Wikipedia

Anthony Mann

For the British judge, seeAnthony Mann (judge).For other people with similar names, seeTony Mann (disambiguation).

Anthony Mann(bornEmil 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 offilm noirandWesterns,and for hishistorical epics.[1]

Anthony Mann
Born
Emil Anton Bundsmann

(1906-06-30)June 30, 1906
San Diego,California,U.S.
DiedApril 29, 1967(1967-04-29)(aged 60)
Berlin,Germany
Years active1925–1967
Spouses
Mildred Kenyon
​
​
(m.1936;div.1957)​
​
​
(m.1957;div.1963)​
Anna Kuzko
​
(m.1964)​
Children3

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 anassistant director,most notably working forPreston Sturges.His directorial debut wasDr. Broadway(1942). He directed several feature films for numerous production companies, includingRKO Pictures,Eagle-Lion Films,Universal Pictures,andMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM). His first major success wasT-Men(1947), garnering notable recognition for producing several films in thefilm noirgenre through modest budgets and short shooting schedules. As a director, he often collaborated with cinematographerJohn Alton.

During the 1950s, Mann shifted to directing Western films starring several major stars of the era, includingJames Stewart.He directed Stewart in eight films, includingWinchester '73(1950),The Naked Spur(1953), andThe 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 theFrench New Wave.In 1955,Jacques Rivettehailed Mann as "one of the four great directors of postwar Hollywood". The other three wereNicholas Ray,Richard Brooks,andRobert Aldrich.[2]

By the 1960s, Mann turned to large-scale filmmaking, directing the medieval epicEl Cid(1961), starringCharlton HestonandSophia Loren,andThe Fall of the Roman Empire(1964). Both films were produced bySamuel Bronston.Mann then directed the war filmThe Heroes of Telemark(1965) and the spy thrillerA Dandy in Aspic(1968). In 1967, Mann died from a heart attack inBerlinbefore he had finished the latter film; its starLaurence Harveycompleted the film, albeit uncredited.

Early life

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Mann was bornEmil Anton Bundsmannin San Diego, California. His father, Emile Theodore Bundsmann, an academic, was born in the village ofRosice,Chrudim,Bohemiato aSudeten-GermanCatholicfamily.[3]His mother, Bertha (née Waxelbaum/Weichselbaum),[4]a drama teacher fromMacon,Georgia,[5]was an American of Bavarian Jewish descent.[6]At the time of his birth, Mann's parents were members of theTheosophical Societycommunity ofLomalandinSan Diego County.[5]

When Mann was three, his parents moved to his father's native countryAustriato 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.[7]In 1917, Mann's family relocated toNew Yorkwhere he developed a penchant for acting. This was reinforced with Mann's participation in theYoung Men's Hebrew Association.[5]He continued to act in school productions, studying at East Orange Grammar and Newark'sCentral High School.At the latter school, he portrayed the title role inAlcestis;one of his friends and classmates was future Hollywood studio executiveDore Schary.[8]After his father's death in 1923, Mann dropped out during his senior year to help with the family's finances.[5][6][a]

Career

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1925–1937: Theater career

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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 inGreenwich Village.[5]Using the name "Anton Bundsmann", he appeared as an actor inThe Dybbuk(1925) with an English translation byHenry Alsberg,The Little Clay Cart(1926), andThe Squall(1926) byJean Bart.[10][11]Towards the end of the decade, Mann appeared in the Broadway productions ofThe Blue Peter[12]andUncle Vanya(1929).[11]

In 1930, Mann joined theTheatre Guild,as aproduction managerand eventually as a director. Nevertheless, he continued to act, appearing inThe Streets of New York, or Poverty is No Crime(1931),[13]andThe Bride the Sun Shines On(1933) portraying the "Duke of Calcavalle".[11]In 1933, Mann directed a stage adaptation ofChristopher Morley'sThunder on the Left,which was performed at theMaxine Elliott's Theatre.[14]In a theatre review forThe New York Times,Brooks Atkinsondismissed the play, writing "its medley of realism and fantasy grows less intelligible scene by scene, and some of the acting is disenchantingly profane."[15]He later directedCherokee Night(1936),So Proudly We Hail(1936),[16]andThe Big Blow(1938).[10][17]He worked for various stock companies, and in 1934, he established his own, which later became Long Island's Red Barn Playhouse.[18]

1937–1941: Move to Hollywood and television career

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In 1937, Mann began working forSelznick International Picturesas a talent scout and casting director. He also directed screen tests for a number of films, includingThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1938),Intermezzo(1939),Gone with the Wind(1939), andRebecca(1940). One of the unknown actresses he tested wasJennifer Jones.[19][20]After a few months at Selznick, Mann moved toParamount Picturesto serve as anassistant directorfor several film directors, most particularly forPreston SturgesonSullivan's Travels(1941).[21]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."[22]He served three years in the position.[23]

Meanwhile, Mann did notable, but mostly lost, work as a director forNBC's experimental television stationW2XBSfrom 1939 to 1940. This included condensations of the hit Western playThe Missouri Legendand the melodramaThe Streets of New York.A five-minute silent clip of the latter show survives in theMuseum of Television and Radio,including noted actorsNorman LloydandGeorge Coulouris.[24]

1942–1946: Move to directing

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Through the efforts of his friendMacDonald Carey,Mann made his directorial debut withDr. Broadway(1942) at Paramount, which starred Carey.[23]Decades later, Mann remembered he was told to complete shooting the film in eighteen days.[22]Upon its release, Herman Schoenfeld ofVarietywas 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, onlyEdward Ciannellias the killer who gets killed, turning in an adequate job. "[25]Harrison's Reportswas 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."[26]

His follow-up film wasMoonlight in Havana(1943) atUniversal Pictures.The film featuredAllan JonesandJane Frazee.[27]In August 1944, it was reported Mann might return to Broadway to directMirror for Children.[28]After nine months without directing a feature film, Mann went toRepublic Pictureswhere he directedNobody's Darling(1944) andMy Best Gal(1944).[29]

He next directedStrangers 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.[30]The film was notable for its noirishmise-en-scèneand psychological depth that appeared in Mann's latter films.[31]Mann then directedThe Great Flamarion(1945), starringErich von StroheimandMary Beth Hughes.[32]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."[33]

Mann moved to RKO to directTwo O'Clock Courage(1945), itself a remake of the 1936 filmTwo in the Dark,[34]withTom ConwayandAnn Rutherfordin the leading roles.[35]That same year, he also directedSing Your Way Home.Mann returned to Republic Pictures forStrange Impersonation(1946). He directedThe Bamboo Blonde(1946) at RKO.

1947–1949: Film noir and career breakthrough

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By 1946, Mann had signed withEagle-Lion Films,a fledgling studio founded byArthur B. KrimandRobert Benjamin.There, he directedRailroaded!(1947). According to Mann, the film was shot in ten days.[36]A film review inVarietynoted 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."[37]

That same year,T-Men(1947) was released. According toElmer Lincoln Irey,the film originated from a rejected offer to dramatize the U.S. Treasury's investigation ofAl Caponeon tax evasion charges. Instead, Irey brought forward three cases related to the investigation.[38]Initially budgeted at $400,000,T-Menwas shot within three weeks from July 31 to August 23, with four days of reshoots in September.[39]For the film, Mann specifically requested cinematographerJohn Alton,who was loaned out from Republic for the job,[40][41]markingT-Menas their first collaboration.[36]During its release, the film earned $2.5 million worldwide.[42]

He went back to RKO forDesperate(1947), which he also co-wrote with Dorothy Atlas.[32]A review inVarietypositively wrote it was "a ripsnorting gangster meller, with enough gunplay, bumping off of characters and grim brutality to smack ofpre-code days";Mann's direction was noted as" being done skillfully ".[43]

Mann returned to Eagle-Lion to directRaw Deal(1948), reteaming with screenwriterJohn C. Higgins,screenwriter Leopold Atlas and actorDennis 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.[44]The film review magazineHarrison's Reportswrote: "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."[45]Varietynoted: "Though a medium budgeter, [Raw Deal] is dressed tidily with a good production and some marquee weight furnished by "the cast.[46]Bosley CrowtherofThe New York Timesgave 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."[47]

Mann's success withDesperateandT-Menmade him Eagle-Lion's most valuable director.[48]In February 1948, Mann was hired to direct a dramatization of thestorming of the Bastille,withRichard Basehartto portray an aide toGeneral Lafayette.[49]WithWalter Wangerpreoccupied withJoan of Arc(1948), he handed off supervisory duties to production designerWilliam Cameron Menzies.[48]Principal photography lasted 29 days, from August to September 1948,[48]and cost $850,000.[50]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, andrear projectionfor wide crowd shots.[48]The resulting film was titledReign of Terror(1949). After filming had begun, Mann was brought in to direct several scenes forHe Walked by Night(1948), which also starred Basehart. Mann again collaborated with Higgins and Alton on the film. However,Alfred L. Werkerwas given the official director's credit.[51]

While researching onT-Men(1947), Higgins and Mann had come across the topic ofBorder Patrol agentsalong theMexico–United States border.[52]Border Incident(1949) was initially developed at Eagle-Lion, but in December 1948, MGM'sDore Scharypurchased the script for $50,000 and hired Mann to direct the film. Schary had also signed Mann onto a multi-picture contract with MGM.[53][54]

Beforehand, in July 1947, Mann and Francis Rosenwald had written a script forFollow Me Quietly(1949). It was first purchased byJack Wrather ProductionsforAllied Artists,withDon Castlein the lead role.[55]According toEddie Muller,ofTurner Classic Movies,Mann was slated to direct the film, but was enticed byEdward Smallto instead directT-MenandRaw Deal.[56]Months later, in December, RKO had purchased the script from Wrather and assignedMartin Rackinwrite a new script.[57]Due to Mann's absence,Richard Fleischerwas hired to directFollow Me Quietly,and there has been speculation suggesting Mann did uncredited filming.[58]However, Muller has disagreed.[56]

Mann and Rosenwald wrote another script titledStakeout,which told of a police detective attempting to expose a corrupt political machine. In October 1949, independent film producer Louis Mandel purchased the script, withLarry Parkscast in the lead role.Joseph H. Lewiswas set to direct the film until he left due to a contractual dispute. By March 1950, Parks's wifeBetty Garrettwas cast in thefemme fatalerole, but the project never went into production.[59]

1950–1958: Western films and collaborations with James Stewart

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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).[60]AfterBorder Incident(1949), Mann was approached byNicholas 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 forDevil's Doorway(1950), deeming it "the best script I had ever read."[61]The film starredRobert Taylor,portraying aShoshonenative who faces prejudice after returning home inMedicine Bow,Wyoming following his decorated service in theAmerican 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 afterDelmer Daves'Broken Arrow(1950), which starredJames Stewart,had become successful.[62]When it was released, the film was neither a critical or commercial success.[63]

He followed this with a Western at Universal, starring James Stewart,Winchester '73(1950). The film was originally set to be directed byFritz Lang,but he felt Stewart was unsuitable for the lead role and dropped out. When Stewart had seen a rough cut ofDevil's Doorway(1950), he suggested Mann as a replacement. Mann readily accepted, but threw out the script callingBorden Chasefor a rewrite.[64]Principal photography began on February 14, 1950, inTucson,Arizona for a thirty-day shooting schedule.[65]The film was a commercial success, earning $2.25 million in distributor rentals becoming Universal Pictures' second-most successful film of 1950.[66][67]

At the invitation ofHal Wallis,Mann directed the WesternThe Furies(1950) at Paramount starringBarbara StanwyckandWalter Huston.[66]Also released in summer 1950, the film grossed $1.55 million in distributor rentals in the United States and Canada.[67]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."[68]In the fall of 1950, Mann was sent toCinecittàto dosecond-unit workonQuo Vadis(1951).[69]There, Mann worked 24 nights, filming theburning of Romesequence with assistant cinematographerWilliam V. Skall.[70]

Side Street(1950) was the finalfilm noirthat Mann directed. The film starredFarley GrangerandCathy O'Donnell,reteaming afterThey Live by Night(1948). He next directed a period thriller withDick Powell,The Tall Target(1952).[64]

After the success ofWinchester '73(1950), Universal Pictures wanted another collaboration between Mann and Stewart. After a recommendation from one friend, Stewart proposed adapting the novelBend of the RiverbyBill Gulickto Universal. The studio agreed and purchased the film rights.[71]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."[72]

Anthony Mann andJanet Leigh

In 1952, MGM approached Mann to directThe 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.[73]With the film's release in 1953, Mann fulfilled his contract with MGM.[74][75]

Mann and Stewart had their biggest success withThe Glenn Miller Story(1954). During its release, the film earned $7 million in distributor rentals in the United States and Canada.[76]That same year, he filmedThe Far Countrywith James Stewart andWalter Brennan.The film would be Mann's last collaboration with Borden Chase.[74]

Mann and Stewart paired for one more non-Western film,Strategic Air Command(1955). Stewart had served with theU.S. Air Forceand pushed for a cinematic portrayal. With the cooperation of the Air Force, Mann agreed to direct the film, wanting to film theConvair B-36andBoeing B-47in action as the human characters, in his words, "were papier-mâché".[77]During its release, the film earned $6.5 million at the box office.[78]

Mann's last collaboration with Stewart wasThe Man from Laramie(1955) atColumbia Pictures.The film was an adaptation from a serial by Thomas T. Flynn, first published inThe Saturday Evening Postin 1954. The film was shot on location in Coronado,New Mexico,and inSante Fe.[79]The film was the favorite of Stewart's of the films they made together.[71]After the film's release,Harry Cohnasked Mann to direct another Western film for Columbia. Mann agreed and decided to directThe Last Frontier(1955).[80]Mann offered Stewart the lead role to which he declined and instead castVictor Mature.[79]

In 1956, Mann was handed the script forNight Passage(1957) byAaron Rosenberg,intending to reunite him with Stewart for a potential ninth collaboration.[81][82]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 editingMen in War(1957).[83]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 can play his accordion.[81]Mann asked to be replaced, andJames Neilsonwas hired to direct the film.[84]Stewart and Mann never collaborated on another project again.[85]

Mann directed a musical starringMario LanzatitledSerenade(1956).[86]During filming, he worked with actressSara Montiel,who became his second wife.[87]In August 1957, Mann announced he had acquired the film rights toLion Feuchtwanger's novelThis is the Hour,which told a fictionalized account of painterFrancisco Goya.Montiel was set to portrayMaria Teresa de Cayetana, Duchess of Alba.[88]By February 1958, Mann had abandoned the project as a rival film titledThe Naked Maja(1958) was in production. He then purchased the film rights toJohn McPartland's then-recently published novelRipe Fruit,with Montiel set to star.[89]However, the project failed to materialize.

Mann directed a Western starringHenry FondaandAnthony PerkinstitledThe Tin Star(1957).[90]Mann then teamed withPhilip Yordanon two films starringRobert RyanandAldo Ray;the first beingMen in War(1957) was about theKorean War.The film was the first of three Mann had directed forUnited Artists.[91]His second project was a1958 film adaptationofErskine Caldwell's then-controversial novelGod's Little Acre.Mann and producerSidney Harmonhad intended to film inAugusta,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.[92][93]In October 1957, they eventually selectedStockton,California.[94]On both films, Yordan was given the official screenwriter credit, butBen Maddowstated he had written both screenplays.[95]

Mann later directedGary Cooperin a Western,Man of the West(1958) for United Artists. Filming began on February 10, 1958,[96]and ended later that same year. When it was released,Howard ThompsonofThe New York Timeswrote the film was "good, lean, tough little Western" that was "[w]ell-acted and beautifully photographed in color and Cinema-Scope".[97]Elsewhere,Jean-Luc Godard,then a critic forCahiers du Cinéma,gave the film a raving review when it was released in France.[98]

1959–1964: Widescreen films

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Mann was hired by Universal Pictures to directSpartacus(1960), much to the disagreement ofKirk Douglaswho felt Mann "seemed scared of the scope of the picture".[99]Filming started on January 27, 1959, inDeath Valley,Californiafor the mine sequence. As filming continued, Douglas felt Mann had lost control of the film, writing in particular: "He letPeter Ustinovdirect his own scenes by taking every suggestion Peter made. The suggestions were good—for Peter, but not necessarily for the film. "[100]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.[101]In 1967, Mann stated: "Kirk Douglas was the producer ofSpartacus: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. "[102]On February 17, 1959,Stanley Kubrickwas hired to direct.[103]

Shortly after, Mann went to MGM to directGlenn Fordin a remake ofCimarron(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."[104]Mann left the production, and was replaced byCharles Walters.[105]

In July 1960, Mann was hired to directEl Cid(1961) forSamuel Bronston.[106]The film starredCharlton HestonandSophia Loren.In November 1960, before filming was to begin, Loren was displeased with her dialogue in the script, and requested for blacklisted screenwriterBen Barzmanto rewrite it. On an airplane trip toRome,Mann retrieved Barzman and handed him the latest shooting script, to which Barzman agreed to rewrite from scratch.[107]Filming began on November 14, 1960, and lasted until April 1961. Released in December 1961,El Cidwas released to critical acclaim, with praise towards Mann's direction, the cast and the cinematography.[108]At the box office, the film earned $12 million in distributor rentals from the United States and Canada.[109]

Mann next directedThe Fall of the Roman Empire(1964). The project's genesis began when Mann, who had recently finished filmingEl Cid(1961), had spotted an Oxford concise edition ofEdward Gibbon's six-volume seriesThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empirenear the front window at theHatchardsbookshop. Mann then read the book, and after a flight trip toMadrid,he pitched a film adaptation of the book to Bronston, to which the producer agreed.[110]The film was intended to reunite Heston and Loren, but Heston departed the project to star in55 Days at Peking(1963), another Bronston production. His role was subsequently assumed byStephen Boyd.[111]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,[112]against an estimated production budget of $16 million.[113]That same year, in July, Mann served as the head of the jury at the14th Berlin International Film Festival.[114]

1965–1967: Later films

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In March 1963, Mann and producerS. Benjamin Fiszhad reportedly begun development onThe Unknown Battle,a historic re-telling ofNorwegian resistancesoldierKnut Haukelid's sabotage mission to preventNazi Germanyfrom developing an atomic bomb duringWorld War II.Barzman had been hired to write the script, with Allied Artists as a distributor.[115]By February 1964, Boyd andElke Sommerhad been hired to portray the leading roles.[116]However, in July, Kirk Douglas was hired to portray the lead role.[117]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.[118]The film was then re-titledThe Heroes of Telemark(1965).

In October 1966, Mann was announced to direct and produce the spy thrillerA Dandy in Aspic(1968) for Columbia Pictures.[119]By December, filming was set to begin in February 1967 where it would film on location inAustria,Germany,andLondon.[120]At the time of his death, Mann was developing three projects: a Western film titledThe King,which was loosely adapted fromKing Lear,with sons replacing the daughters;[102][121]The Donner Pass,a film about pioneers trekking to theDonner Pass;andThe Canyon,a film about a young Native American becoming aBrave.[102]

Personal life and death

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In 1936, Mann married Mildred Kenyon, who worked as a clerk at aMacy'sdepartment store in New York City.[122]The marriage produced two children, Anthony and Nina. The couple divorced in 1956.[123]A year later, Mann married actressSara Montiel,who had starred inSerenade(1956).[23]In 1963, the marriage was annulled in Madrid.[124]His third marriage was to Anna Kuzko, a ballerina formerly withSadler's Wells,who had one son named Nicholas.[18][125]

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 filmingA Dandy in Aspic.The film was completed by the film's starLaurence Harvey.[9][18]For his contribution to the motion picture industry, he has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6229 Hollywood Boulevard.[126]

Filmmaking style

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Portrayal of antiheroes

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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 ofantiheroes.[b]In 2006,Richard Corlissobserved 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.[44]Jean-Pierre CoursodonandPierre Sauvagenoted the troubled past in Mann's several films have included "the death of a loved one (a father inWinchester '73andThe Furies,a brother inThe Man from Laramie,a wife inThe Tin Star), and the hero is out to punish the responsible party or, as in the case ofThe Tin Star,resents society as a whole for what happened. "[130]

By the 1950s, Mann had shifted to directing Western films, withWinchester '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."[131]InThe 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."[44]

Mann and Stewart had a falling out during pre-production ofNight Passage(1957), in whichGary Cooperassumed the lead role inMan of the West(1958).[132]Mann biographerJeanine Basingerwrites 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."[133]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.[134]

Use of landscapes

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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."[137]

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 inbeautyper 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. "[135]During filming forCimarron(1960), Mann's preference for location shooting ran into conflict with MGM producerSol Lesser,who relocated the production indoors, which forced Mann's departure from the film.[102]

Filmography

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Sources and notes

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Notes
  1. ^Alvarez writes, "In New Jersey, Emile Anton attended elementary school in East Orange and high school in Newark but dropped out to go to work." However, Mann's obituary inThe New York Timesreports him leaving high school at age sixteen, but the Central High School transcripts indicate a January 1925 dropout date, when Emile Anton was eighteen.[9]
  2. ^Attributed to multiple references:[127][128][129]
  3. ^Attributed to multiple references: [135][136]
Citations
  1. ^abSadoul & Morris 1972,p. 167.
  2. ^Coursodon & Sauvage 1983,p. 238.
  3. ^farní úřad: Chrast, sign. 3745.Zámrsk Regional Archive. 1869. p. 53.
  4. ^Alvarez 2013,p. 12.
  5. ^abcdeDarby 2009,p. 5.
  6. ^abAlvarez 2013,p. 15.
  7. ^Alvarez 2013,p. 13.
  8. ^Wakeman 1987,p. 723.
  9. ^ab"Anthony Mann, 60, A Movie Director; Filmmaker Who Favored Westerns Dies in Berlin".The New York Times.April 30, 1967.RetrievedDecember 19,2017.Anthony Mann, the American film director, died here of a heart attack this morning. His age was 60.
  10. ^abBassinger 2007,p. 2.
  11. ^abcDarby 2009,p. 6.
  12. ^"The Blue Peter Broadway Original Cast".Broadway World.RetrievedOctober 5,2022.
  13. ^Atkinson, J. Brooks(October 7, 1931)."The Play".The New York Times.p. 33.ProQuest99118255.
  14. ^"The Theatre".TheWall Street Journal.November 2, 1933.ProQuest131085423.
  15. ^Atkinson, Brooks (November 1, 1933)."The Play: 'Thunder on the Left,' Adapted From Christopher Morley's Novel By Jean Ferguson Black".The New York Times.p. 25.RetrievedOctober 5,2022.
  16. ^"The THEATRE".Wall Street Journal.September 26, 1936.ProQuest128847757.
  17. ^"News of the Stage".The New York Times.May 2, 1938.ProQuest102633334.
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  137. ^Fenwick & Armytage 1965,p. 187.

Works cited

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Biographies(chronological)

Miscellaneous

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