M (1951 film)
Encyclopedia
M is a 1951 American remake
of Fritz Lang
's film of the same name
, shifting the action from Berlin
to Los Angeles
and changing the killer's name from Hans Beckert to Martin W. Harrow. The remake, directed by Joseph Losey
with David Wayne
playing Peter Lorre
's role, was not well received by critics or audiences. Both versions of M
were produced by Seymour Nebenzal
, whose son Harold Nebenzal was associate producer the 1951 version.
. David Wayne
's murderous character lived at an eccentric Victorian mansion on Bunker Hill Avenue known as the Max Heindel
house, because Heindel, a famous astrologer in the early twentieth century, had once lived there. Some scenes were shot on and around the funicular Angels Flight
on Third Street. But the most spectacular location footage takes place within a lengthy sequence shot inside the famous Bradbury Building
on the southeast corner of Broadway and Third (just a block east of Angels Flight). Director Losey used the basement, the distinctive stairways and balconies, and the roof of the building. The Bradbury, which has been used in many films because of its unique wrought-iron and brick beauty, remains a popular but restricted tourist attraction today.
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
's film of the same name
M (1931 film)
M is a 1931 German drama-thriller directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. It was Lang's first sound film, although he had directed more than a dozen films previously....
, shifting the action from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and changing the killer's name from Hans Beckert to Martin W. Harrow. The remake, directed by Joseph Losey
Joseph Losey
Joseph Walton Losey was an American theater and film director. After studying in Germany with Bertolt Brecht, Losey returned to the United States, eventually making his way to Hollywood...
with David Wayne
David Wayne
David Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
playing Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
's role, was not well received by critics or audiences. Both versions of M
M
M is the thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The letter M is derived from the Phoenician Mem, via the Greek Mu . Semitic Mem probably originally pictured water...
were produced by Seymour Nebenzal
Seymour Nebenzal
Seymour Nebenzal was a German film producer. He produced 46 films between 1927 and 1961.He got into film production through his father Heinrich Nebenzahl who in the early 1920s worked with German action star Harry Piel. In 1926 Heinrich Nebenzahl and director-producer Richard Oswald founded the...
, whose son Harold Nebenzal was associate producer the 1951 version.
Plot
In this Americanized remake of the 1931 German film of the same name, both the police and the criminal underworld stalk a mysterious killer who preys on small children.Cast
- David WayneDavid WayneDavid Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
as Martin W. Harrow - Howard Da SilvaHoward Da SilvaHoward Da Silva was an American actor.-Early life:He was born Howard Silverblatt in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Benjamin and Bertha Silverblatt. His parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews born in Russia. He had a job as a steelworker before beginning his acting career on the stage...
as Inspector Carney - Martin GabelMartin GabelMartin Gabel was an American actor, film director and film producer.-Life and career:Gabel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Ruth and Israel Gabel, who was a jeweler...
as Charlie Marshall - Luther AdlerLuther AdlerLuther Adler was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway.-Life and career:...
as Dan Langley - Steve BrodieSteve Brodie (actor)Steve Brodie was an American movie and television actor.Born John Stevenson in El Dorado, Kansas, he took his screen name from the Steve Brodie who claimed that he jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886 and survived...
as Lt. Becker - Raymond BurrRaymond BurrRaymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...
as Pottsy - Glenn Anders as Riggert
- Norman LloydNorman LloydNorman Lloyd is an American actor, producer, and director with a career in entertainment spanning more than seven decades. Lloyd, who currently resides in Los Angeles, has appeared in over sixty films and television shows....
as Sutro - Walter BurkeWalter BurkeWalter Burke was a prolific Irish-American character actor, of stage, film, and television. His small stature, and distinctive voice and face, made him easily recognizable in even the most minor of roles.- Early life :...
as MacMahan - Jim BackusJim BackusJames Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
as The Mayor
Locations
The film was shot on location in downtown Los Angeles, including the now demolished slum neighborhood of Bunker HillBunker Hill, Los Angeles, California
Bunker Hill, in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, is a short, developed hill with its peak located roughly around 3rd Street. It is located directly east of the Harbor Freeway...
. David Wayne
David Wayne
David Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
's murderous character lived at an eccentric Victorian mansion on Bunker Hill Avenue known as the Max Heindel
Max Heindel
Max Heindel - born Carl Louis von Grasshoff in Aarhus, Denmark on July 23, 1865 - was a Christian occultist, astrologer, and mystic. He died on January 6, 1919 at Oceanside, California, United States.- Early infancy :...
house, because Heindel, a famous astrologer in the early twentieth century, had once lived there. Some scenes were shot on and around the funicular Angels Flight
Angels Flight
Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Sinai and Olivet ....
on Third Street. But the most spectacular location footage takes place within a lengthy sequence shot inside the famous Bradbury Building
Bradbury Building
The Bradbury Building is an architectural landmark in Los Angeles, California. The building was built in 1893 and is located at 304 South Broadway in downtown.-History:...
on the southeast corner of Broadway and Third (just a block east of Angels Flight). Director Losey used the basement, the distinctive stairways and balconies, and the roof of the building. The Bradbury, which has been used in many films because of its unique wrought-iron and brick beauty, remains a popular but restricted tourist attraction today.