Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

The Unknown Man

  • 19511951
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
435
YOUR RATING
Dawn Addams, Richard Anderson, Keefe Brasselle, Ann Harding, Walter Pidgeon, and Barry Sullivan in The Unknown Man (1951)
An attorney successfully defends a young hoodlum charged with murder but later has doubts about his client's innocence and starts investigating his background and associations.
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
4 Photos
CrimeDramaFilm-Noir
An attorney successfully defends a young hoodlum charged with murder but later has doubts about his client's innocence and starts investigating his background and associations.An attorney successfully defends a young hoodlum charged with murder but later has doubts about his client's innocence and starts investigating his background and associations.An attorney successfully defends a young hoodlum charged with murder but later has doubts about his client's innocence and starts investigating his background and associations.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
435
YOUR RATING
    • Richard Thorpe
    • Ronald Millar
    • George Froeschel
  • Stars
    • Walter Pidgeon
    • Ann Harding
    • Barry Sullivan
    • Richard Thorpe
    • Ronald Millar
    • George Froeschel
  • Stars
    • Walter Pidgeon
    • Ann Harding
    • Barry Sullivan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 14User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos

    Barry Sullivan in The Unknown Man (1951)
    Keefe Brasselle in The Unknown Man (1951)
    Dawn Addams, Richard Anderson, and Barry Sullivan in The Unknown Man (1951)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Walter Pidgeon
    Walter Pidgeon
    • Dwight Bradley Masen
    Ann Harding
    Ann Harding
    • Stella Masen
    Barry Sullivan
    Barry Sullivan
    • Joe Bucknor
    Keefe Brasselle
    Keefe Brasselle
    • Rudi Wallchek
    Lewis Stone
    Lewis Stone
    • Judge James V. Hulbrook
    Eduard Franz
    Eduard Franz
    • Andrew Jason Layford
    Richard Anderson
    Richard Anderson
    • Bob Masen
    Dawn Addams
    Dawn Addams
    • Ellie Fansworth
    Philip Ober
    Philip Ober
    • Wayne Kellwin
    Konstantin Shayne
    Konstantin Shayne
    • Peter Hulderman
    Mari Blanchard
    Mari Blanchard
    • Sally Tever
    Don Beddoe
    Don Beddoe
    • Ed
    John Maxwell
    John Maxwell
    • Dr. Palmer
    Robert B. Williams
    Robert B. Williams
    • Sam
    • (as Robert Williams)
    Fred Aldrich
    Fred Aldrich
    • First Bailiff
    • (uncredited)
    John Alvin
    John Alvin
    • Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    Monya Andre
    • Cocktail Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Jean Andren
    • Secretary
    • (uncredited)
      • Richard Thorpe
      • Ronald Millar
      • George Froeschel
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Hour of 13
    6.3
    The Hour of 13
    Thunder on the Hill
    6.9
    Thunder on the Hill
    High Tide
    6.4
    High Tide
    Nine Girls
    6.6
    Nine Girls
    A Night of Terror
    6.5
    A Night of Terror
    The Lady Consents
    6.2
    The Lady Consents
    Two Weeks with Love
    6.8
    Two Weeks with Love
    Lightning Strikes Twice
    6.5
    Lightning Strikes Twice
    Eyes in the Night
    6.7
    Eyes in the Night
    Holiday
    6.3
    Holiday
    The Magnificent Yankee
    6.8
    The Magnificent Yankee
    Between Midnight and Dawn
    6.5
    Between Midnight and Dawn

    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Too Tricky for Its Own Good
    Those early scenes between DA Sullivan and attorney Pidgeon are beautifully played. Note how subtly a competitive sense is conveyed, along with professional respect and perhaps mild dislike. So when Pidgeon decides to take Wallchek's (Braselle) case and challenge the DA, we understand why. Pidgeon is excellent throughout. His resonant voice and dignified bearing suggest that Old Testament worship of the law that drives Brad's character. Ditto Sullivan's first-rate performance. Nonetheless, his DA takes a more pragmatic view of the law, one that's importantly tempered by reality.

    Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't measure up. Crime dramas whether noir or procedure were simply not MGM's strong suit. LB Mayer's philosophy was escapism and celebrity stars, and not even new production chief Dore Schary's background at gritty RKO could modify the entrenched tradition. Director Thorpe was one of Mayer's favorites because of his ability to complete projects under-budget. Unfortunately, that style-less efficiency is on bland display here as the scenes unfold in strictly mechanical fashion. Crucially, there are no visual (noirish) counterparts to Pidgeon's moral dilemma.

    Then too, the screenplay apes fashion of the day by needlessly involving a "Mr. Big" as the invisible mastermind behind crime in the city. Thus, what starts out as a very real legal dilemma—exonerating a guilty man and what to do about it—evolves into a contrived storyline, not helped by a highly contrived climax in the prison cell. That compelling premise really does deserve a more thoughtful, less tricky, development than what it gets here. Then too, once you think about it, I'm not sure how well the scales of justice actually balance, contrary to what the final scene appears to imply. Anyway, two fine performances are largely wasted in what another reviewer aptly calls a minor film.
    helpful•5
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • Jun 6, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 16, 1951 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 26 minutes
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Dawn Addams, Richard Anderson, Keefe Brasselle, Ann Harding, Walter Pidgeon, and Barry Sullivan in The Unknown Man (1951)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Unknown Man (1951) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.