Odd Man Out (1947)

A wounded Irish nationalist leader attempts to evade police following a failed robbery in Belfast.

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

F.L. Green (by), F.L. Green (screenplay)

Stars:

James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Mason	...	Johnny McQueen
Robert Newton	...	Lukey
Cyril Cusack	...	Pat
F.J. McCormick	...	Shell
William Hartnell	...	Fencie
Fay Compton	...	Rosie
Denis O'Dea	...	Inspector
W.G. Fay	...	Father Tom
Maureen Delaney	...	Theresa O'Brien
Elwyn Brook-Jones	...	Tober
Robert Beatty	...	Dennis
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Nolan
Kitty Kirwan	...	Grannie
Beryl Measor	...	Maudie
Roy Irving	...	Murphy

Storyline

Johnny McQueen, leader of a clandestine Irish organization, has been hiding in the house of Kathleen and her mother, planning a hold-up that will provide his group with the funds needed to continue its activities. During the hold-up, things go sour: Johnny is wounded, cannot make it back to the hideout, and disappears in the back-alleys of Belfast. Immediately, a large-scale man-hunt is launched, and the city is tightly covered by the constabulary, whose chief is intent on capturing Johnny and the other members of the gang. Kathleen sets out in search of Johnny.

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Plot Keywords:

police | love | irish | northern ireland | belfast | 

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Taglines:

An adventure in unbearable suspense !

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 April 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gang War

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Two Cities Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First British film to win the BAFTA award for Best British Film after the event was established in 1948. (see also The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)).

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Goofs

When Rosie states that she read in a newspaper that Johnny had been shot before he got away, the time on her clock is about 7:15 p.m. The mill robbery happened at the stroke of 5:00 p.m. Nearly all of the businesses, including new stands, seen during the interim were closed (no lights on in the dark). No newsboys were seen on the street. Two hours seems insufficient time for a reporter to gather the facts, get back to the newspaper office, write the story, have it typeset and printed and distributed and read, especially at dinnertime.

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Quotes

Johnny McQueen: I remember. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child. But when I became a man, I put way childish things. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become a sounding brass or a inkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faiths so that I could remove mountains and have not charity... I am nothing.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: This story is told against a background of political unrest in a city of Northern Ireland.

It is not concerned with the struggle between the law and an illegal organisation, but only with the conflict in the hearts of the people when they become unexpectedly involved.

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Connections

Referenced in The Wonder Years: Odd Man Out (1989)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Schubert

User Reviews

Learn Today How You can Join the IRA!!

Odd Man Out is an almost flawless movie that is such a tribute to great acting, writing, and storytelling. In a time when there are so many blow em' up action movies with actors showing the talent levels of my radio this movie can show you that there can indeed be great films that don't involve huge explosions, and that much gunplay, and also this movie proves that so much of a story can develop within a five mile radius, if not that big, and show you just how intense human drama can be. James Mason, in one of his best performances ever plays Johnny McQueen, an IRA member who is hunted by the law. After he is shot his friends seek help, having to leave him alone, in order to find someone that will help him. He must run after the cops almost find him. What ensues is a movie that is not pro-IRA or pro-Britain but an incredible character-driven movie in a movie you would not expect to find one. The movie takes place all over the city, as Johnny McQueen and all of those associated with him have an incredible adventure, not to mention his love interest. The acting is beyond phenomenal, these actors give these characters a great amount of depth, and they seem to realize the backdrop of the conflict at hand, and play the scenario perfectly.

This time does not exist anymore, the conflict of which this movie takes place in might, but fifty years later attitudes, traditions, and conventions of the day have changed a lot. This movie is almost an incredible time capsule, capturing the feeling of the time, and the conflict of the time without telling any names, you know the organization that the movie is talking about but no name is mentioned, and a name really doesn't need to be mentioned. This movie is all around phenomenal, in the message it conveys, and the way it conveys it. Odd Man Out uses this conflict to portray an idea of peace, an idea to stop killing, and to stop violence. In this film the movie lends the conflict to senselessness, by the end of the film the goals of both sides seem like a moot point, and that all that happened as a result of the conflict was a lot of violence, murder, turmoil, and nothing achieved. I cannot say enough that the one key to the success of the film is the acting. James Mason is in top form as the gunman that wonders around the unnamed town, the supporting cast is nothing short of spectacular, the acting makes this movie.

By some critics this was called the best British movie in the Post World War 2 era, for a number of years. In the immediate years following the war that is hard to debate, odd man out is quite a spectacle, a phenomenal film without question. The movie is so many things: a great character study, a brilliant film exploring man's own problems with it's own kind, a sad movie, a love story, and a movie that exemplifies the way movies should be made, obviously I give this movie a glowing endorsement. Many people say that movies in this time had shallow characters, that were unoriginal, and unrealistic. This movie shows just the opposite, and if you were to watch most mainstream movies today you would find that accusation true of most modern movies, but this movie shows just how strange, and sometimes remarkable we are, and shows very mush, in it's own way how different we are, and I love movies like this where the characters are what make the movie, the plot is important too, but it is the unique and unexpected characters that make this movie so much more than a standard movie, this movie is a classic. This is a movie that is almost mesmerizing, engrossing to the point you almost forget where you are, few movies achieve that, this is definitely an achievement for British cinema, and an achievement for cinema overall.