The Fearmakers | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Jacques Tourneur |
Screenplay by | Elliot West Chris Appley |
Based on | The Fear Makers 1945 novel by Darwin Teilhet |
Produced by | Martin H. Lancer |
Starring | Dana Andrews |
Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
Edited by | James Whittredge |
Music by | Irving Gertz |
Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Pacemaker |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Fearmakers is a 1958 American film noir crime film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews. [1] The screenplay is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Darwin Teilhet. The film centers on seemingly nonpartisan political messages that are shaped by a public-relations firm secretly controlled by communists determined to undermine the American government. [2] [3]
Korean War veteran Alan Eaton, who suffered through brainwashing as a P.O.W., returns home and resumes his job at a public-relation and opinion-research firm in Washington, D.C. His partner has been killed mysteriously in an accident, and he discovers that his company has been taken over by communist infiltrators intent on fixing public opinion polls and promoting communist organizations. To stop them, Eaton cooperates with a Senate investigation.
Carver Dana Andrews was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts into the 1980s. He is best known for his portrayal of obsessed police detective Mark McPherson in the noir Laura (1944) and his critically acclaimed performance as World War II veteran Fred Derry in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).
Melvin Howard Tormé, nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" and co-wrote the lyrics with Bob Wells. Tormé won two Grammy Awards and was nominated a total of 14 times.
I Was a Communist for the FBI is a 1951 American crime film noir produced by Bryan Foy, directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Lovejoy.
Duchess of Idaho is an American musical romantic comedy produced in 1950 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, it was the fourth film pairing Esther Williams and Van Johnson. It was filmed at the MGM Studios lot and exteriors shot in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Undercurrent is a 1946 American film noir drama directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, and Robert Mitchum. The screenplay was written by Edward Chodorov, based on the story "You Were There'" by Thelma Strabel, and allegedly contained uncredited contributions from Marguerite Roberts.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is a 1956 American film noir legal drama directed by Fritz Lang and written by Douglas Morrow. The film stars Dana Andrews, Joan Fontaine, Sidney Blackmer, and Arthur Franz. It was Lang's second film for producer Bert E. Friedlob, and the last American film he directed.
The Woman on Pier 13 is a 1949 American film noir drama starring Laraine Day, Robert Ryan, and John Agar. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the picture previewed in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 1949 under the title I Married a Communist but, owing to poor polling among preview audiences, this was dropped prior to its 1950 release.
The Tamarind Seed is a 1974 romantic thriller spy drama film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Evelyn Anthony, the film is about a British Home Office functionary and a Soviet-era attaché who are lovers involved in Cold War intrigue. The Tamarind Seed was the first film produced by Lorimar Productions. The film score was composed by John Barry.
The North Star is a 1943 pro-resistance war film starring Anne Baxter, Dana Andrews, Walter Huston, Walter Brennan and Erich von Stroheim It was produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by Lewis Milestone, written by Lillian Hellman and featured production design by William Cameron Menzies. The music was written by Aaron Copland, the lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and the cinematography by James Wong Howe. The film also marked the debut of Farley Granger.
The Loved One is a 1965 black-and-white black comedy film directed by British filmmaker Tony Richardson. A satirical look at the funeral business in Los Angeles, it is based on Evelyn Waugh's 1948 short novel The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy, though the screenplay by noted American satirical novelist Terry Southern and British author Christopher Isherwood also incorporates elements from Jessica Mitford's 1963 nonfiction book The American Way of Death. The film stars Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer, and Rod Steiger, with Dana Andrews, Milton Berle, James Coburn, John Gielgud, Tab Hunter, Margaret Leighton, Liberace, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Barbara Nichols, and Lionel Stander credited as "cameo guest stars", and features the debut acting performance of songwriter Paul Williams.
Fräulein is a 1958 American romantic drama war film directed by Henry Koster starring Dana Wynter and Mel Ferrer as two people caught up in World War II and the aftermath. It was also released as Fraulein in CinemaScope.
Hollywood Canteen is a 1944 American musical romantic comedy film starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Dane Clark and features many stars in cameo roles. and produced by Warner Bros. The film was written and directed by Delmer Daves and received three Oscar nominations.
Enchanted Island is a 1958 American Technicolor adventure film distributed by Warner Bros., directed by Allan Dwan, produced by Benedict Bogeaus, and written by Harold Jacob Smith, James Leicester, and Al Stillman. It is based on Herman Melville's novel Typee, which was also the film's working title. The title song, "Enchanted Island", written by Stillman and Robert Allen, was performed on the soundtrack by The Four Lads, who had a hit recording of the song on Columbia Records.
The Iron Curtain is a 1948 American thriller film starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, directed by William A. Wellman. It was the first film on the Cold War. The film was based on the memoirs of Igor Gouzenko. Principal photography was done on location in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada by Charles G. Clarke. The film was later re-released as Behind the Iron Curtain.
Comanche is a 1956 American Western film directed by George Sherman in CinemaScope and starring Dana Andrews. The film has a theme song "A Man Is As Good As His Word" sung by The Lancers.
Three Hours to Kill is a 1954 American Western film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Dana Andrews, Donna Reed and Dianne Foster.
Sunset Pass is a lost 1929 American silent Western film directed by Otto Brower. It stars Jack Holt, Nora Lane, and John Loder.
Assignment – Paris! is a 1952 American Cold War film noir directed by Robert Parrish and starring Dana Andrews, Märta Torén, George Sanders and Audrey Totter. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures.
The Mysterious Doctor is a 1943 American horror film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Richard Weil. The film stars John Loder, Eleanor Parker, Bruce Lester, Lester Matthews and Forrester Harvey. The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 3, 1943.
Here Comes Carter is a 1936 American comedy film directed by William Clemens and written by Roy Chanslor. The film stars Ross Alexander, Glenda Farrell and Anne Nagel. Last film produced by First National Pictures and released on October 24, 1936. In Britain the film was released under the title "The Voice of Scandal". A radio commentator avenges an old wrong by blowing the whistle on Hollywood scandals.