treatment, but I do understand why they made it.
Rereading my comments, I feel should add that when considered for itself, not in comparison to Lang's M, Losey's film is remarkable. There are many reasons to admire this effort, not the least of which is the incredible scenes in the Bradbury building. And the final minutes, when we are treated to more than one superb performance, are truly memorable.
I do wonder how this film would have been had Raymond Burr played the killer? His ability to play unbalanced characters is legendary, and well earned.
I do wonder how this film would have been had Raymond Burr played the killer?
When I first saw the list of characters; I thought he would portray the killer. Yes, he was good at playing unbalanced characters.
I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola
Having seen his intense, often disconcerting performances in such films as The Blue Gardenia (1953), where he played the deranged photographer; fabulously directed by Fritz Lang. Or Pitfall (1948), in which he played a truly despicable gumshoe named McDonald, if I remember correctly. (That was an interesting film, among the few in which Dick Powell really got to show his chops, such as in Murder, My Sweet (1944).)
While most recognize him today for the kindly but brilliant Perry Mason, at the time he was known for brooding, tough-guy roles, or straight up sociopaths. Which you obviously know. I have to wonder if Joseph Losey offered him the role? Perhaps he was trying to break out of being type-cast?
I can't escape the feeling that Burr was wasted in this film to some extent. He clearly developed an interesting hoarse-voiced growl for his character, and played the scenes he had to the hilt with a looming menace that you could palpably feel. But he was capable of a great range of emotion, and would have been superb as the killer.
Burr played his part well but he most definitely would have added a greater dimension to the part of the killer.
I am willing to bet that we aren't the only ones that feel that way.
I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola
That's a bet you'd certainly win! :)
David Wayne did his best in the film, but it felt like he was never really given a chance to cut loose until the final minutes. As if Losey, or Wayne himself, decided to drastically underplay the character. Admittedly, in those few minutes we see the high-caliber work David Wayne could deliver in the right conditions.
By the way, if you're interested in seeing Raymond Burr as his most delicious deviltry, look for A Cry In The Night (1956), with Edmund O'Brian. Burr is just superb, and the cinematography is especially tidy in this noir B Movie.
Thanks. I will check it out next time it is on. I could only find 3 minute clips on you tube.
I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola
And it was shown in high definition to boot. In the very first shot, we see a small area of the screen showing the newspaper headline "Child Killer". You wouldn't see that on a bad-looking and/or standard definition picture.
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