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The Sniper

  • 19521952
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Geraldine Carr, Marlo Dwyer, Arthur Franz, and Marie Windsor in The Sniper (1952)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:17
1 Video
51 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir

A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Edward Dmytryk
  • Writers
    • Harry Brown(screen play)
    • Edna Anhalt(story)
    • Edward Anhalt(story)
  • Stars
    • Arthur Franz
    • Adolphe Menjou
    • Gerald Mohr
Top credits
  • Director
    • Edward Dmytryk
  • Writers
    • Harry Brown(screen play)
    • Edna Anhalt(story)
    • Edward Anhalt(story)
  • Stars
    • Arthur Franz
    • Adolphe Menjou
    • Gerald Mohr
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 53User reviews
    • 45Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Sniper
    Trailer 2:17
    The Sniper

    Photos51

    The Sniper (1952)
    Dudley Dickerson and Arthur Franz in The Sniper (1952)
    Marlene Lyden in The Sniper (1952)
    Danny Mummert and Adolphe Menjou in The Sniper (1952)
    Robin Raymond in The Sniper (1952)
    Mabel Paige in The Sniper (1952)
    Mabel Paige in The Sniper (1952)
    Geraldine Carr in The Sniper (1952)
    Marie Windsor in The Sniper (1952)
    Paul Dubov, Charles Lane, Jay Novello, and Marie Windsor in The Sniper (1952)
    Frank Faylen in The Sniper (1952)
    Richard Kiley in The Sniper (1952)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Arthur Franz
    Arthur Franz
    • Edward Milleras Edward Miller
    Adolphe Menjou
    Adolphe Menjou
    • Police Lt. Frank Kafkaas Police Lt. Frank Kafka
    Gerald Mohr
    Gerald Mohr
    • Police Sgt. Joe Ferrisas Police Sgt. Joe Ferris
    Marie Windsor
    Marie Windsor
    • Jean Darras Jean Darr
    Frank Faylen
    Frank Faylen
    • Police Insp. Andersonas Police Insp. Anderson
    Richard Kiley
    Richard Kiley
    • Dr. James G. Kentas Dr. James G. Kent
    Mabel Paige
    Mabel Paige
    • Landladyas Landlady
    Marlo Dwyer
    Marlo Dwyer
    • May Nelsonas May Nelson
    Geraldine Carr
    • Checkeras Checker
    Fred Aldrich
    Fred Aldrich
    • Man at Line-Upas Man at Line-Up
    • (uncredited)
    John H. Algate
    • Manas Man
    • (uncredited)
    Jessie Arnold
    Jessie Arnold
    • Womanas Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Bacon
    • Passerby On Sidewalkas Passerby On Sidewalk
    • (uncredited)
    Alice Bartlett
    • Womanas Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Bechtel
    • Manas Man
    • (uncredited)
    Lilian Bond
    Lilian Bond
    • Mrs. Fitzpatrickas Mrs. Fitzpatrick
    • (uncredited)
    Gail Bonney
    Gail Bonney
    • Woman at Darr Murder Sceneas Woman at Darr Murder Scene
    • (uncredited)
    John Bradley
    • Rookie Copas Rookie Cop
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Edward Dmytryk
    • Writers
      • Harry Brown(screen play)
      • Edna Anhalt(story)
      • Edward Anhalt(story)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Apparently rejected by women all his life, a loner with a high-power rifle starts on a trail of murder. The police are baffled by the apparently random killings until their psychologist comes up with some ideas. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
    • serial murder
    • san francisco california
    • long range rifle
    • obsession
    • 1950s
    • 154 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Hungrily, he watched her walk down the street...and then he squeezed the trigger!
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Film-Noir
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After making this film, Adolphe Menjou, a very vocal anti-communist, was asked why he chose to work with director Edward Dmytryk, who had been imprisoned and blacklisted for his communist sympathies. Menjou replied, "Because I'm a whore".
    • Goofs
      Late in the film, Eddie is seen crouched and targeting for a kill shot by a smokestack painter. The latter throws his pail of white paint onto the street below to get the attention of the people who could not hear him and the pail and its contents splatter on the ground. After Eddie shoots the man and the camera returns to the street, the pavement is unmarred.
    • Quotes

      Police Photographer: [Referring to photographing the dead body] How about one with the sheet off, Lieutenant? Just one, that's all.

      Police Lt. Frank Kafka: Not a chance!

      Police Photographer: Why not? What's the matter?

      Police Lt. Frank Kafka: Listen, food's too expensive to spoil people's appetite for breakfast. I wouldn't want a dead girl on my front page.

      Police Photographer: You've got one anyway.

      Police Lt. Frank Kafka: I don't like dead girls on the front page or anywhere else.

      Police Sgt. Joe Ferris: [Interjecting] Should've been with me last night. You wouldn't have liked a couple of live ones. I had a lot of trouble last night.

    • Crazy credits
      A word about the picture which follows: High among police problems is that of the sex criminal, responsible last year alone for offenses which victimized 31,175 women. Adequate and understanding laws do not exist. Law enforcement is helpless. Here, in terms of one case, is the story of a man whose enemy was womankind.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Green Fog (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Pennies from Heaven
      (uncredited)

      Music by Arthur Johnston

      Words by Johnny Burke (1936)

      Played by Marie Windsor in piano bar

    User reviews53

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Interesting Character Study/Crime Story
    For much of this film noir, it was almost more of a character study than a crime movie, since there was very little action and only some suspense in the final 10 minutes. However, I'm not complaining. I found the film got better and better as it went along and was an interesting story overall with an excellent cast. When the action did occur- the sniper's shots - they were shocking scenes, shocking in their suddenness.

    I appreciated the fact they shot this on the streets in San Francisco, where the story takes place, instead of some Hollywood back-lot. That city, in particular, with its steep streets and bay-windowed houses, is fun to look at in any era. This happens to be very early 1950s. As with many noirs, the photography was notable, too. I liked a number of the camera angles used in this movie.

    I also appreciated that cast. Arthur Franz is excellent in the lead role of the tormented killer, "Eddie Miller." Eddie knows right from the start that he's a sick man, that he can't help himself and that he needs him. (So, why didn't he turn himself in?) It was fun to see an older and sans-mustached Adolphe Menjou as the police lieutenant, and Humphrey Bogart- lookalike Gerald Mohr as a police sergeant. It was most fun, being a film noir buff, to see Marie Windsor. This "queen of noir," unfortunately, didn't have that big a role in here.

    What really struck were some bizarre scenes, things I have never seen in these crime movies on the '30s through '50s. For example, there was an investigation of sniper suspects held at the police building in which three suspects at a time were grilled - in front of about a hundred cops. The grilling was more like taunting and insult-throwing by this sadistic cop in charge, who made fun of each guy. Man, if they tried that today, there would lawsuits up the wazoo (so to speak).

    Then there was this James Dean-type teen who was on top of a city building with a rifle, right in the middle of this citywide sniper scare. The cops bravely bring him in without killing him and are yelled at for doing so, since the gun wasn't in serviceable order. Duh! The cops were supposed to just see a guy waving a gun on top of a rooftop and let him go, no questions asked?

    A number of things in here stretched credibility, but there were some intelligent aspects, too. "Dr. Richard Kent," played by Richard Kiely, was a case in point. He was the police psychologist and gave strong speeches (the film got a little preachy at times) advocating what should be done with sex-crime offenders, some of it Liberal and some of it Conservative in nature. He made some good points. "Eddie" had sex problems, I guess, but I don't remember it being discussed in the film. Maybe I missed that. The film did miss that aspect: Eddie's background, which triggered all the violence.

    The second half of this film is far better, because the killings increase and the suspense starts to mount. As it goes on, we get more of a feel of what motivates Eddie as we see his reactions to people and how he views things they say. I was surprised, frankly, that he didn't shoot his nasty female boss, since he only harmed women. She was the nastiest woman in the film, and nothing happened to her. What was Eddie thinking?
    helpful•50
    5
    • ccthemovieman-1
    • Mar 1, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 6, 1952 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Снайпер
    • Filming locations
      • Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Stanley Kramer Productions
    • 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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