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M (1931)

117 min  -  Crime | Drama | Film-Noir  -   31 August 1931 (Sweden)
8.5
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Ratings: 8.5/10 from 59,695 users  
Reviews: 239 user | 153 critic

When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Thea von Harbou (script), Fritz Lang (script), and 1 more credit »

Stars:

Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann and Inge Landgut | See full cast and crew
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Title: M (1931)

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Videos

M -- Classic finds an elusive child killer who forces the police to crack down on all criminals, which makes the crime bosses want him out of commission too. When they finally capture him, they put him on trial, making the police have to save him. M -- A simple, haunting musical phrase whistled offscreen tells us that a young girl will be killed. "Who Is the Murderer?" pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert closes in on little Elsie Beckmann...

Photos

M M M
28 photos | 3 videos | 4 news articles »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Lorre Peter Lorre ...
Ellen Widmann Ellen Widmann ...
Inge Landgut Inge Landgut ...
Otto Wernicke Otto Wernicke ...
Theodor Loos Theodor Loos ...
Gustaf Gründgens Gustaf Gründgens ...
Schränker
Friedrich Gnaß Friedrich Gnaß ...
Franz, the burglar
Fritz Odemar Fritz Odemar ...
The cheater
Paul Kemp Paul Kemp ...
Pickpocket with six watches
Theo Lingen Theo Lingen ...
Bauernfänger
Rudolf Blümner Rudolf Blümner ...
Beckert's defender
Georg John Georg John ...
Blind panhandler
Franz Stein Franz Stein ...
Minister
Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur ...
Police chief
Gerhard Bienert Gerhard Bienert ...
Criminal secretary
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

Someone is murdering children in Berlin. 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. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Police | Criminal | Beggar | Murder | Killer  | See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

(Sweden) See more »

Also Known As:

M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder See more »

Filming Locations:

Staaken, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nero-Film AG See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | (2004 Criterion DVD edition)  | France:  | Germany: (2000 restored version)  | Germany: (re-release)  | USA:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Two-thirds of the film was shot with sound, the remaining third was shot silent. At the time the license fees for sound equipment were quite prohibitive, so this was a move to try to keep costs down. However, Fritz Lang liked the eerie, unnerving quality that arose from going from a sound world to one where there is no noise at all. See more »

Quotes

Children: [singing] Just you wait, it won't be long. The man in black will soon be here. With his cleaver's blade so true. He'll make mincemeat out of YOU!
See more »

Crazy Credits

All of the original credits appear only in the beginning with no music. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Der Fall Metropolis (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

"Le Halle du Roi de la Montagne"
in "Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46" (1876)
Written by Edvard Grieg See more »