The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934)

A brilliant but impoverished writer, who is a pacifist, goes to work for a publisher and writes anti-war editorials. When he discovers that the publisher has betrayed him and is in league ... See full summary »

Director:

Edward Ludwig

Writers:

Jean Bart (play), Jean Bart (screenplay)

Stars:

Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill

Cast

Credited cast:
Claude Rains	...	Paul Verin
Joan Bennett	...	Adele Verin
Lionel Atwill	...	Henry Dumont
Juanita Quigley	...	Linette Verin (as Baby Jane)
Henry O'Neill	...	Fernand de Marnay
Henry Armetta	...	Laurent
Wallace Ford	...	'Curly'
Lawrence Grant	...	Marchant
William B. Davidson	...	Charles (as William Davidson)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Judith Wood	...	Margot (scenes deleted)

Storyline

A brilliant but impoverished writer, who is a pacifist, goes to work for a publisher and writes anti-war editorials. When he discovers that the publisher has betrayed him and is in league with munitions manufacturers to make money off of war, he goes insane.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | based on play | 

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Taglines:

The most startling picture of the year!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Homem que Reclamou a Cabeça

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Dead of Night (1988)

User Reviews

Bring Me the Head of Henri Dumont

The few people likely to be familiar with this title today will probably already know enough of the plot to be aware of the spectacular final retribution taken by Claude Rains against Lionel Atwill and assume that it was a follow up to Rains' auspicious talkie film debut the year before as Universal's new horror star in the title role of 'The Invisible Man'.

However, Rains had already played the role on Broadway - under that title - the year before he made 'The Invisible Man', and the film is actually a very thirties pacifist diatribe (albeit garnished with an eye-catching title and plot gimmick) set in France just before and during the first year of The Great War.

No attempt seems to have been made to dress the cast convincingly in period, probably to heighten its topicality to the troubled 30's, when fear of lethal new weapons ran hand in hand with munitions manufacturers in wing collars rubbing their hands with ill-concealed glee at the prospect of the vast fortunes to be made out of another war.

Director Edward Ludwig's only other brush with political filmmaking ironically appears to have been John Wayne's red-baiting love letter to the HUAC, 'Big Jim McLain', nearly twenty years later.