Happy Birthday, Anthony Mann! Born today in 1906 as Emil Anton Bundsmann, this American stage actor and "A-" film director is remembered for his work in the film noir and classic Westerns genres.
His action/suspense films continually returned to the theme of "intelligent, thoughtful men driven to violence."
As a director, he often collaborated with the Hungarian-born American cinematographer John Alton. Mann directed films for a variety of production companies, from RKO to MGM, and worked with many major stars of the era.
Mann directed several Westerns with Jimmy Stewart. The first feature of which Mann is best known for directing is the 1950 American black and white Western/drama film 'Winchester '73'.
This was the first Western film collaboration between Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart. Upon release, it was a huge success.
Three years later, Mann directed the second film of which he is best known. This was the 1953 American Technicolor Western/thriller film 'The Naked Spur'.
This was the third Western film collaboration between Mann and James Stewart. It also starred Janet Leigh.
Two years later, Mann directed the third film of which he is best known. This was the 1955 American Technicolor Western/drama film 'The Man from Laramie'.
This was one of the first Western to be filmed in CinemaScope to capture the vastness of the scenery. This was also the first and final Western collaboration between Mann and Stewart.
The feature had been adapted from a serial of the same title by American writer of pulp fiction in multiple genres Thomas T. Flynn, first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1954, and thereafter as a novel in 1954, and thereafter as a novel in 1955.
Three years later, Mann directed the fourth and final film of which he is best known, This was the 1958 American Deluxe Color Western/drama film 'Man of the West'.
The feature is based off of American writer Will C. Brown's 1955 Western fiction novel The Border-Jumpers.
At the time of the film's release, it was largely panned by American critics.
However, it was praised by French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic Jean-Luv Godard who, before he became a director, was a film critic for the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema.
Godard claimed that 'Man of the West' was the best film of the year. Decades after the film's release, it has gained a cult following and greater acclaim.
This was with English film critic and radio producer Philip French. He claimed the film to be Mann's masterpiece, containing Gary Cooper's finest performance.
Two years later, Mann went to MGM to direct the big-budget1960 American Metrocolor Western/drama film 'Cimaroon'.
It starred Canadian-American actor Glenn Ford and Austrian-Swiss actress Maria Schell. Upon release, the film failed to recoup its cost at the box office.
Later that same year, Mann was supposed to be the original director of the 1960 American epic historical war/drama film 'Spatacus'.
However, he was fired early in production by producer-star Kirk Douglas. Mann was then replaced with Stanley Kubrick. Despite this, Mann had shot a handful of scenes.
The following year, Mann directed the 1961 American epic historical war/drama film 'El Cid', working with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Mann has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6229 Hollywood Boulevard.
In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected 'Winchester '73' for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
According to Mann's trademarks, the heroes in his films relentlessly pursued justice; breaking the law along the way if need be.
Arguably the premiere American film noir director, with its shadows and darkness, Mann also virtually invented 'western noir', where sprawling, bright landscapes contrasted with the dark, personal struggles.
His 1950s westerns nearly single-handedly rescued the western genre from jokey oblivion.
Despite all this, and the immediate familiarity of many of his films, Mann is relatively unknown today.
More than twenty Mann features rate three stars or better, including a handful of the best films of his generation
Mann had been active from 1925–1967.
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