IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.4K
YOUR RATING
British hunter Thorndike vacationing in Bavaria has Hitler in his gun sight. He is captured, beaten, left for dead, and escapes back to London where he is hounded by German agents and aided ... Read allBritish hunter Thorndike vacationing in Bavaria has Hitler in his gun sight. He is captured, beaten, left for dead, and escapes back to London where he is hounded by German agents and aided by a young woman.British hunter Thorndike vacationing in Bavaria has Hitler in his gun sight. He is captured, beaten, left for dead, and escapes back to London where he is hounded by German agents and aided by a young woman.
- Awards
- 1 win
Ludwig Stössel
- Doctor
- (as Ludwig Stossell)
Charles Bennett
- Costermonger
- (uncredited)
Frank Benson
- Cab Driver
- (uncredited)
Ted Billings
- Newsboy
- (uncredited)
Walter Bonn
- Harbor Policeman
- (uncredited)
Sven Hugo Borg
- Ship's First Mate
- (uncredited)
Egon Brecher
- Whiskers Pawnbroker
- (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti
- Cab Driver
- (uncredited)
Carl Ekberg
- Adolf Hitler
- (uncredited)
Herbert Evans
- Reeves
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Geoffrey Household
- Dudley Nichols
- Lamar Trotti(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaVery little indeed remains of Geoffrey Household's original novel in this adaptation, but the author, interviewed about it over 30 years later, conceded that "Fritz Lang made a smashing film out of my book."
- GoofsAs Thorndike is being chased through Ye Olde London town, and we know it is London because some Pearly Kings (with the sort of execrable cockney accents that Dick Van Dyke would later utilize) pass him in a cobbled, foggy street, the pub in the background has bat-wing doors of the sort found in western saloons in the US. No pub in Great Britain has such doors; they have proper doorways that keep out the rain, fog, snow, and general misery.
- Quotes
Captain Alan Thorndike: Every good soldier needs a crest for his cap. And you shall have your pin, set with diamonds if you wish.
- Alternate versionsThe Academy Film Archive preserved Man Hunt (1941) in 2000.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)
- SoundtracksShe Was Poor but She Was Honest
(uncredited)
Music by R.P. Weston
Lyrics by Bert Lee
Sung by the street singers
Featured review
An intelligent and absorbing WWII thriller.
Captain Alan Thorndike (Walter Pidgeon) is captured by the Nazis after having been caught aiming a rifle at Adolf Hitler. He insists that he wasn't consciously making an assassination attempt, that he was merely a hunter relishing the prospect of taking down "big game". They naturally don't believe him, and try to make him a sign a "confession" that he was acting on behalf of his government. He refuses to sign his name to a lie, and they proceed to torture him and set him up for execution, but he escapes. Soon he makes it back to London, but they continue to pursue him on his home turf. Fortunately, he receives the help of a street waif, Jerry Stokes (Joan Bennett), who quickly overcomes her distrust and becomes quite taken with him. He tries not to put her in harms' way while evading sinister Nazi officials such as the well-spoken Major Quive-Smith (George Sanders).
Fritz Langs' wartime film, based on the story by Geoffrey Household, may not suit all tastes because it doesn't actually have a sense of urgency, at least not all the time. It even gets lighthearted and romantic at times, as Alan and Jerry start hitting it off. There still are some wonderfully moody moments, such as Alan managing to sneak onto a ship (where a precocious lad, well played by a very young Roddy McDowall, helps to hide him), and the sequence where a Gestapo thug portrayed by an effectively creepy John Carradine tails Alan into a subway tunnel. You do worry for the safety of Alan, especially when the odds are so stacked against him. Pidgeon does indeed have an interesting "devil may care" quality to him at times, and he and the lovely Bennett do have nice chemistry. Ms. Bennett is appealing playing a "common" type of gal who relishes in the comfort of a mansion at one point. Sanders is excellent, delivering just the right amount of quiet, refined menace.
Langs' direction keeps you riveted, especially in the opening few minutes where very little dialogue is spoken. The material may strike some viewers as far-fetched, but in his hands it makes for stylish entertainment.
Eight out of 10.
Fritz Langs' wartime film, based on the story by Geoffrey Household, may not suit all tastes because it doesn't actually have a sense of urgency, at least not all the time. It even gets lighthearted and romantic at times, as Alan and Jerry start hitting it off. There still are some wonderfully moody moments, such as Alan managing to sneak onto a ship (where a precocious lad, well played by a very young Roddy McDowall, helps to hide him), and the sequence where a Gestapo thug portrayed by an effectively creepy John Carradine tails Alan into a subway tunnel. You do worry for the safety of Alan, especially when the odds are so stacked against him. Pidgeon does indeed have an interesting "devil may care" quality to him at times, and he and the lovely Bennett do have nice chemistry. Ms. Bennett is appealing playing a "common" type of gal who relishes in the comfort of a mansion at one point. Sanders is excellent, delivering just the right amount of quiet, refined menace.
Langs' direction keeps you riveted, especially in the opening few minutes where very little dialogue is spoken. The material may strike some viewers as far-fetched, but in his hands it makes for stylish entertainment.
Eight out of 10.
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- Mar 2, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Rogue Male
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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