T-Men

Pros: Direction, Cinematography, Acting, Story
Cons: Needs a bigger audience!

T-Men (1947) Anthony Mann made several superior "B" pictures as he transitioned his way into becoming a "name" film director. Three, in particular, deserve elaboration as they are among the finest films noir ever made. The first*, ...

Pros: -
Cons: -

Based on a real U.S. Treasury Department case, 1947's T-Men is a hard-boiled film noir from director Anthony Mann. Shot in a semi-documentary style (one of the first noirs to incorporate such a style), the film employs voice-over narration reminiscent of Dragnet. Dennis O'Keefe (The Leopard Man) and Alfred Ryder are cast as Treasury agents looking to infiltrate a counterfeiting ring headquartered in Los Angeles. The lengthy process by which the two establish their bogus pedigree is clearly and credibly laid out (the "tough, tight outfit" they want to bust up does background checks), however plotting later becomes somewhat convoluted. Most impressive here is the striking, chiaroscuro photography courtesy the legendary John Alton, and the masochistic lengths the agents are willing to go (would you take a brutal beating for a job?). An attribute of many noirs is cruelty and Anthony Mann proved he was particularly adept at showcasing bodily punishment. The great Manny Farber called it "Mann's inhumanity to man." With Wallace Ford, Charles McGraw, Jane Randolph and (briefly) June Lockhart from TV's Lost in Space.