The Sniper (1952)

A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Harry Brown (screenplay), Edna Anhalt (story),

Stars:

Adolphe Menjou, Arthur Franz, Gerald Mohr

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview:
Adolphe Menjou	...	Police Lt. Frank Kafka
Arthur Franz	...	Eddie Miller
Gerald Mohr	...	Police Sgt. Joe Ferris
Marie Windsor	...	Jean Darr
Frank Faylen	...	Police Insp. Anderson
Richard Kiley	...	Dr. James G. Kent
Mabel Paige	...	Landlady
Marlo Dwyer	...	May Nelson
Geraldine Carr	...	Checker

Storyline

Apparently rejected by women all his life, a loner with a high-power rifle starts on a trail of murder. The police are baffled by the apparently random killings until their psychologist comes up with some ideas.

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Plot Keywords:

police | murder | killing | rifle | sniper | 

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Taglines:

They were all brunettes... all under 30... and they all crossed the path of "THE SNIPER"

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

El Francotirador

Filming Locations:

Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Kramer Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marked director Edward Dmytryk's return to directing after being blacklisted and serving time in prison for contempt of court, when he refused to name names of his Communist associates to the House Un-American Activities Committee. As "punishment" for his earlier association with Communist groups, Dmytryk was assigned to direct Adolphe Menjou, who had been one of the most fervent supporters of HUAC in Hollywood. Despite their history of political differences, the two got along fairly well during filming.

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Goofs

During the shooting gallery scene, barely visible wires in the foreground are used to manipulate the rigged targets that Miller supposedly shoots.

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Quotes

Police Sgt. Joe Ferris: No word from the boyfriend yet?
Police Lt. Frank Kafka: He'll probably turn up as soon as he reads the papers. From what I know about musicians, they're not so neat when they want to get rid of their dames.

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Connections

Referenced in A Tribute to Stanley Kramer (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Plaisir D'Amour"
(uncredited)
Composed by Jean Paul Egide Martini
Played by Marie Windsor in piano bar

User Reviews

another rare and excellent noir travelogue

Someone previously has mentioned the value in this sort of location- driven film noir. As 60% of THE SNIPER was filmed on the 1951 streets of San Francisco, we and our descendants will benefit from these wonderful glimpses into the past. The story itself, perhaps somewhat naive as an earlier reporter comments, is intense and strangely current. Richard Wiley's psychiatrist makes a long,and not a little tedious, call for better treatment for sexual predators. Society is still unable to provide early diagnosis not to mention sufficient resources for treatment. As a film noir thriller, we are drawn into the sniper's pathetic personal pain. As a cautionary note, one might well choose to learn from the missteps of victims in this film and stay home and never take unnecessary risks such as meeting new people or expressing any public views that might set someone off on a killing spree. Fortunately we are garrulous beings for the most part and likely won't hibernate our lives away. Still, this film captures the randomness of psychotic death dealers fairly efficiently. The cast is uniformly excellent. I wonder if Adolf Menjou watched NAKED CITY and picked up a few disheveled pointers from Barry Fitzgerald. As a final note, I have to wonder why this excellent little film, like so many. has been hidden from us. Surely I'm not one of so few who love these gems?