The traitor

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Movie
German title The traitor
Original title The Informer
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1935
length 91 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Ford
script Dudley Nichols
production John Ford
music Max Steiner
camera Joseph H. August
cut George Hively
occupation

The Traitor (original title: The Informer ) is an American film drama by John Ford in 1935. The script is based on the novel of the informer of Liam O'Flaherty . The film, which was produced by RKO , was only released in German cinemas on June 23, 1950.

action

Dublin in 1922. Gypo Nolan, a poor drifter, sees a wanted poster showing his best friend, Frankie McPhillip. McPhillip, a rebel, is wanted for murder. A reward of twenty pounds is offered for his capture. Hungry Nolan tries to forget the poster. But his girlfriend, prostitute Katie Madden, complains about her situation. Katie wants to emigrate to America.

Nolan, who tries to grant Katie's wish but cannot pay for the ship's passage, goes to the British Army and reveals that McPhillip is staying with his mother, having seen him there shortly before. The soldiers shoot McPhillip in front of his mother and sister Mary. Nolan receives his reward and goes to a pub. There he tells Katie that he robbed a drunk American. Nolan attends the funeral for his dead friend. Among the guests are some members of the rebel army who noticed Nolan's nervousness. The rebels had been negative about Nolan for a long time because he had refused to carry out an execution. They bring Nolan to their leader, Dan Gallagher. He promises Nolan joining the group if he reveals the name of the informant. Nolan, who wants to profile himself, gives the tailor Pat Mulligan as a traitor. The suspicious Gallagher tells Nolan that he will check his details later at a meeting.

Before the meeting, the now drunk Nolan meets Terry, a con man who persuades him to spend the twenty pounds on food and drink for the needy. In the meantime, Gallagher questions Mary, who tells him that her brother saw Nolan when he was going home. The rebels look for Nolan and bring the drunk to the meeting. After questioning the tailor, they turn to Nolan, who admits the betrayal. They are preparing Nolan's execution and imprisoning Nolan in the meantime. But Nolan is able to escape from his prison. He visits Katie and tearfully confesses his betrayal to her too. Katie, knowing the reason for Nolan's act, visits Gallagher and asks him for Nolan's life. During their absence, the rebels find Nolan and shoot him. They wound him, but Nolan was able to reach a nearby church. There he meets his friend's sorrowful mother. Nolan, lying dying, confesses his betrayal to her. The mother forgives him.

background

The budget for this production by RKO was approximately $ 243,000. The film was shot within 17 days. The world premiere took place on May 1, 1935 on the French ocean liner Normandie .

The first of three films that John Ford directed for RKO was a huge box-office hit after winning the Oscar, before the Oscar event it performed modestly at the box office. Those in charge of the production company were skeptical beforehand, as the novel had been filmed in Great Britain in 1929. The film was directed by Arthur Robison and Nolan was cast by Lars Hanson.

John Ford felt inspired for the film by FW Murnau's Sunrise - A Song of Two People from 1927. Ford wanted to bring elements of German Expressionism into his film.

Dudley Nichols wrote the script within six days. Nichols was the first Oscar winner to turn down his award.

Victor McLaglen is the father of western director Andrew V. McLaglen . With the exception of Preston Foster, all actors in the leading roles were native English or Irish. John Ford's brother Francis Ford can be seen in a minor role as Flynn . The later director and Oscar-winning film editor Robert Parrish appears in a minor role as an English soldier, which is not mentioned in the credits .

Julia Heron, an Oscar winner in 1961, worked here as art director for the second time. The later award-winning director Robert Wise was responsible for the sound editing . Burnett Guffey , later two-time Oscar winner as chief cameraman, was hired as camera technician . The entire orchestration came from the pen of Bernhard Kaun , who worked closely with the composer Max Steiner during his time at RKO from 1933–1935 .

criticism

The lexicon of international films judged: "An early masterpiece by John Ford with a brilliant role for Victor McLaglen, which despite its stylistically outdated means still impresses."

Awards

Academy Awards 1936
National Board of Review 1935
  • NBR award for best film
New York Film Critics Circle 1936
  • NYFCC Award for Best Film
  • NYFCC Award for Best Director to John Ford
Venice International Film Festival 1935
  • Nomination for the Mussolini Cup for John Ford
Library of Congress

Bibliography

  • Liam O'Flaherty : The informer. Roman (Original title: The Informer. ) (= Diogenes-Taschenbuch = Diogenes-TB 21191). German by H. Hauser. Diogenes, Zurich 1984, ISBN 3-257-21191-0 .
  • Liam O'Flaherty: The Informer. With a foreword by Denis Donoghue. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Diego CA et al. 1980, ISBN 0-15-644356-2 (English edition).

Web links

Commons : The Traitor  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d The Traitor (1935) - Trivia. Internet Movie Database , accessed September 19, 2008 .
  2. ↑ The Night After Treason (1929). Internet Movie Database , accessed September 19, 2008 .
  3. ↑ The traitor. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 9, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used