M (1951) A Visual Archive of 50s L.A.

"If they're 'psychos', how come the hospitals turn 'em loose?"

There is already a plethora of learned scribblings devoted to M.

The 1932 version crafted by Fritz Lang is a masterpiece. A case history of a psychopathic child killer, a chilling subject. It was produced by Seymour Nebenzal. That twenty years later, Nebenzal again turned to the same material and remade a bona fide classic took a lot of balls. This version was of course hampered by the Motion Picture Production Code. The queasy subject of molestation had to be cloaked, hinted at with visual metaphors, and yet the film is taut, the acting amazing and the pace exciting. The murderer makes off with trophies, the little girls shoes (stand ins for probably the obvious i.e., their panties). A metaphor for their innocence, their virginity.

Director Joseph Losey with writers Norman Reilly Raine, Leo Katcher and Waldo Salt, do justice updating Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou vision. The Cinematography was by Ernest Laszlo the  Music by Michel Michelet. Of the actors David Wayne gives an amazing tour de force performance. Howard da Silva,  Martin Gabel, Luther Adler, John Miljan, Raymond Burr, Glenn Anders, Steve Brodie, Karen Morley, and Janine Perreau all acquit themselves admirably.

For me I enjoy it all and especially the visuals of a mostly gone forever L.A.


Angels Flight

The film opens with a night ride up Angels Flight from Third and Hill Street, to Third and Olive Street. We learn of the child murders from the screaming headlines of the bundled papers tossed in the funicular car by a news delivery man.

The ride up Angels Flight beginning at bottom Hill Avenue & entrance to Third Street Tunnel

Looking East down Third Street

Visual Metaphors

During the credit sequence, that follows, because of the Motion Picture Production Code visual metaphors were used. The Losey version makes a point of stating that the killer does not "violate" his victims, but if you watch the title sequence it says something else, there are some very explicit visual clues of what he does do.

A little girl is standing by a vending machine that has a mirror we first see David Wayne in the mirror he's playing with a toy called a "whizzer" he pulling on it stretching and releasing it at crotch level no less.  It attracts the attention of the little girl, she's curious about it. It's not much of a stretch to say its a visual metaphor for exposing himself to the child. He's pulled out and playing with his wiener, playing with it, stretching it and making it grow.

Another sequence follows a little girl is attempting to drink from a fountain. David Wayne approaches. His back is to the camera, looks again like he's exposed himself. We first see a stream of water, again at crotch level its as if he is peeing. He again attracts the curiosity of the girl. The very next image has the little girl bending over towards his crotch. This suggests the possible performance of oral sex. The oral metaphor is enhanced by Wayne playing a toy flute throughout the film, a sexually deviant pied piper.

Another sequence finds Wayne watching a little girl take off her shoes, later we know that he collects the shoes of his victims, makes and sense? no. But this is code Hollywood, and Wayne is a pedophile sex maniac from the aforementioned visual clues. So obviously the shoes have to be a metaphor for the girls panties. 

One of the final shots in the title sequence has Wayne leaning up against a boardwalk rail with his body in a very twisted almost "S" shape. He's a "Sicko." seriously twisted.

  

We then  creepily follow the pedophile on his hunts for new victims....

bingo! Elsie Coster and her ball

Bunker Hill

Wayne's latest victim resides with her mother in the Alta Vista Apartment house at the West end of the Bunker Hill section of Third Street just above and North of the tunnel portal. The Alta Vista was the setting for the 1939 novel "Ask The Dust" by Italian-American author John Fante It was set during the Great Depression-era in Los Angeles. The novel is an American classic.

The Alta Vista Apartments 255 South Bunker Hill Avenue

Mrs Coster, (Karen Morley) in an Alta Vista apartment.

Interior hallway looking up...

...and down

When her little girl Elsie does not come back from school with the other children Mrs. Coster is frantic.

Above,  Mrs Coster along side the Alta Vista, looking for Elsie. To her right is the small terrace park above the West Portal of the Third Street Tunnel. Note the clothesline with wash hanging between the palm trees, how L.A.

Sunshine Apartments on Clay Street and Third and behind the Hillcrest Hotel

David Wayne's apartment house at 315 South Bunker Hill Ave

a 1950 Studebaker Commander 

David Wayne above West Portal of Third Street Tunnel

Hope Street headwall above Third Street Tunnel. 

Hope Street Stairway

Third Street Tunnel West Portal

Angels Flight and Third Street Tunnel East Portal

Los Angeles Gas Works

The L.A. Gas Works was located farther East. The gas holders (also called gasometers) belonged to the Los Angeles Gas Company. This was in an industrial area next to Union Station near the concrete L.A. River.  

Ocean Park Pier

The Bradbury Building


Wayne is finally corralled in the Bradbury Building located on the Southeast corner of Third Street and South Broadway.

The Bradbury Atrium

Bradbury Building basement

Noirsville

The Mayor (Jim Backus) and Detective Inspector Carney (Howard Da Silva)

The below two screencaps nicely illustrates, without any dialog Wayne's fear of grownup women. As he leaves his apartment house an attractive neighbor lady tries to make a pass. Wayne avoids her practically walking into the hedge so he doesn't come close. She looks back giving him a weird look.

An apartment neighbor makes a pass at Wayne...

...who makes a wide detour around her.

Charlie Marshall (Martin Gabel)

Pottsy (Raymond Burr)

 

Riggert (Glen Anders)

Martin W. Harrow (David Wayne)

Police Chief Regan (Roy Engle) and  Da Silva

torch singer

chain smoking

Inspector Carney (Da Silva) lt., Lt. Becker (Steve Brodie) rt.

Macmahan (Walter Burke)

Sutro (Norman Lloyd)

the trophies

Taco Stand

mannequin factory 

Lemke (Leonard Bremen) lt.

The remake like it's predecessor is more about how society reacts to the shocking murders than the murders themselves. It in this respect mimics the hysteria of the hunt for the "card carrying commies" by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Director Losey and other in the cast were under investigation during the principal photography.

The remake suffers from being relatively unknown until fairly recently, eclipsed by Lang's original masterpiece on one hand and from it being shelved by Columbia Pictures soon after release. 8/10