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Anthony Mann
Anthony Mann
Anthony Mann
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Anthony Mann (born Emil Anton Bundsmann; June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American film director and stage actor.[1] He came to prominence as a skilled director of film noir and Westerns, and for his historical epics.[1]

Key Information

Mann started as a theatre actor appearing in numerous stage productions. In 1937, he moved to Hollywood where he worked as a talent scout and casting director. He then became an assistant director, most notably working for Preston Sturges. His directorial debut was Dr. Broadway (1942). He directed several feature films for numerous production companies, including RKO Pictures, Eagle-Lion Films, Universal Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). His first major success was T-Men (1947), garnering notable recognition for producing several films in the film noir genre through modest budgets and short shooting schedules. As a director, he often collaborated with cinematographer John Alton.

During the 1950s, Mann shifted to directing Western films starring several major stars of the era, including James Stewart. He directed Stewart in eight films, including Winchester '73 (1950), The Naked Spur (1953), and The Man from Laramie (1955). While successful in the United States, these films became appreciated and studied among French film critics, several of whom would become influential with the French New Wave. In 1955, Jacques Rivette hailed Mann as "one of the four great directors of postwar Hollywood". The other three were Nicholas Ray, Richard Brooks, and Robert Aldrich.[2]

By the 1960s, Mann turned to large-scale filmmaking, directing the medieval epic El Cid (1961), starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). Both films were produced by Samuel Bronston. Mann then directed the war film The Heroes of Telemark (1965)[3] and the spy thriller A Dandy in Aspic (1968). In 1967, Mann died from a heart attack in Berlin before he had finished the latter film; its star Laurence Harvey completed the film, albeit uncredited.

Early life

[edit]

Mann was born Emil Anton Bundsmann in San Diego, California. His father, Emile Theodore Bundsmann, an academic, was born in the village of Rosice, Chrudim, Bohemia to a Sudeten-German Catholic family.[4] His mother, Bertha (née Waxelbaum/Weichselbaum),[5] a drama teacher from Macon, Georgia,[6] was an American of Bavarian Jewish descent.[7] At the time of his birth, Mann's parents were members of the Theosophical Society community of Lomaland in San Diego County.[6]

When Mann was three, his parents moved to Austria to seek treatment for his father's ill health, leaving Mann behind in Lomaland. Mann's mother did not return for him until he was fourteen, and only then at the urging of a cousin who had paid him a visit and was worried about his treatment and situation at Lomaland.[8] In 1917, Mann's family relocated to New York where he developed a penchant for acting. This was reinforced with Mann's participation in the Young Men's Hebrew Association.[6] He continued to act in school productions, studying at East Orange Grammar and Newark's Central High School. At the latter school, he portrayed the title role in Alcestis; one of his friends and classmates was future Hollywood studio executive Dore Schary.[9] After his father's death in 1923, Mann dropped out during his senior year to help with the family's finances.[6][7][a]

Career

[edit]

1925–1937: Theater career

[edit]

Back in New York, Mann took a job as a night watchman for Westinghouse Electric, which enabled him to look for stage work during the day. Within a few months, Mann was working full-time at the Triangle Theater in Greenwich Village.[6] Using the name "Anton Bundsmann", he appeared as an actor in The Dybbuk (1925) with an English translation by Henry Alsberg, The Little Clay Cart (1926), and The Squall (1926) by Jean Bart.[11][12] Towards the end of the decade, Mann appeared in the Broadway productions of The Blue Peter[13] and Uncle Vanya (1929).[12]

In 1930, Mann joined the Theatre Guild, as a production manager and eventually as a director. Nevertheless, he continued to act, appearing in The Streets of New York, or Poverty is No Crime (1931),[14] and The Bride the Sun Shines On (1933) portraying the "Duke of Calcavalle".[12] In 1933, Mann directed a stage adaptation of Christopher Morley's Thunder on the Left, which was performed at the Maxine Elliott's Theatre.[15] In a theatre review for The New York Times, Brooks Atkinson dismissed the play, writing "its medley of realism and fantasy grows less intelligible scene by scene, and some of the acting is disenchantingly profane."[16] He later directed Cherokee Night (1936), So Proudly We Hail (1936),[17] and The Big Blow (1938).[11][18] He worked for various stock companies, and in 1934, he established his own, which later became Long Island's Red Barn Playhouse.[19]

1937–1941: Move to Hollywood and television career

[edit]

In 1937, Mann began working for Selznick International Pictures as a talent scout and casting director. He also directed screen tests for a number of films, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), Intermezzo (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939), and Rebecca (1940). One of the unknown actresses he tested was Jennifer Jones.[20][21] After a few months at Selznick, Mann moved to Paramount Pictures to serve as an assistant director for several film directors, most particularly for Preston Sturges on Sullivan's Travels (1941).[22] Mann recalled, "[Preston] let me go through the entire production, watching him direct – and I directed a little. I'd stage a scene and he'd tell me how lousy it was. Then I watched the editing and I was able gradually to build up knowledge. Preston insisted I make a film as soon as possible."[23] He served three years in the position.[24]

Meanwhile, Mann did notable, but mostly lost, work as a director for NBC's experimental television station W2XBS from 1939 to 1940. This included condensations of the hit Western play The Missouri Legend and the melodrama The Streets of New York. A five-minute silent clip of the latter show survives in the Museum of Television and Radio, including noted actors Norman Lloyd and George Coulouris.[25]

1942–1946: Move to directing

[edit]

Through the efforts of his friend MacDonald Carey, Mann made his directorial debut with Dr. Broadway (1942) at Paramount, which starred Carey.[24] Decades later, Mann remembered he was told to complete shooting the film in eighteen days.[23] Upon its release, Herman Schoenfeld of Variety was dismissive of the film writing, "The dialog could have just as well have been written in baby talk, and Anton Mann's direction just wasn't. The photography is spotty and the production looks inexpensive. Acting is weak, only Edward Ciannelli as the killer who gets killed, turning in an adequate job."[26] Harrison's Reports was more complimentary, stating the film was a "fairly good program entertainment" with "colorful characters, human interest, fast action, and situations that hold one in suspense."[27]

His follow-up film was Moonlight in Havana (1943) at Universal Pictures. The film featured Allan Jones and Jane Frazee.[28] In August 1944, it was reported Mann might return to Broadway to direct Mirror for Children.[29] After nine months without directing a feature film, Mann went to Republic Pictures where he directed Nobody's Darling (1944) and My Best Gal (1944).[30]

He next directed Strangers in the Night (1944). The film tells of Hilda Blake (Helene Thimig) who creates an imaginary "daughter" for Sgt. Johnny Meadows (William Terry) who is injured in the South Pacific. After being discharged and returning to the U.S., Meadows searches for the imaginary woman. He is informed of the truth by Dr. Leslie Ross (Virginia Grey), who is later murdered by Blake; in turn, Blake plans to murder Meadows.[31] The film was notable for its noirish mise-en-scène and psychological depth that appeared in Mann's latter films.[32] Mann then directed The Great Flamarion (1945), starring Erich von Stroheim and Mary Beth Hughes.[33] During principal photography, Mann clashed with von Stroheim, describing him at length as "difficult. He was a personality, not really an actor ... He drove me mad. He was a genius. I'm not a genius: I'm a worker."[34]

Mann moved to RKO to direct Two O'Clock Courage (1945), itself a remake of the 1936 film Two in the Dark,[35] with Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford in the leading roles.[36] That same year, he also directed Sing Your Way Home. Mann returned to Republic Pictures for Strange Impersonation (1946). He directed The Bamboo Blonde (1946) at RKO.

1947–1949: Film noir and career breakthrough

[edit]

By 1946, Mann had signed with Eagle-Lion Films, a fledgling studio founded by Arthur B. Krim and Robert Benjamin. There, he directed Railroaded! (1947). According to Mann, the film was shot in ten days.[37] A film review in Variety noted the film was "an old-type, blood-and-thunder gangster meller that's better than its no-name cast would indicate," and particular praised Mann for directing "with real acumen in developing maximum of suspense."[38]

That same year, T-Men (1947) was released. According to Elmer Lincoln Irey, the film originated from a rejected offer to dramatize the U.S. Treasury's investigation of Al Capone on tax evasion charges. Instead, Irey brought forward three cases related to the investigation.[39] Initially budgeted at $400,000, T-Men was shot within three weeks from July 31 to August 23, with four days of reshoots in September.[40] For the film, Mann specifically requested cinematographer John Alton, who was loaned out from Republic for the job,[41][42] marking T-Men as their first collaboration.[37] During its release, the film earned $2.5 million worldwide.[43]

He went back to RKO for Desperate (1947), which he also co-wrote with Dorothy Atlas.[33] A review in Variety positively wrote it was "a ripsnorting gangster meller, with enough gunplay, bumping off of characters and grim brutality to smack of pre-code days"; Mann's direction was noted as "being done skillfully".[44]

Mann returned to Eagle-Lion to direct Raw Deal (1948), reteaming with screenwriter John C. Higgins, screenwriter Leopold Atlas and actor Dennis O'Keefe. The film centers on Joe (O'Keefe), who has been wrongly imprisoned and fingered by his old friends. He escapes from prison and goes on the run with two women, a nice social worker, Ann (Marsha Hunt), whom he takes as a hostage, and a femme fatale, Pat (Claire Trevor), who helped release him. Both women are doomed to be in love with him.[45] The film review magazine Harrison's Reports wrote: "Fast-paced and packed with action, this gangster-type melodrama should go over pretty well with adult audiences, in spite of the fact that the plot is not always logical"; it also noted "Anthony Mann's taut direction has squeezed every bit of excitement and suspense out of the material at hand."[46] Variety noted: "Though a medium budgeter, [Raw Deal] is dressed tidily with a good production and some marquee weight furnished by" the cast.[47] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, writing it is "a movie—and a pretty low-grade one, at that—in which sensations of fright and excitement are more diligently pursued than common sense."[48]

Mann's success with Desperate and T-Men made him Eagle-Lion's most valuable director.[49] In February 1948, Mann was hired to direct a dramatization of the storming of the Bastille, with Richard Basehart to portray an aide to General Lafayette.[50] With Walter Wanger preoccupied with Joan of Arc (1948), he handed off supervisory duties to production designer William Cameron Menzies.[49] Principal photography lasted 29 days, from August to September 1948,[49] and cost $850,000.[51] Reteaming with Alton, he and Mann developed a low-cost noir style, using low lighting levels and omnipresent shadows on minimal decor, high-angled camera shots, and rear projection for wide crowd shots.[49] The resulting film was titled Reign of Terror (1949). After filming had begun, Mann was brought in to direct several scenes for He Walked by Night (1948), which also starred Basehart. Mann again collaborated with Higgins and Alton on the film. However, Alfred L. Werker was given the official director's credit.[52]

While researching on T-Men (1947), Higgins and Mann had come across the topic of Border Patrol agents along the Mexico–United States border.[53] Border Incident (1949) was initially developed at Eagle-Lion, but in December 1948, MGM's Dore Schary purchased the script for $50,000 and hired Mann to direct the film. Schary had also signed Mann onto a multi-picture contract with MGM.[54][55]

Beforehand, in July 1947, Mann and Francis Rosenwald had written a script for Follow Me Quietly (1949). It was first purchased by Jack Wrather Productions for Allied Artists, with Don Castle in the lead role.[56] According to Eddie Muller, of Turner Classic Movies, Mann was slated to direct the film, but was enticed by Edward Small to instead direct T-Men and Raw Deal.[57] Months later, in December, RKO had purchased the script from Wrather and assigned Martin Rackin write a new script.[58] Due to Mann's absence, Richard Fleischer was hired to direct Follow Me Quietly, and there has been speculation suggesting Mann did uncredited filming.[59] However, Muller has disagreed.[57]

Mann and Rosenwald wrote another script titled Stakeout, which told of a police detective attempting to expose a corrupt political machine. In October 1949, independent film producer Louis Mandel purchased the script, with Larry Parks cast in the lead role. Joseph H. Lewis was set to direct the film until he left due to a contractual dispute. By March 1950, Parks's wife Betty Garrett was cast in the femme fatale role, but the project never went into production.[60]

1950–1958: Western films and collaborations with James Stewart

[edit]

The 1950s marked a notable turn in Mann's career, in which he directed a total of ten Western films throughout the decade (three of which were released in 1950).[61] After Border Incident (1949), Mann was approached by Nicholas Nayfack, who asked him: "How would you like to direct a Western? I've a scenario here that seems interesting." He was handed the script for Devil's Doorway (1950), deeming it "the best script I had ever read."[62] The film starred Robert Taylor, portraying a Shoshone native who faces prejudice after returning home in Medicine Bow, Wyoming following his decorated service in the American Civil War. Principal photography began on August 15, 1949, and lasted until mid-October. MGM initially withheld the film because of its topical subject, but released the film after Delmer Daves' Broken Arrow (1950), which starred James Stewart, had become successful.[63] When it was released, the film was neither a critical or commercial success.[64]

He followed this with a Western at Universal, starring James Stewart, Winchester '73 (1950). The film was originally set to be directed by Fritz Lang, but he felt Stewart was unsuitable for the lead role and dropped out. When Stewart had seen a rough cut of Devil's Doorway (1950), he suggested Mann as a replacement. Mann readily accepted, but threw out the script calling Borden Chase for a rewrite.[65] Principal photography began on February 14, 1950, in Tucson, Arizona for a thirty-day shooting schedule.[66] The film was a commercial success, earning $2.25 million in distributor rentals becoming Universal Pictures' second-most successful film of 1950.[67][68]

At the invitation of Hal Wallis, Mann directed the Western The Furies (1950) at Paramount starring Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston.[67] Also released in summer 1950, the film grossed $1.55 million in distributor rentals in the United States and Canada.[68] Mann reflected, "It had marvellous characters, interesting notices, but it failed because nobody in it cared about anything—they were all rudderless, rootless, and haters."[69] In the fall of 1950, Mann was sent to Cinecittà to do second-unit work on Quo Vadis (1951).[70] There, Mann worked 24 nights, filming the burning of Rome sequence with assistant cinematographer William V. Skall.[71]

Side Street (1950) was the final film noir that Mann directed. The film starred Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, reteaming after They Live by Night (1948). He next directed a period thriller with Dick Powell, The Tall Target (1952).[65]

After the success of Winchester '73 (1950), Universal Pictures wanted another collaboration between Mann and Stewart. After a recommendation from one friend, Stewart proposed adapting the novel Bend of the River by Bill Gulick to Universal. The studio agreed and purchased the film rights.[72] The actor and director made a contemporary adventure film, Thunder Bay (1953) at Universal. Feeling dissatisfied with the final film, Mann stated, "We tried but it was all too fabricated and the story was weak. We were never able to lick it ...It didn't get terribly good notices but of course it made a profit."[73]

Anthony Mann and Janet Leigh

In 1952, MGM approached Mann to direct The Naked Spur (1953). The story told of bounty hunter Howard Kemp who wants to collect a $5,000 reward on an outlaw's head so he can buy back land lost to him during the American Civil War. With unwanted help from a gold prospector and an Army deserter, Kemp captures the outlaw and the girlfriend who accompanies him.[74] With the film's release in 1953, Mann fulfilled his contract with MGM.[75][76]

Mann and Stewart had their biggest success with The Glenn Miller Story (1954). During its release, the film earned $7 million in distributor rentals in the United States and Canada.[77] That same year, he filmed The Far Country with James Stewart and Walter Brennan. The film would be Mann's last collaboration with Borden Chase.[75]

Mann and Stewart paired for one more non-Western film, Strategic Air Command (1955). Stewart had served with the U.S. Air Force and pushed for a cinematic portrayal. With the cooperation of the Air Force, Mann agreed to direct the film, wanting to film the Convair B-36 and Boeing B-47 in action as the human characters, in his words, "were papier-mâché".[78] During its release, the film earned $6.5 million at the box office.[79]

Mann's last collaboration with Stewart was The Man from Laramie (1955) at Columbia Pictures. The film was an adaptation from a serial by Thomas T. Flynn, first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1954. The film was shot on location in Coronado, New Mexico, and in Sante Fe.[80] The film was the favorite of Stewart's of the films they made together.[72] After the film's release, Harry Cohn asked Mann to direct another Western film for Columbia. Mann agreed and decided to direct The Last Frontier (1955).[81] Mann offered Stewart the lead role to which he declined and instead cast Victor Mature.[80]

In 1956, Mann was handed the script for Night Passage (1957) by Aaron Rosenberg, intending to reunite him with Stewart for a potential ninth collaboration.[82][83] Before filming was set to begin on September 4, Mann withdrew from the project. Contemporary accounts reported that Mann withdrew because he had not yet finished editing Men in War (1957).[84] However, latter accounts state Mann had developed creative differences with Chase over the script, which Mann considered to be weak. In 1967, Mann had also accused Stewart of only doing the film so he could play his accordion.[82] Mann asked to be replaced, and James Neilson was hired to direct the film.[85] Stewart and Mann never collaborated on another project again.[86]

Mann directed a musical starring Mario Lanza titled Serenade (1956).[87] During filming, he worked with actress Sara Montiel, who became his second wife.[88] In August 1957, Mann announced he had acquired the film rights to Lion Feuchtwanger's novel This is the Hour, which told a fictionalized account of painter Francisco Goya. Montiel was set to portray Maria Teresa de Cayetana, Duchess of Alba.[89] By February 1958, Mann had abandoned the project as a rival film titled The Naked Maja (1958) was in production. He then purchased the film rights to John McPartland's then-recently published novel Ripe Fruit, with Montiel set to star.[90] However, the project failed to materialize.

Mann directed a Western starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins titled The Tin Star (1957).[91] Mann then teamed with Philip Yordan on two films starring Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray; the first being Men in War (1957) was about the Korean War. The film was the first of three Mann had directed for United Artists.[92] His second project was a 1958 film adaptation of Erskine Caldwell's then-controversial novel God's Little Acre. Mann and producer Sidney Harmon had intended to film in Augusta, Georgia, but the novel's controversial subject matter heightened resistance from city leaders and local farmers. As a result, the production was denied permission to film in the state.[93][94] In October 1957, they eventually selected Stockton, California.[95] On both films, Yordan was given the official screenwriter credit, but Ben Maddow stated he had written both screenplays.[96]

Mann later directed Gary Cooper in a Western, Man of the West (1958) for United Artists. Filming began on February 10, 1958,[97] and ended later that same year. When it was released, Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote the film was "good, lean, tough little Western" that was "[w]ell-acted and beautifully photographed in color and Cinema-Scope".[98] Elsewhere, Jean-Luc Godard, then a critic for Cahiers du Cinéma, gave the film a raving review when it was released in France.[99]

1959–1964: Widescreen films

[edit]

Mann was hired by Universal Pictures to direct Spartacus (1960), much to the disagreement of Kirk Douglas who felt Mann "seemed scared of the scope of the picture".[100] Filming started on January 27, 1959, in Death Valley, California for the mine sequence. As filming continued, Douglas felt Mann had lost control of the film, writing in particular: "He let Peter Ustinov direct his own scenes by taking every suggestion Peter made. The suggestions were good—for Peter, but not necessarily for the film."[101] With the studio's approval, Douglas was permitted to fire Mann. According to Douglas's account, Mann graciously exited the production on February 13, to which Douglas promised he "owe[d]" a film to him.[102] In 1967, Mann stated: "Kirk Douglas was the producer of Spartacus: he wanted to insist on the message angle. I thought the message would go over more easily by showing physically all the horrors of slavery. A film must be visual, too much dialogue kills it ... From then, we disagreed: I left."[103] On February 17, 1959, Stanley Kubrick was hired to direct.[104]

Shortly after, Mann went to MGM to direct Glenn Ford in a remake of Cimarron (1960). During production, Mann had filmed on location for twelve days, but the shoot had experienced troublesome storms. In response, studio executives at MGM decided to relocate the production indoors. Mann disagreed, remarking the production had become "an economic disaster and a fiasco and the whole project was destroyed."[105] Mann left the production, and was replaced by Charles Walters.[106]

In July 1960, Mann was hired to direct El Cid (1961) for Samuel Bronston.[107] The film starred Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren. In November 1960, before filming was to begin, Loren was displeased with her dialogue in the script, and requested for blacklisted screenwriter Ben Barzman to rewrite it. On an airplane trip to Rome, Mann retrieved Barzman and handed him the latest shooting script, to which Barzman agreed to rewrite from scratch.[108] Filming began on November 14, 1960, and lasted until April 1961. Released in December 1961, El Cid was released to critical acclaim, with praise towards Mann's direction, the cast and the cinematography.[109] At the box office, the film earned $12 million in distributor rentals from the United States and Canada.[110]

Mann next directed The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). The project's genesis began when Mann, who had recently finished filming El Cid (1961), had spotted an Oxford concise edition of Edward Gibbon's six-volume series The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire near the front window at the Hatchards bookshop. Mann then read the book, and after a flight trip to Madrid, he pitched a film adaptation of the book to Bronston, to which the producer agreed.[111] The film was intended to reunite Heston and Loren, but Heston departed the project to star in 55 Days at Peking (1963), another Bronston production. His role was subsequently assumed by Stephen Boyd.[112] Filming began on January 14, 1963, and wrapped in July 1963. Released in March 1964, the film earned $1.9 million in box office rentals in the United States and Canada,[113] against an estimated production budget of $16 million.[114] That same year, in July, Mann served as the head of the jury at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival.[115]

1965–1967: Later films

[edit]

In March 1963, Mann and producer S. Benjamin Fisz had reportedly begun development on The Unknown Battle, a historic re-telling of Norwegian resistance soldier Knut Haukelid's sabotage mission to prevent Nazi Germany from developing an atomic bomb during World War II. Barzman had been hired to write the script, with Allied Artists as a distributor.[116] By February 1964, Boyd and Elke Sommer had been hired to portray the leading roles.[117] However, in July, Kirk Douglas was hired to portray the lead role.[118] In his memoir, Douglas accepted the role after receiving an unexpected phone call from Mann, fulfilling his earlier promise that he "owed" him a film.[119] The film was then re-titled The Heroes of Telemark (1965).

In October 1966, Mann was announced to direct and produce the spy thriller A Dandy in Aspic (1968) for Columbia Pictures.[120] By December, filming was set to begin in February 1967 where it would film on location in Austria, Germany, and London.[121] At the time of his death, Mann was developing three projects: a Western film titled The King, which was loosely adapted from King Lear, with sons replacing the daughters;[103][122] The Donner Pass, a film about pioneers trekking to the Donner Pass; and The Canyon, a film about a young Native American becoming a Brave.[103]

Personal life and death

[edit]

In 1936, Mann married Mildred Kenyon, who worked as a clerk at a Macy's department store in New York City.[123] The marriage produced two children, Anthony and Nina. The couple divorced in 1956.[124] A year later, Mann married actress Sara Montiel, who had starred in Serenade (1956).[24] In 1963, the marriage was annulled in Madrid.[125] His third marriage was to Anna Kuzko, a ballerina formerly with Sadler's Wells, who had one son named Nicholas.[19][126]

On April 29, 1967, Mann died from a heart attack in his hotel room in Berlin. He had spent the two weeks prior to his death filming A Dandy in Aspic. The film was completed by the film's star Laurence Harvey.[10][19] For his contribution to the motion picture industry, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6229 Hollywood Boulevard.[127]

Filmmaking style

[edit]

Portrayal of antiheroes

[edit]

The Mann western hero has learned wariness the hard way, because he usually has something to hide. He is a man with a past: some psychic shadow or criminal activity that has left him gnarled and calcified. Not so long ago he was a raider, a rustler, maybe a killer. If a movie were made of some previous chapter in his life, he'd be the villain, and he might be gunned down before he had the chance at redemption that Mann's films offer.

Mann's filmography has been observed for his depiction of antiheroes.[b] In 2006, Richard Corliss observed that Mann's antiheroes typically have a troubled past, leaving them jaded or cynical at the start of the film, and are presented with a path to redemption.[45] Jean-Pierre Coursodon and Pierre Sauvage noted the troubled past in Mann's several films have included "the death of a loved one (a father in Winchester '73 and The Furies, a brother in The Man from Laramie, a wife in The Tin Star), and the hero is out to punish the responsible party or, as in the case of The Tin Star, resents society as a whole for what happened."[131]

By the 1950s, Mann had shifted to directing Western films, with Winchester '73 (1950) as his first collaboration with James Stewart. Aaron Rosenberg, who had produced the film, observed: "He [Mann] also brought out something in James Stewart that hadn't been really been seen before. It was an almost manic rage that would suddenly explode ... And then Stewart's character would just go into a violent rage which was a fresh approach, not just for Stewart but also for the Western. Here was a hero with flaws."[132] In The Naked Spur (1953), Howard Kemp (Stewart) is a bounty hunter intent on bringing a fugitive back to Kansas. When faced with the choice to kill the fugitive, Kemp reins in his murderous impulse. Corliss observed: "It happens over and over in these movies: the hero's recognition that his old self is his own worst enemy."[45]

Mann and Stewart had a falling out during pre-production of Night Passage (1957), in which Gary Cooper assumed the lead role in Man of the West (1958).[133] Mann biographer Jeanine Basinger writes Cooper's character is a "man with a guilty secret. He was once an evil outlaw, a member of the notorious Dock Tobin gang. He was responsible for robberies, raids, and the murders of innocent victims."[134] In the film, Link Jones (Cooper) is confronted by his outlaw uncle Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb), a figure of his past. In the narrative, Link realizes he must kill all the gang members not only to save himself but also to restore the world which he has made for himself.[135]

Use of landscapes

[edit]

Mann's portrayal of the American landscape in his Westerns have been observed by film academics.[c] In a 1965 interview, Mann expressed his preference for location filming, stating: "Well, the use of the location is to enhance the characters who are involved in it, because somebody who is really minor in feelings and minor as an actor can become tremendous once he's set against a tremendously pictorial background. The great value of using locations is that it enhances everything: it enhances the story; it enhances the very action and the acting. I'll never show a piece of scenery, a gorge, a chasm, without an actor in it."[138]

Coursodon and Sauvage noted Mann incorporates landscapes as part of the narrative, writing "His camera is never too close to isolate, never too far to dwarf. He is not interested in beauty per se, neither does he care much for symbolism. He had an unfailing flair for selecting exteriors that were not only adapted to the requirements of the script but came across as the embodiment of the psychological and moral tensions in it."[136] During filming for Cimarron (1960), Mann's preference for location shooting ran into conflict with MGM producer Sol Lesser, who relocated the production indoors, which forced Mann's departure from the film.[103]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Genre Studio
1942 Dr. Broadway Mystery comedy Paramount Pictures
Moonlight in Havana Romantic comedy Universal Pictures
1943 Nobody's Darling Musical Republic Pictures
1944 My Best Gal Comedy
1945 Strangers in the Night Film noir
The Great Flamarion
Sing Your Way Home Musical film RKO Radio Pictures
Two O'Clock Courage Film noir
1946 Strange Impersonation Republic Pictures
The Bamboo Blonde Romantic comedy RKO Radio Pictures
1947 T-Men Film noir Eagle-Lion Films
Railroaded!
Desperate RKO Radio Pictures
1948 Raw Deal Eagle-Lion Films
1949 Reign of Terror Historical thriller
Border Incident Film noir Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Side Street
1950 The Furies Western Paramount Pictures
Winchester '73 Universal Pictures
Devil's Doorway Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1951 The Tall Target Historical thriller
1952 Bend of the River Western Universal-International
1953 The Naked Spur Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Thunder Bay Adventure Universal-International
1954 The Glenn Miller Story Biographical drama
The Far Country Western Universal Pictures
1955 Strategic Air Command War drama Paramount Pictures
The Man from Laramie Western Columbia Pictures
The Last Frontier
1956 Serenade Musical Warner Bros.
1957 The Tin Star Western Paramount Pictures
Men in War War Security Pictures/United Artists
1958 God's Little Acre Drama
Man of the West Western United Artists
1960 Cimarron Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1961 El Cid Historical epic Samuel Bronston Productions/Allied Artists
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Samuel Bronston Productions/Paramount Pictures
1965 The Heroes of Telemark War The Rank Organisation
1968 A Dandy in Aspic Spy thriller Columbia Pictures

Notes

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Sources

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  1. ^ a b Sadoul & Morris 1972, p. 167.
  2. ^ Coursodon & Sauvage 1983, p. 238.
  3. ^ Vagg, Stephen (August 11, 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1965 to 1967". Filmink. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  4. ^ farní úřad: Chrast, sign. 3745. Zámrsk Regional Archive. 1869. p. 53.
  5. ^ Alvarez 2013, p. 12.
  6. ^ a b c d e Darby 2009, p. 5.
  7. ^ a b Alvarez 2013, p. 15.
  8. ^ Alvarez 2013, p. 13.
  9. ^ Wakeman 1987, p. 723.
  10. ^ a b "Anthony Mann, 60, A Movie Director; Filmmaker Who Favored Westerns Dies in Berlin". The New York Times. April 30, 1967. Retrieved December 19, 2017. Anthony Mann, the American film director, died here of a heart attack this morning. His age was 60.
  11. ^ a b Bassinger 2007, p. 2.
  12. ^ a b c Darby 2009, p. 6.
  13. ^ "The Blue Peter Broadway Original Cast". Broadway World. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
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Anthony Mann

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Anthony Mann (June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American and best known for his influential work in and Western genres during Hollywood's . Born Emil Anton Bundsmann in , , to an Austrian immigrant father and an American mother, Mann began his career as an off-Broadway in before transitioning to Hollywood in the late 1930s. Mann's directorial debut came in 1942 with the low-budget musical Dr. Broadway, but he quickly gained recognition in the late 1940s for taut, gritty film noirs such as T-Men (1947), Raw Deal (1948), and Border Incident (1949), which showcased his signature visual style emphasizing stark shadows, moral ambiguity, and procedural realism. In the 1950s, he revitalized the Western genre through a series of psychologically complex collaborations with actor James Stewart, including Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Far Country (1954), The Naked Spur (1953), and The Man from Laramie (1955), films that integrated film noir elements like intense personal conflicts and harsh landscapes to explore themes of violence and redemption. These works, such as those scripted by Borden Chase including Winchester '73 and Bend of the River, elevated the Western beyond traditional heroism and earned Mann a reputation for innovative storytelling and effective use of natural terrain. In the , Mann shifted to epic historical spectacles, directing (1961) with and , and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), both noted for their grand scale and meticulous production despite mixed commercial success. He also helmed the World War II drama (1965) and worked on other projects until his death from a heart attack in , , at age 60, while filming A Dandy in Aspic. Mann received a star on the in 1960 for his motion picture contributions, cementing his legacy as a versatile filmmaker who bridged noir suspense and epic adventure.

Biography

Early life

Anthony Mann was born Emil Anton Bundsmann on June 30, 1906, in the Theosophical commune in , , to his father, an immigrant from , and his American mother. His father, Emile Theodore Bundsmann, was a and academic originally from who held a Ph.D. from the , while his mother, Bertha Waxelbaum, came from a wealthy Jewish family involved in the . The Bundsmann family, including the only child Emil, converted to and became deeply involved in the community, a utopian enclave founded in 1897 that emphasized arts, culture, and spiritual enlightenment under leader Katherine Tingley. Around age 3, following his father's illness, Mann was left at while his parents separated geographically; his mother moved to , and he joined her there around 1920 at age 14. Raised in this environment until his early teens, Mann received an education at Lomaland's Raja Academy, where he was immersed in the from a young age. The commune's dramatic society staged elaborate productions of tragedies, Shakespearean plays, and original pageants, providing Mann with his initial exposure to theater through family connections and school activities. His mother died in 1941. Around age 18, Mann anglicized his identity by adopting the stage name Anton Mann as he pursued opportunities in the , eventually moving to the New York area in the mid-1920s to seek work on . He later changed his professional name to Anthony Mann in 1942 upon transitioning to film directing.

Personal life

Mann was married three times during his adult life. His first marriage, to Mildred Kenyon in 1931, produced two children—a son, Anthony, and a , Nina—and ended in divorce in 1956. In 1957, he wed Spanish actress , a union that was annulled in 1963. Mann's third marriage was to Anna Mann in 1964; the couple had one son, Nicholas Anthony Mann. In his early Hollywood years after transitioning from theater in 1937, Mann endured financial hardships while working as a casting director and extra, often scraping by on low-paying gigs amid the competitive . Success with mid-1950s Westerns, including collaborations that elevated his status, eventually led to greater affluence, allowing for a more comfortable lifestyle. He developed a personal interest in , using it to explore visual composition outside his professional directing, and enjoyed travel, which influenced his appreciation for diverse landscapes reflected in his later epic films. Mann's political engagement was limited, with brief involvement in anti-fascist efforts during the period through Hollywood circles, though he avoided major public activism thereafter.

Death

In 1967, Anthony Mann was diagnosed with heart issues while working on the spy thriller in . He collapsed on the set in and died on April 29, 1967, at the age of 60, from chronic leading to a heart attack. Mann's body was returned to for a private funeral service, after which he was cremated at ; his ashes were scattered there in Section 3-S. The production of was left unfinished at the time of his death and subsequently completed by actor , who also starred in the film. Peers in the industry, including frequent collaborator , expressed shock and paid public tributes to Mann's innovative contributions to and Western genres in the days following his passing.

Career

Theater career (1925–1937)

Following high school graduation, Anthony Mann relocated to in 1925 to embark on a professional theater career, initially taking on small acting roles in stock companies and as an on Broadway. Over the next several years, Mann continued building experience through ensemble and supporting parts, honing his foundational skills in performance amid the competitive New York theater scene. By the early , Mann expanded beyond acting into production roles, serving as an assistant production manager, stage manager, and set designer, while observing esteemed directors like , Chester Erskine, and from the wings. This period of apprenticeship included work with the Red Barn Playhouse on , where he began directing productions and first encountered future collaborator . In 1933, he joined the Theatre Guild as production manager, marking a pivotal step in his professional growth. Mann's directorial debut came that same year with Christopher Morley's Thunder on the Left at Maxine Elliott's , a production that achieved moderate success and ran for about a month. He followed this in 1936 with , another Theatre Guild staging that enjoyed reasonable public reception over a limited run. Through these assistant and directing positions, Mann developed core techniques in , set design, and narrative pacing, gaining exposure to emerging influences like psychological realism in performance that would later inform his filmmaking approach.

Hollywood transition and early directing (1937–1946)

In 1937, following his theater work in New York, Anthony Mann relocated to Hollywood, where he was hired by producer as a talent scout and casting director at . In this role, Mann directed screen tests for major productions, including Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940), which helped him build connections within the industry that would later influence his collaborations. These early positions allowed him to transition from to screen, gaining insight into while scouting talent for Selznick's prestigious projects. By the early 1940s, Mann advanced to at , contributing to films such as Preston Sturges's (1941). This experience honed his understanding of on-set dynamics and narrative pacing, preparing him for his directorial debut. During this period, he also engaged in experimental television directing for NBC's W2XBS station from 1939 to 1940, producing content that, though largely lost today, marked his initial foray into the medium. Additionally, amid , Mann contributed to brief military documentary efforts, further expanding his professional network with individuals who would become key collaborators in his later career. Mann's first credited feature as director was the B-movie Dr. Broadway (1942), a lighthearted Paramount programmer starring Macdonald Carey as a physician navigating New York nightlife, which showcased his ability to handle ensemble casts and urban settings on a modest budget. He followed this with other low-budget features, including My Best Gal (1944) at Universal, a comedy about a young woman (Jane Withers) staging a show to win back her fiancé, demonstrating his versatility in musical and romantic genres despite production constraints. These early efforts, often classified as programmers, allowed Mann to experiment with visual storytelling and character-driven plots, laying foundational skills for his subsequent work in more ambitious films.

Film noir breakthrough (1947–1949)

Anthony Mann's breakthrough in film noir came with T-Men (1947), a taut semi-documentary thriller produced by that showcased his emerging mastery of tension and realism. The film follows two U.S. Treasury agents, Dennis O'Brien and Anthony Genaro (played by and ), who go undercover to dismantle a counterfeiting ring operating between and , blending procedural authenticity with shadowy underworld intrigue. Themes of corruption and moral ambiguity permeate the narrative, as the agents increasingly adopt the brutal tactics of the criminals they infiltrate, blurring the line between and criminality. This style, inspired by earlier films like (1945), incorporated on-location shooting in , , and Washington, D.C., along with newsreel-like voiceover narration by to heighten verisimilitude. Mann's collaboration with cinematographer marked a pivotal evolution in his visual style; Alton's high-contrast black-and-white photography, featuring low-angle shots and dramatic lighting, created a mood of inescapable peril and psychological strain, as Alton himself noted, "I used light for mood." Critically, T-Men was praised for its realistic pacing and authenticity, with New York Times reviewer highlighting its "look of reality" that distinguished it from more stylized noirs. The film proved a major box-office success, grossing over $2 million against a $434,000 budget, making it Eagle-Lion's top earner and establishing Mann as a director capable of delivering profitable genre films. Building on this momentum, Mann directed Raw Deal (1948), another Eagle-Lion production that intensified his exploration of and within the noir genre. The story centers on Joe Sullivan (O'Keefe), who escapes prison with the aid of his loyal girlfriend Pat (Claire Trevor) and navigates a treacherous alliance with sadistic gangster Rick Coyle (), all while evading capture in a fog-shrouded urban landscape. and moral ambiguity drive the plot, as Joe's quest for exposes the inescapable and betrayal, underscored by Pat's rare female narration that adds a layer of introspective doom. Alton's again dominates, employing extreme , slow dolly shots, and motifs of nets and iron bars to symbolize psychological confinement, transforming the film into a visceral portrait of "urban hell." Mann's pacing—clipped and relentless in its 79-minute runtime—earned acclaim for its raw intensity, with film historian Wheeler Winston Dixon describing it as one of Mann's "most enduring visions." The picture capitalized on T-Men's success, achieving strong box-office returns that solidified Mann's reputation for low-budget thrillers with high emotional stakes. Mann's noir phase culminated with Border Incident (1949), his first film for MGM, which expanded the docudrama format to address cross-border exploitation while maintaining the genre's signature grit. Co-written by John C. Higgins, the narrative tracks two undercover agents—one American () and one Mexican ()—investigating a ruthless ring smuggling and enslaving bracero workers along the U.S.- border, culminating in stark depictions of and brutality. Themes of institutional and ethical compromise are central, as the agents witness and participate in moral atrocities to expose a system profiting from desperation. Retaining the semi-documentary approach with authoritative narration and location filming in California's , the film integrates Alton's chiaroscuro mastery to stunning effect, creating a bridge between urban noir shadows and expansive, unforgiving terrain—hailed as their greatest collaboration for its visual integration of light and landscape. Critics lauded its shocking realism and taut suspense, with the film's violent sequences and marking a step toward Mann's later thematic depths. As MGM's modestly budgeted entry, Border Incident performed solidly at the , demonstrating Mann's versatility with larger resources and paving the way for higher-profile assignments by proving his command of pacing and innovation.

Western collaborations (1950–1958)

Anthony Mann's Western period from 1950 to 1958 marked a significant evolution in his career, characterized by collaborations that infused the genre with psychological depth and moral ambiguity, drawing on his earlier sensibilities to explore character introspection in frontier settings. This era began with (1950), a stark examination of racial prejudice and land rights through the story of Lance Poole (Robert Taylor), a Civil War veteran who returns home to face betrayal and violence over his ranch in Wyoming's Sweet Meadows valley. The film allegorizes post-World War II assimilationist policies and civil rights struggles, portraying Poole's fight for re-integration as a tragic disintegration amid systemic bigotry. Mann's partnership with produced five landmark Westerns that redefined the genre's heroic archetype, shifting Stewart from the affable everyman of earlier roles to obsessive, flawed protagonists grappling with vengeance and redemption. Winchester '73 (1950) launched this collaboration, with Stewart as Lin McAdam, a consumed by against his brother's killer, using the titular as a symbol of destructive obsession that echoes acts of violence throughout the narrative. In Bend of the River (1952), Stewart's character, Glyn McLyntock, leads settlers westward but confronts betrayal and moral compromise, highlighting themes of loyalty tested by greed in the . The Far Country (1954) continued this vein, with Stewart as Tom Destry, a driver in facing corruption and lawlessness, where personal gain clashes with communal ideals amid the . These films introduced anti-Western elements, portraying the frontier not as a site of noble expansion but of personal and societal cynicism, where violence stems from inner turmoil rather than external heroism. The collaboration deepened with (1953) and (1955), emphasizing Stewart's anti-heroes as self-doubting figures whose quests for justice reveal crippling neuroses. In , Howard Kemp (Stewart) pursues a killer through Colorado's harsh landscapes, his mirroring the brutality he seeks to punish, ultimately finding partial redemption through human connections amid the ordeal. Similarly, features Will Lockhart (Stewart) seeking retribution for his brother's death, entangled in a web of corruption and family vendettas in , where moral complexity forces confrontations with villains who reflect the hero's own flaws. Stewart's performances in these films exhibit a "pent-up that seems to broaden... into something like pleasure," transforming the Western hero into a psychologically complex figure driven by obsession. Outside the Stewart series, The Last Frontier (1956), also known as Savage Wilderness, explored military duty and interpersonal conflict during the Civil War era, with as trapper Jed Cooper clashing with a ruthless (Robert Preston) at a remote outpost threatened by Native American forces. The film underscores themes of , , and the between and savagery, using the as a for internal battles without Stewart's star power, resulting in a more ensemble-driven narrative. Overall, Mann's Westerns innovated by subverting genre conventions, applying noir-like introspection to depict revenge arcs as paths to potential redemption while critiquing the myth of the unblemished .

Widescreen epics (1959–1964)

In the late 1950s, Anthony Mann transitioned to grand-scale historical epics, leveraging emerging widescreen technologies to depict sweeping narratives of heroism and empire. His first major venture in this vein was El Cid (1961), a lavish production centered on the 11th-century Spanish warrior Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, who navigates political betrayals and Moorish invasions to unify Christian Spain. The film features intense epic battles, such as the climactic siege of Valencia, alongside intricate court intrigues involving royal ambitions and forbidden romance. Shot primarily on location in Peñíscola, Spain, El Cid starred Charlton Heston as the titular hero and Sophia Loren as his devoted wife Chimène, marking a key collaboration that infused the project with star power and dramatic tension. Technically ambitious, employed , a 70mm process that delivered a 2.2:1 for immersive vistas, captured by Robert using modified three-strip cameras to enhance the scale of battle sequences and rugged landscapes. With a of $7 million, the production mobilized 1,700 soldiers for crowd scenes and thousands of custom costumes, though it encountered logistical hurdles from on-site filming and script revisions contributed by and Mann himself. Critics lauded the film's spectacle and energy in its action set pieces but found the political intrigue somewhat muddled and the character depth lacking, prioritizing visual grandeur over nuanced moral exploration. Mann's follow-up, The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), escalated the scope to examine the decline of the ancient world through the lens of ' successor , blending colossal battles—like the fiery campaign—with themes of imperial corruption and philosophical governance. Again starring as the loyal general Livius and Loren as the emperor's daughter , the film delved into political machinations, including ' tyrannical rise and the empire's internal decay, drawing loose inspiration from Edward Gibbon's histories. Filmed at Samuel Bronston's studios with a full-scale replica of the , it utilized for 70mm presentations, allowing expansive compositions that echoed Mann's earlier use of landscapes to convey moral ambiguity. Despite its technical prowess, The Fall of the faced severe production challenges, including a ballooning $19 million budget that strained resources and led to Bronston's after the film's release. Presented in roadshow engagements to showcase its spectacle, it initially bombed at the , grossing only about $4.75 million amid audience fatigue with historical epics. While contemporary reviewers dismissed it as overly ponderous, later assessments have praised its intelligent handling of historical themes and visual artistry, though noting inaccuracies in depicting Roman and . Mann's epics thus represented a bold but uneven pivot, carrying over his Western-era emphasis on vast terrains to symbolize human frailty.

Later films (1965–1967)

In the mid-1960s, Anthony Mann directed (1965), his last fully completed feature, a British-Norwegian produced by Benton Film Productions and distributed by . The story dramatizes the real-life Operation Gunnerside, in which Norwegian resistance fighters, led by figures inspired by scientists and commandos, sabotaged a Nazi-controlled heavy water facility at to hinder Germany's atomic bomb program during . Starring as the physicist Rolf Pedersen and as the commando Knut Straud, the film incorporates tense action sequences, including ski chases through snowy terrains, and emphasizes themes of sacrifice and moral resolve amid occupation. Shot on location in despite harsh winter conditions, it represented Mann's continued interest in large-scale historical conflicts, building on his experience with epic productions while adapting to a more focused wartime narrative. Mann's attempt to transition into contemporary genres came with (1968), a spy thriller set in and , produced by Anthony Mann Productions and . Based on Derek Marlowe's novel, the film follows Alexander Eberlin (), a British secretly working as a Soviet , exploring identity, deception, and intrigue amid East-West tensions. This project marked Mann's shift toward modern thriller elements, diverging from his earlier Westerns and historical epics to engage with the era's spy boom, as seen in films like those from the series. However, production was plagued by issues, including script revisions and logistical challenges during Berlin location shooting. Mann's declining health culminated in a fatal heart attack on April 29, 1967, while filming in , leaving the project unfinished after principal photography was well underway. At age 60, he had been dealing with physical strain from prior demanding shoots, exacerbating conflicts with producers over creative control and reshoots. stepped in as uncredited co-director to complete the film, using existing footage and additional scenes, which contributed to its uneven tone and narrative inconsistencies. These production disruptions highlighted the toll of Mann's rigorous schedule and the industry's pressures on aging directors transitioning genres. Retrospectively, Mann's 1965–1967 films are lesser-known entries in his filmography, often critiqued as commercial disappointments compared to his noir and Western peaks, yet they underscore his adaptability in experimenting with war adventures and amid career fatigue. is noted for its solid action and historical basis, while reveals Mann's intent to probe psychological complexity in spy narratives, even if compromised by circumstance. Together, they reflect a director's resilience in navigating studio demands and evolution during a period of personal and professional strain.

Artistic style

Antiheroes and moral complexity

Anthony Mann's films frequently featured protagonists who deviated from traditional heroic ideals, embodying antiheroes driven by personal obsessions and entangled in ethical quandaries. These characters, often marked by inner turmoil and questionable motives, reflected the director's interest in human frailty and the blurred lines between right and wrong, a theme pervasive in both his and Westerns. In his Westerns, Mann crafted obsessive avengers as central archetypes, portraying men whose quests for justice or retribution come at the expense of their own humanity. James Stewart's portrayal of Howard Kemp in The Naked Spur (1953) exemplifies this, as the relentlessly pursues a , only to confront the moral cost of his greed and isolation in a climactic where he laments the erosion of his principles amid and violence. Similarly, in Winchester '73 (1950), Stewart's Lin McAdam embodies vengeful fixation, his pursuit of a stolen —and the brother who killed his father—unfolds through a pantomimed scene that underscores the psychological toll of unresolved trauma, denying any tidy redemption. These figures, influenced by post-World War II disillusionment with heroism, navigate moral ambiguity without clear resolution, their victories tainted by self-inflicted wounds that highlight the futility of personal vendettas. Mann's film noirs extended this complexity to institutional corruption and flawed authority figures, often drawing from the era's societal unease. In T-Men (1947), the undercover Treasury agents infiltrate a counterfeiting ring, but the narrative probes the ethical erosion required for such deception, with characters like Dennis O'Keefe's Arvak embodying the antiheroic strain of lawmen who must adopt criminal personas, risking their integrity in shadowy interrogations and betrayals that blur the divide between enforcers and lawbreakers. Border Incident (1949) further explores this through corrupt border officials and smugglers exploiting migrant workers, presenting protagonists like George Murphy's undercover agent as morally compromised participants in a system rife with exploitation; a key scene in the irrigation ditch ambush reveals the visceral consequences of their vigilante justice, questioning the righteousness of state-sanctioned violence without offering absolution. This post-war cynicism permeates Mann's noirs, where protagonists grapple with dilemmas that expose the hollowness of authority and the inescapable cycle of moral decay.

Landscapes and visual motifs

In Anthony Mann's Western films, natural landscapes often serve as more than mere backdrops, functioning as active elements that mirror characters' internal conflicts and amplify themes of isolation and turmoil. In The Man from Laramie (1955), the stark formations of Monument Valley are depicted not as idyllic symbols but as a harsh battleground that underscores the protagonist's psychological isolation and vengeful drive, with towering rock spires emphasizing his solitary confrontation with moral ambiguity. Similarly, the unforgiving deserts in Border Incident (1949) evoke a sense of desolation and entrapment, where the expansive, barren terrain merges with the characters' precarious positions, heightening the tension of border-crossing exploitation and human vulnerability. These rugged environments transform the Western frontier into a space of relentless adversity, reinforcing the genre's psychological depth. Mann's film noir works, by contrast, utilize urban settings to cultivate paranoia and confinement, with shadowy cityscapes acting as labyrinthine motifs that blur boundaries between safety and threat. In films like T-Men (1947) and Raw Deal (1948), nocturnal streets and enclosed alleys—photographed with high-contrast lighting by —create abstract, alienating landscapes that isolate protagonists amid societal distrust, evoking a pervasive sense of and . Motifs of borders and frontiers recur here as well, not in open deserts but in the liminal zones of urban underbelly, such as the foggy waterfronts in , where the U.S.- divide symbolizes ideological and economic divides, intensifying the protagonists' precarious undercover existence. These city environments, often rendered in claustrophobic interiors with geometric shadows, amplify the antiheroes' moral isolation by trapping them in visually oppressive spaces. Over the course of his career, Mann's visual approach evolved from the tight, shadowy enclosures of his noir period to the sweeping vistas of his widescreen epics, reflecting a shift toward grandeur while retaining thematic motifs of human struggle against vast forces. In later films like El Cid (1961) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), expansive Mediterranean and mountainous landscapes—captured in CinemaScope—provide a sense of epic scale, yet they continue to symbolize isolation through their overwhelming immensity, dwarfing individual figures and echoing the inner turmoil of earlier works. This progression highlights Mann's adeptness at using environment to heighten narrative tension, transitioning from urban paranoia to monumental frontiers that test human resilience.

Directorial techniques

Anthony Mann's editing rhythms varied by genre and narrative intent, often employing rapid cuts to heighten the intensity of action sequences while favoring longer takes to build suspense in his film noirs. In works like (1949), he utilized discontinuous editing to disorient viewers and underscore hostile interpersonal dynamics, creating a fragmented visual rhythm that mirrored the characters' precarious situations. This approach contrasted with the more fluid, extended shots in his later Westerns, where sustained takes allowed for deliberate pacing amid expansive landscapes, as seen in (1953). Such techniques evolved from his early noir phase, where quick intercuts amplified procedural urgency in films like T-Men (1947). In casting, Mann demonstrated a keen eye honed from his pre-directing role as a talent scout and casting director for , where he oversaw screen tests for landmark productions such as Gone with the Wind (1939). He preferred actors capable of nuanced, internalized performances, drawing from his theater background to select performers who could sustain emotional depth across scenes, often fostering long-term partnerships that enhanced his films' authenticity. A prime example was his repeated collaboration with in seven projects from 1950 onward, leveraging the actor's versatility to portray complex, tormented figures. Similarly, his work with cinematographer spanned five films, including T-Men (1947), Raw Deal (1948), He Walked by Night (1948, uncredited), (1949), and (1949), where Alton's shadowy lighting complemented Mann's rhythmic editing to define the visual style of post-war noir. Mann's production approach emphasized location shooting to ground his narratives in authentic environments, a shift that became pronounced in his Westerns and distinguished his work from studio-bound contemporaries. Films like Side Street (1950) were largely filmed on New York City streets to capture urban grit, while The Naked Spur (1953) utilized rugged Colorado terrain for twelve days of on-site shooting despite challenging weather, prioritizing realism over controlled sets. This method extended to his epics, such as El Cid (1961), shot across Spain for immersive scale. Influenced by his theater origins at the Theater Guild, Mann adapted stage pacing to cinema by blending static, tableau-like compositions—reminiscent of theatrical blocking—with film's dynamic montage, allowing for tighter narrative flow while retaining dramatic tension.

Legacy

Critical reception and influence

During the 1950s, Anthony Mann's films, particularly his Westerns, received mixed contemporary reviews in the United States, where he was often seen as a reliable director rather than an of significant artistic depth. Critics praised individual works like (1950) for their intensity and innovation within the Western form, but Mann's overall reputation remained modest, overshadowed by contemporaries such as and . His film noirs from the late , such as T-Men (1947) and Raw Deal (1948), were commercially successful but dismissed by many American reviewers as formulaic B-movies, contributing to his undervalued status at the time. In contrast, Mann's Westerns garnered enthusiastic praise from French critics associated with the emerging New Wave, who championed his psychological depth and visual style as a model for cinema. François Truffaut lauded Mann's approach in Cahiers du Cinéma, noting that he was "more clever than ," crafting Westerns that were "less literary and less theatrical but more subtle," with realistic characters and beautifully rendered landscapes. and similarly highlighted Mann's films for their moral complexity and reduced reliance on action, viewing them as elevating the genre beyond Hollywood conventions. This admiration helped position Mann as an influential figure in international film discourse, even as his domestic recognition lagged. In the 21st century, Mann's oeuvre has undergone a significant reassessment, with revivals through restorations and retrospectives underscoring his enduring impact . His Westerns, blending noir fatalism with mythology, have been credited with paving the way for revisionist takes on the genre, influencing directors like , whose violent, introspective films such as (1969) echo Mann's emphasis on moral ambiguity and psychological tension. Scholarly analyses post-2000 have further elevated his , examining their docu-noir aesthetics and ; for instance, Andrew Dickos's Street with No Name: A History of the Classic American Film Noir (2002) details how Mann's early works like (1949) innovated the subgenre through stark visuals and ethical dilemmas. However, his widescreen epics, including (1961), remain relatively underappreciated compared to his genre masterpieces, often critiqued for their scale overshadowing thematic nuance. Recent studies, such as Seth Barry Watter's "Blasted Space: Anthony Mann" (2022), continue to explore these gaps, affirming Mann's role in bridging noir sensibilities with broader cinematic traditions.

Awards and honors

Throughout his career, Anthony Mann received several nominations from major industry organizations for his directorial work. For El Cid (1961), he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director – Motion Picture at the 1962 ceremony. The film itself garnered three Academy Award nominations: Best Art Direction – Color, Best Original Score – Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Miklós Rózsa), and Best Original Song ("The Falcon and the Dove"). Mann was also nominated for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for El Cid in 1962, as well as for Men in War (1957) in 1958 and The Glenn Miller Story (1954) in 1955. Mann's films were recognized at international festivals during his lifetime. At the 1958 , God's Little Acre competed for the , earning a nomination for Mann as director. In 1960, he received a star on the for his contributions to motion pictures, located at 6229 . Posthumously, Mann's work has continued to receive honors through retrospectives and restorations. In 1985, the paid tribute to frequent collaborator by screening a restored print of The Glenn Miller Story. More recently, in 2024, the 's Classics section featured a restored version of (1952) as part of its program highlighting significant Westerns.

Works

Filmography

Anthony Mann directed approximately 40 feature films between 1942 and 1968. The following table lists them chronologically, including release year, runtime, studio, primary genre, key cast members, and brief production notes where applicable.
TitleYearRuntimeStudio/DistributorGenreKey CastProduction Notes
Dr. Broadway194265 minParamount PicturesCrimeMacdonald Carey, Billie Burke, Edward NorrisMann's directorial debut.
Moonlight in Havana194263 minUniversal PicturesComedyAllan Jones, Jane Frazee, Leon Errol-
Nobody's Darling194373 minRepublic PicturesComedyMary Beth Hughes, Johnny Downs, Douglas Fowley-
My Best Gal194465 minRepublic PicturesMusicalJane Withers, Jackie Butcher, Ralph Sanford-
Strangers in the Night194467 minRepublic PicturesFilm NoirWilliam Henry, Virginia Grey, Helen Mack-
The Great Flamarion194578 minRepublic PicturesFilm NoirErich von Stroheim, Mary Beth Hughes, Dan Duryea-
Sing Your Way Home194567 minRKO Radio PicturesMusicalJack Haley, Marcy McGuire, Anne Jeffreys, Glen Vernon-
Two O'Clock Courage194567 minRKO Radio PicturesMysteryTom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Richard Lane-
The Bamboo Blonde194667 minRKO Radio PicturesMusicalFrances Langford, Ralph Young, Russell Wade-
Strange Impersonation194667 minRepublic PicturesFilm NoirBrenda Marshall, William Gargan, Hillary Brooke-
Desperate194773 minRKO Radio PicturesFilm NoirSteve Brodie, Audrey Long, Raymond Burr-
Railroaded!194772 minPRC PicturesFilm NoirJohn Ireland, Sheila Ryan, Hugh Beaumont-
T-Men194792 minEagle-Lion FilmsCrimeDennis O'Keefe, Alfred Ryder, Mary MeadeSemi-documentary style.
Raw Deal194879 minEagle-Lion FilmsFilm NoirDennis O'Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt-
He Walked by Night194879 minEagle-Lion FilmsCrimeRichard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy RobertsUncredited co-direction with Alfred Werker.
Border Incident194996 minMGMCrimeRicardo Montalban, George Murphy, Howard da SilvaLocation shooting in Mexico.
Reign of Terror194989 minEagle-Lion FilmsHistoricalRobert Cummings, Arlene Dahl, Richard BasehartAlso known as The Black Book.
Side Street195083 minMGMFilm NoirFarley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig-
The Furies1950109 minParamount PicturesWesternBarbara Stanwyck, Walter Huston, Wendell Corey-
Devil's Doorway195084 minMGMWesternRobert Taylor, Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond-
Winchester '73195092 minUniversal PicturesWesternJames Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan DuryeaFirst collaboration with James Stewart.
The Tall Target195178 minMGMFilm NoirDick Powell, Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou, Ruby DeeBased on the Baltimore Plot.
Bend of the River195291 minUniversal PicturesWesternJames Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Rock Hudson-
The Naked Spur195391 minMGMWesternJames Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh-
Thunder Bay1953102 minUniversal PicturesAdventureJames Stewart, Joanne Dru, Gilbert RolandLocation shooting in Louisiana.
The Glenn Miller Story1954116 minUniversal PicturesBiographyJames Stewart, June Allyson, Henry MorganMusical biopic.
The Far Country195497 minUniversal PicturesWesternJames Stewart, Walter Brennan, Ruth RomanFilmed in Canada.
Strategic Air Command1955114 minParamount PicturesDramaJames Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Lovejoy-
The Man from Laramie1955104 minColumbia PicturesWesternJames Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald CrispLocation shooting in New Mexico.
The Last Frontier195598 minUnited ArtistsWesternVictor Mature, Guy Madison, Robert Preston, Anne Bancroft-
Serenade1956119 minWarner Bros.DramaMario Lanza, Joan Fontaine, Sarita MontielMusical drama.
Men in War1957104 minUnited ArtistsWarRobert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Robert KeithKorean War setting.
The Tin Star195793 minParamount PicturesWesternHenry Fonda, Anthony Perkins, Betsy Palmer-
God's Little Acre1958110 minUnited ArtistsDramaRobert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Buddy HackettAdaptation of Erskine Caldwell novel.
Man of the West1958100 minUnited ArtistsWesternGary Cooper, Julie London, Lee J. Cobb-
Cimarron1960147 minMGMWesternGlenn Ford, Maria Schell, Anne BaxterRemake of 1931 film.
El Cid1961184 minSamuel Bronston Productions / Allied ArtistsHistorical EpicCharlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf ValloneShot in Spain; wide-screen epic.
The Fall of the Roman Empire1964187 minSamuel Bronston Productions / ParamountHistorical EpicAlec Guinness, Sophia Loren, James MasonShot in Spain; Mann's most expensive film.
The Heroes of Telemark1965131 minColumbia PicturesWarKirk Douglas, Richard Harris, Ulla JacobssonLocation shooting in Norway.
A Dandy in Aspic1968107 minColumbia PicturesThrillerLaurence Harvey, Mia Farrow, Lionel StanderMann died during production; completed by Laurence Harvey.
Mann received uncredited directing credit on He Walked by Night (1948), contributing significantly to its semi-documentary style and elements. Several of Mann's films have undergone restorations or remasters since his death in 1967. For instance, received a 4K restoration released in 2021 by Cohen Film Collection, enhancing its visuals. Winchester '73 was remastered in high definition by Universal in 2013 as part of their classic Western series. The Naked Spur and The Man from Laramie have been included in releases with 4K upgrades in the 2020s, preserving their original aspects. These efforts have made his works more accessible for modern audiences.

Notable collaborations

One of Anthony Mann's most significant partnerships was with actor , resulting in five Westerns between 1950 and 1955 that redefined the genre through their psychological depth and moral ambiguity. These films— (1950), (1952), (1953), The Far Country (1954), and (1955)—showcased Stewart's transition from affable everyman to tormented , a shift Mann encouraged to explore themes of obsession and redemption. Mann frequently cast character actor Charles McGraw in his film noirs of the late 1940s, leveraging McGraw's gravelly voice and menacing presence to portray tough, no-nonsense figures like the sadistic hitman Moxie in T-Men (1947) and the brutish Moody in Border Incident (1949). McGraw appeared in at least four Mann-directed noirs, including Reign of Terror (1949) and an uncredited role in Side Street (1950), contributing to the gritty, procedural tone of these early works. In his epic phase, Mann collaborated with on two grand-scale historical films: (1961), where Heston embodied the 11th-century Spanish knight Díaz de Vivar in a tale of heroism and , and The Fall of the (1964), featuring Heston as the Roman general Livius amid imperial decay. These partnerships highlighted Mann's ability to blend spectacle with personal drama, drawing on Heston's commanding physicality to anchor expansive narratives. Screenwriter provided scripts for three of Mann's key Westerns—Winchester '73, , and The Far Country—infusing them with taut, character-driven stories that emphasized frontier conflicts and ethical dilemmas, influencing Mann's evolution toward more introspective storytelling. partnered with Mann on five low-budget noirs from 1947 to 1949—four at Eagle-Lion Studios (T-Men, Raw Deal, He Walked by Night, ) and one at (Border Incident)—pioneering high-contrast lighting techniques that amplified the genre's shadowy tension. Alton's innovative use of deep shadows and dramatic became a hallmark of Mann's early style, earning acclaim for its visual intensity. Composer scored three of Mann's late-1950s films—The Tin Star (1957), (1957), and (1958)—crafting muscular, Americana-infused orchestrations that underscored the directors' themes of and moral strife in Westerns and war dramas. Bernstein's sweeping melodies, blending folk elements with dramatic swells, enhanced the emotional resonance of these works during Mann's mature period.

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