Wed 16 Jun 2021
T-MEN. Eagle-Lion Films, 1947. Dennis O’Keefe, Mary Meade, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, June Lockhart, Charles McGraw, Jane Randolph. Narrated by Reed Hadley (uncredited). Director of Photography: John Alton. Directed by Anthony Mann.
Although the continual narration turns off some viewers, or so I’ve been told, T-Men is one of the better semi-documentary noir films of all time. It’s the US Treasury Department which takes its place in the spotlight, with gang of counterfeiter the target of the agents working there. The story may be a little long in the telling, as the two men working undercover work their way through the world of the underground by starting in Detroit to establish their “credentials†before heading to the West Coast to match their superior plates with the gang’s top-notch paper, imported from China.
Both Dennis O’Keefe (as one of the agents) and Wallace Ford (an aging hanger-on with the gang) turn in fine performances, but the star of the show is John Alton, as head cinematographer, along with director Anthony Mann. Between them they came up with a film perfectly shot in pristine black-and-white, using lot of unusual angles and closeups that add immensely to the story, not distract from it.
I do not know why Mary Meade, playing a nightclub photographer received second billing. She was on the screen only for a few minutes total. It’s mostly a men’s affair. On the other hand, June Lockhart makes the most of her very short appearance, while Jane Randolph makes a even greater impression as a villainess close to the top of California gang’s hierarchy.
If you are a fan of film noir and have not yet seen this, please do. You can thank me later.
June 16th, 2021 at 5:08 pm
This film put Dennis O’Keefe, if not over the top, into an accelerated mode that lasted through the early mid-fifties.
June 16th, 2021 at 5:42 pm
O’Keefe had a long long career in the movies, starting in the 30s in mostly uncredited roles. In the forties he starred in movies such as Getting Gertie’s Garter. I think Mr. District Attorney (1947) may have been his first noir-type role, and it was not to be his last. He was also quite good in Raw Deal and Woman on the Run, as I recall.
June 16th, 2021 at 7:41 pm
Heard an interview recently with the creator of the original OTRR ‘Mr. District Attorney’. Apparently just a couple o’ law students at the time, fooling around with the new reel-to-reel techniques coming to the fore when they were in college. Joel somebody. They were as startled as anybody when it became a hit.
June 16th, 2021 at 8:33 pm
This film and RAW DEAL still have considerable kick. They are among the toughest noir films of the time as far as brutality goes, which is saying a lot.
O’Keefe did well in the Forties though his roles tended to be in comedy and sometimes second lead to actors like Gary Cooper (THE STORY OF DOCTOR WASSEL) and John Wayne (THE FIGHTING SEABEES). He did quite a few B crime films too including LADY SCARFACE with Dame Judith Anderson though none of them were really noir strictly, just black and white crime films.
My Aunt knew him a bit late in his life and said he was pretty much the same easy going guy as on screen, albeit often in his cups. He did several films more or less on the lines of T MEN including WALK A CROOKED MILE and DIAMOND WIZARD (one of several British films he made). CHICAGO SYNDICATE notable for a dramatic role for Xavier Cugat was another noir crime drama from this era.
He teamed with John Payne for at least two successful Westerns.
Early in his career he wrote for the OUR GANG comedies for Hal Roach and then was teamed for a while with Wallace Beery in several films.
June 17th, 2021 at 7:51 am
MGM was so impressed by this they hired Mann and Alton to do a near-remake (BORDER INCIDENT) the very next year.
June 17th, 2021 at 11:28 am
I totally agree with this review. T-MEN is a central work in the history of film noir and the semi-documentary film.
The other noir films mentioned in the reviews and comments are very good too.
My favorites of the 1940’s comedy films O’Keefe made with director Allan Dwan, are ABROAD WITH TWO YANKS and BREWSTER’S MILLIONS.
I’d never seen or even heard of a MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY film before.Just the original radio show.
The comic book adaptation of MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY lasted years in the 1950’s. Many of the stories are surprisingly entertaining.
June 17th, 2021 at 12:22 pm
I enjoyed O’Keefe in the film Cover Up that also starred Barbara Britton and William Bendix. He played an insurance investigator looking into a death in a small town.
June 17th, 2021 at 7:20 pm
COVER UP is good, and available to watch on YouTube.