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IMDbPro

M

  • 19511951
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
David Wayne in M (1951)
CrimeDramaFilm-Noir
In this Americanization of the 1931 German thriller, both the police and the criminal underworld stalk a mysterious killer who preys on small children.In this Americanization of the 1931 German thriller, both the police and the criminal underworld stalk a mysterious killer who preys on small children.In this Americanization of the 1931 German thriller, both the police and the criminal underworld stalk a mysterious killer who preys on small children.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Joseph Losey
  • Writers
    • Norman Reilly Raine(screen play by)
    • Leo Katcher(screen play by)
    • Waldo Salt(additional dialogue by)
  • Stars
    • David Wayne
    • Howard Da Silva
    • Martin Gabel
  • Director
    • Joseph Losey
  • Writers
    • Norman Reilly Raine(screen play by)
    • Leo Katcher(screen play by)
    • Waldo Salt(additional dialogue by)
  • Stars
    • David Wayne
    • Howard Da Silva
    • Martin Gabel
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 42User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos98

    Janine Perreau and David Wayne in M (1951)
    Luther Adler and David Wayne in M (1951)
    Luther Adler, Glenn Anders, Steve Brodie, Howard Da Silva, Martin Gabel, and David Wayne in M (1951)
    Luther Adler and David Wayne in M (1951)
    John Miljan in M (1951)
    David Wayne in M (1951)
    David Wayne in M (1951)
    Luther Adler and David Wayne in M (1951)
    Luther Adler, Glenn Anders, and Martin Gabel in M (1951)
    David Wayne in M (1951)
    Martin Gabel and David Wayne in M (1951)
    John Miljan in M (1951)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David Wayne
    David Wayne
    • Martin W. Harrow
    Howard Da Silva
    Howard Da Silva
    • Inspector Carney
    Martin Gabel
    Martin Gabel
    • Charlie Marshall
    Luther Adler
    Luther Adler
    • Dan Langley
    Steve Brodie
    Steve Brodie
    • Police Lt. Becker
    Raymond Burr
    Raymond Burr
    • Pottsy
    Glenn Anders
    Glenn Anders
    • Riggert
    Norman Lloyd
    Norman Lloyd
    • Sutro
    Walter Burke
    Walter Burke
    • MacMahan
    John Miljan
    John Miljan
    • Blind Baloon Vendor
    Roy Engel
    Roy Engel
    • Police Chief Regan
    Janine Perreau
    Janine Perreau
    • The Last Little Girl
    Leonard Bremen
    Leonard Bremen
    • Lemke
    • (as Lennie Bremen)
    Benny Burt
    Benny Burt
    • Jansen
    Bernard Szold
    • Bradbury Bldg. Watchman
    Robin Fletcher
    • Elsie Coster
    Karen Morley
    Karen Morley
    • Mrs. Coster
    Jim Backus
    Jim Backus
    • The Mayor
    • Director
      • Joseph Losey
    • Writers
      • Norman Reilly Raine(screen play by)
      • Leo Katcher(screen play by)
      • Waldo Salt(additional dialogue by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Before signing Joseph Losey as director, producer Seymour Nebenzal approached fellow German expatriate Douglas Sirk and offered him the job. Sirk said he would do the film only if he could scrap the original story and write a new one about a psychopathic murderer of children. When Nebenzal approached Losey, he also wanted to scrap the original story and do a new one about a child murderer, and Nebenzal told him that the Production Code Administration (PCA) had agreed to allow him to make the film only if the original story and script were kept. The PCA had approved "M" as a remake of an acknowledged classic, but if the story were changed, its approval would be withdrawn.
    • Goofs
      When the killer and the little girl are locked in the room, the large shadow of the microphone boom is clearly visible on the wall on the left side of the screen after she sits down on the floor.
    • Quotes

      Police Chief Regan: To prevent other crimes, your police department has prepared five don'ts. DON'T let your children accept rides from strangers, sometimes these are one-way rides leading to death. The amiable stranger may be a killer. DON'T let your children accept presents from strangers. A bag of popcorn or a candy bar is not worth your child's life. DON'T send children on after-dark errands, the night works in behalf of the killer who preys on our young. If you must have something from the store after sundown, get it yourself. DON'T let your child play unattended in wooded places or empty lots. Though your eyes aren't on them, somebody else's may be watching. DON'T let your children become friendly with Pop, that nice old character in your neighborhood. Most of these men are harmless, but there are exceptions. It's up to you to make sure your child isn't the victim of one of these exceptions. And now for one all important do: If you notice any suspicious characters lurking around schools and playgrounds, DO call at once, your police department: Central 5000, the life you save may be your child's life.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 3 Faces of M (2022)

    User reviews42

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Has Its Moments
    Occasionally gripping noir from noir's golden period. Middle-age loner Harrow (Wayne) is a serial killer of little girls. His sixth murder alarms much of LA, especially the underworld which feels extra pressure now from the cops. As a result, the various gangs organize in pursuit of the killer before he strikes again. But will the cops and gangsters catch him in time.

    The movie has many fine touches, except for the final chase whose massive gangland presence without police intervention amounts to a real stretch. Where the film excels is with Harrow alone and acting out his illness. Note how he squeezes off the head of a female doll with a photo of his mother in the background, the significance of which turns up at the end. Also, his caressing of shoelaces from his victims suggests a sexual fetish. As a reader of true crime, I've learned that shoe fetishes are not that unusual-- there seems no end to human oddities. At the same time, there's the telling touch of a little girl's balloon soaring toward the heavens that implies her death at the killer's hands, along with a note of hope for something better. Oddly, actor Wayne has practically no lines until the final segment. There his monstrous nature is somewhat mitigated by a heartfelt recognition of his mother's twisted role that he was apparently too weak to overcome.

    Ace director Losey makes good use of the many LA locations including the famous Bradbury building from DOA (1950) among others. And that's along with a number of noirish lighting touches. Too bad Hollywood's notorious Blacklist period sent him into exile in England during probably his most productive period.

    Except for Wayne, the supporting cast is not called upon to express much emotion. Thus attention remains on the killer and the little girls he inveigles with toys and goodies. As indicated earlier, the weakest parts are the staging of the gangland mobs that appear to have buried their differences in favor of large uncontested mob action.

    Despite the downside, the movie's subject matter challenged taboos of the time and still manages moments of genuine involvement.
    helpful•2
    0
    • dougdoepke
    • Nov 12, 2017

    FAQ4

    • What is 'M' about?
    • Is 'M' based on a book?
    • Why would organized crime care about catching a child murderer?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 1951 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El maldito
    • Filming locations
      • Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA(building where Harrow is trapped)
    • Production company
      • Superior Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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