The Men (1950)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Carl Foreman (story)
Carl Foreman (screenplay)

Release Date:

September 1950 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A completely new experience between men and women.

Plot:

Paralized war vet tries to adjust to the world without the use of his limbs.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Physical Therapy | Narration | Veteran | Paraplegic

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Ken
Teresa Wright	...	Ellen
Everett Sloane	...	Dr. Brock
Jack Webb	...	Norm
Richard Erdman	...	Leo
Arthur Jurado	...	Angel
Virginia Farmer	...	Nurse Robbins
Dorothy Tree	...	Ellen's Mother
Howard St. John	...	Ellen's Father
Nita Hunter	...	Dolores
Patricia Joiner	...	Laverne
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Mr. Doolin (as John Miller)
Cliff Clark	...	Dr. Kameran
Ray Teal	...	Man at Bar
Marguerite Martin	...	Angel's Mother

Also Known As:

Battle Stripe (USA) (reissue title)
The Courage of Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #14228)

Filming Locations:

Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

In the early part of the film, inside the hospital ward, a paraplegic solider is reading Superman comic book, #62. #62: Black Magic on Mars (January/February 1950) involves a plot line with Orson Welles and his famous radio broadcast, "War of the Worlds" about Martian invasion of America. Welles may have been promoting his new film, Black Magic (1949). Harry W. Gerstad, Gustaf Norin, Jean Speak, and Clem Beauchamp, production staff for many of Kramer's films, would later work for the 1950s television series, "Adventures of Superman" (1952).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ken faints, Norm wets a little towel and puts it untidily on Ken's forehead. In the next shot the towel is perfectly neat.

Quotes:

Ellen's father: If he loves you as much you love him, he'll make you go.
Ellen: You've been so clever, so logical, I've never knew that you handled words so well.
Ellen's father: That's not an answer, Elly.
Ellen: You weren't quite so logical a few years ago when we needed some boys to ground and get killed or paralyzed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brando (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Waltz in B Flat Major

Strange Bedfellows

Marlon Brando's screen debut is a strong one and the film is very hard hitting for 1950's cinema. But the real pleasure is watching Jack Webb, especially in his scenes with Brando. Webb was a much better actor than he is given credit for, (he's in several good movies of the period and is consistently good), before allowing himself to be typecast as the no-nonsense Sgt. Friday. I love watching films from early in actor's careers before their careers took different paths. It's fun seeing "Joe Friday" interact with Hollywood's bad boy. The TV guy more than holds his own.