The Informer (film)

Infobox Film | name = The Informer

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image_size = 200
caption = original film poster
director = John Ford
producer = John Ford
writer = Dudley Nichols
starring = Victor McLaglen
Heather Angel
Preston Foster
Margot Grahame
Wallace Ford
Una O'Connor
music = Max Steiner
cinematography = Joseph H. August
editing = George Hively
distributor = RKO Radio Pictures
released =
runtime = 91 min.
imdb_id = 0026529

"The Informer" is a 1935 dramatic film, released by RKO. The plot concerns the underside of the Irish War of Independence set in 1922. It stars Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame, Wallace Ford, Una O'Connor and J.M. Kerrigan.

The screenplay was written by Dudley Nichols from the novel "The Informer" by Liam O'Flaherty. It was directed by John Ford. It is about a brutish, but well-meaning Irishman, Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaglen), who informs on his best friend Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford) who is a member of the Irish Republican Army, in order to collect the reward of £20 and sail to America with his girlfriend Katie Madden (Margot Grahame). The film traces his conscience-stricken emotional disintegration that eventually leads him to give himself away.

The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. cite web |url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1206730182536 |title=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science |accessdate=2008-03-28|work=Academy] McLaglen won the Academy Award for Best Leading Actor for his portrayal of Gypo Nolan, beating out Charles Laughton and Clark Gable for the better-remembered "Mutiny on the Bounty", and Ford won for Best Director. Dudley Nichols won the Oscar for Best Writing, but turned it down because of Union disagreements. It was the first time an Oscar was declined.

The film's other awards & nominations;
*NBR - Best Picture
*New York Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Film and Best Director
*Venice Film Festival - John Ford nominated for Mussolini Cup

A presentation copy of the script, originally presented to a Seymour Roman, and signed by many of the prominent cast and crew, was ostensibly found in Madison, Wisconsin among items being cleaned out of an apartment by a landlord. It was brought to the "Antiques Roadshow" and was appraised for $4,000-$5,000.

Cast

* Victor McLaglen - Gypo Nolan
* Heather Angel - Mary McPhillip
* Preston Foster - Dan Gallagher
* Margot Grahame - Katie Madden
* Wallace Ford - Frankie McPhillip
* Una O'Connor - Mrs. McPhillip
* J. M. Kerrigan - Terry
* Joe Sawyer - Bartly Mulholland (as Joseph Sauers)
* Neil Fitzgerald - Tommy Connor
* Donald Meek - Peter Mulligan
* D'Arcy Corrigan - The Blind Man
* Leo McCabe - Donahue
* Steve Pendleton - Dennis Daly (as Gaylord Pendleton)
* Francis Ford - "Judge" Flynn
* May Boley - Madame Betty

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0026529|title=The Informer