A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.A sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 nominations total
- Man at Line-Up
- (uncredited)
- Man
- (uncredited)
- Woman
- (uncredited)
- Passerby On Sidewalk
- (uncredited)
- Woman
- (uncredited)
- Man
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Fitzpatrick
- (uncredited)
- Woman at Darr Murder Scene
- (uncredited)
- Rookie Cop
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter making this film, Adolphe Menjou, a very vocal anti-communist, was asked why he agreed to work with director Edward Dmytryk, who had been blacklisted for his communist sympathies. Menjou replied, "Because I'm a whore".
- GoofsLate in the film, Eddie is seen crouched and targeting for a kill shot by a smokestack painter. The latter throws his pail of white paint onto the street below to get the attention of the people who could not hear him and the pail and its contents splatter on the ground. After Eddie shoots the man and the camera returns to the street, the pavement is unmarred.
- Quotes
Police Photographer: [Referring to photographing the dead body] How about one with the sheet off, Lieutenant? Just one, that's all.
Police Lt. Frank Kafka: Not a chance!
Police Photographer: Why not? What's the matter?
Police Lt. Frank Kafka: Listen, food's too expensive to spoil people's appetite for breakfast. I wouldn't want a dead girl on my front page.
Police Photographer: You've got one anyway.
Police Lt. Frank Kafka: I don't like dead girls on the front page or anywhere else.
Police Sgt. Joe Ferris: [Interjecting] Should've been with me last night. You wouldn't have liked a couple of live ones. I had a lot of trouble last night.
- Crazy creditsA word about the picture which follows: High among police problems is that of the sex criminal, responsible last year alone for offenses which victimized 31,175 women. Adequate and understanding laws do not exist. Law enforcement is helpless. Here, in terms of one case, is the story of a man whose enemy was womankind.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Green Fog (2017)
- SoundtracksPennies from Heaven
(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Johnston
Words by Johnny Burke (1936)
Played by Marie Windsor in piano bar
Franz paints us a portrayal of a socially challenged man who just can't get anywhere with the opposite sex. He conceives a pathological hatred of all women and an innocent encounter with a nightclub performer played by Marie Windsor finally triggers him off.
After that Franz is on a rampage, killing women almost at random from various San Francisco rooftops. The film was shot on location in San Francisco and The Sniper bears a whole lot of resemblance to The Naked City where Jules Dassin made New York's mean streets as much a star as the human players. Director Edward Dmytryk does the same for San Francisco.
And the cops here are much like Barry Fitzgerald and Don Taylor from that film. Watching the film I wonder how much persuasion it took to get Adolphe Menjou to shave off that famous wax mustache of his, a remnant of fashion from a bygone era. It certainly wouldn't have gone with his role as a homicide cop. But the voice is distinctive and Menjou put it over. Acting as his younger sidekick is Gerald Mohr.
What's ironic in The Sniper is that the whole thing is a desperate cry for help to a world to busy to care. The minor key ending of The Sniper brings that point home quite vividly.
The Sniper is a noir classic, not as glamorous as Dirty Harry Callahan's pursuit of another twisted individual through San Francisco, but a whole lot more realistic.
- bkoganbing
- Feb 16, 2011
- How long is The Sniper?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1