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IMDbPro

The Informer

  • 19351935
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Margot Grahame and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
Theatrical Trailer from RKO
Play trailer1:26
1 Video
53 Photos
CrimeDrama
In 1922, an Irish rebel informs on his friend, then feels doom closing in.In 1922, an Irish rebel informs on his friend, then feels doom closing in.In 1922, an Irish rebel informs on his friend, then feels doom closing in.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
    • John Ford
    • Dudley Nichols(screen play)
    • Liam O'Flaherty(from the story by)
  • Stars
    • Victor McLaglen
    • Heather Angel
    • Preston Foster
    • John Ford
    • Dudley Nichols(screen play)
    • Liam O'Flaherty(from the story by)
  • Stars
    • Victor McLaglen
    • Heather Angel
    • Preston Foster
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 Oscars

    Videos1

    The Informer
    Trailer 1:26
    Watch The Informer

    Photos53

    Margot Grahame and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Margot Grahame and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen and Joe Sawyer in The Informer (1935)
    Wallace Ford and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen and Joe Sawyer in The Informer (1935)
    Margot Grahame and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Wallace Ford and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    J.M. Kerrigan and Victor McLaglen in The Informer (1935)
    Victor McLaglen and Una O'Connor in The Informer (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Victor McLaglen
    Victor McLaglen
    • Gypo Nolan
    Heather Angel
    Heather Angel
    • Mary McPhillip
    Preston Foster
    Preston Foster
    • Dan Gallagher
    Margot Grahame
    Margot Grahame
    • Katie Madden
    Wallace Ford
    Wallace Ford
    • Frankie McPhillip
    Una O'Connor
    Una O'Connor
    • Mrs. McPhillip
    J.M. Kerrigan
    J.M. Kerrigan
    • Terry
    Joe Sawyer
    Joe Sawyer
    • Barty Mulholland
    • (as Joseph Sauers)
    Neil Fitzgerald
    • Tommy Connor
    Donald Meek
    Donald Meek
    • Peter Mulligan
    D'Arcy Corrigan
    D'Arcy Corrigan
    • The Blind Man
    Leo McCabe
    • Donahue
    Steve Pendleton
    Steve Pendleton
    • Dennis Daly
    • (as Gaylord Pendleton)
    Francis Ford
    Francis Ford
    • 'Judge' Flynn
    May Boley
    May Boley
    • Madame Betty
    Grizelda Hervey
    Grizelda Hervey
    • English Girl
    Denis O'Dea
    Denis O'Dea
    • Street Singer
    • (as Dennis O'Dea)
    Frank Baker
    Frank Baker
    • Small Role
    • (uncredited)
      • John Ford
      • Dudley Nichols(screen play)
      • Liam O'Flaherty(from the story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Ford kept Victor McLaglen continually off-balance (and thus in character) by getting him drunk, changing his schedules, verbally abusing him on and off the set and filming scenes when he'd told McLaglen that they were only rehearsing. For the crucial rebel court scene, the story goes that Ford reduced the actor to a trembling wreck by promising him the day off only to bring him into the studio early and extremely hung over, insisting that he spit out his lines. McLaglen was so furious with Ford over this that he threatened to quit acting and kill the director.
    • Goofs
      Frankie McPhillip tells his mother he travelled to her house via O'Connell Street. In 1922, the year the movie is set, O'Connell Street was still offically called Sackville Street, but the Irish Home Rule Party had unsuccessfully attempted to change it to "O'Connell Street" prior to this and this name was commonly used by nationalist Dubliners.
    • Quotes

      Terry: [realizing Gypo's stuck him with the bill as an angry bouncer glowers at him] Oh dear, oh dear. I have a queer feelin' there's going to be a strange face in heaven in the mornin'.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: 1920 "Then Judas repented himself-and cast down the thirty pieces of silver - and departed."
    • Alternate versions
      Since it's original release, the UK prints of this film have omitted all references to the IRA, but a 1998 release on a budget video label restores these cuts for the first time.
    • Connections
      Featured in Directed by John Ford (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      Rule Britannia!
      (uncredited)

      Written by Thomas Augustine Arne

      Arranged by Max Steiner

    User reviews64

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Important work of Irish patriotism from Ford still potent...
    Victor McLaglen, the title character of John Ford's THE INFORMER, reminded me of the circus man from Fellini's LA STRADA. Anthony Quinn played the brutish man, who may have even been influenced by the pug-faced, Oscar-winning performance given by McLaglen. Poverty-stricken Dublin is the true-life, atmospheric setting of the picture, which takes place in 1922. Dense fog and a long damp night are the main elements of a story about deep Irish patriotism and the fight of the Irish Republican Army. The conflict of individuality and the cause is what makes THE INFORMER tick. McLaglen's large, simple character just wants to go to America and we're reminded by signs of the price for a ticket frequently. Two different signs become the psychological centerpiece for the drunken Irishman. One is the previous, the other a WANTED sign. Should he do it and get the money to go?

    John Ford once famously said, "My name is Ford. I make Westerns." After seeing this film, he obviously could do a heck of a lot more. The serious social issues dealt with here are heartfelt and ones you will find yourself thinking about. And the look of the piece is amazing, consisting of long dark shadows cutting into a miserable Ireland night. Ford was always known for his luminescent, gorgeous cinematography that helped to foresee the conflicts within his characters. This is hard in color, but he did it in pictures like THE SEARCHERS, painting John Wayne in a sometimes vicious manner. Victor McLaglen's performance not only benefits from the lighting, but by the sheer simplicity of his acting. He shoves a lot. He knocks people out. He is a brute who knows no better. He should, however, know whether or not to cross the IRA.

    See the film to find out the gritty details. See it also for McLaglen and Ford's patriotic portrayal of the IRA. Max Steiner's score is innovative in how it matches gestures of the characters, placing more emphasis on them. This was usually only seen in silent films, especially Chaplin. The topic of naming names or "informing" is obviously still important. Just look at how the media covered this year's Oscars, giving much attention to the Elia Kazan scandal.
    helpful•26
    5
    • Don-102
    • Mar 23, 1999

    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 24, 1935 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 31 minutes
      • Black and White

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