The Informer (1935)

The Informer
Directed by John Ford
1935/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
Repeat viewing

[box] Gypo Nolan: And now the British think I’m with the Irish, and the Irish think I’m with the British. The long and short of it is I’m walkin’ around starving without a dog to lick my trousers![/box]

Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaghlen) is a big lug who is down on his luck.  He got bounced from his local IRA unit for failing to kill a prisoner.  He is broke and his girl has turned to prostitution.  One fine night he notices a poster promising a 20 pound reward for the capture of his friend, Frankie.  Shortly thereafter, he sees an advertisement for a sea voyage to America for 10 pounds.  He meets Frankie at a pub and, without much thought, is off to the British soldiers who patrol the streets.  Only problem is everything Gypo does is on impulse, he is mighty fond of the bottle, and the IRA will stop at nothing to root out the informer.

You can almost feel the dampness and cold of the foggy streets of Dublin when you watch this movie.  This is more “stage-bound” somehow than other Ford films but is nonetheless excellent.  Victor McLaghlen is wonderful.  You believe all the bewilderment, bluster, and violence of the character.  Whether this was a match of actor with role or a specific characterization I don’t know and it doesn’t really matter.  I have read, though, that John Ford was really rough on McLaghlen (making him perform without notice and hung over, etc.) to get the performance out of him.

The Informer won Oscars for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Score and was  nominated for Best Picture and Best Editing.  Is the first film and only film to win the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Picture by a unanimous vote on the first ballot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_c9JenLClo

Re-release trailer