The Informer (1935 film)

The Informer
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Ford
Screenplay byDudley Nichols
Based onThe Informer
by Liam O'Flaherty
Produced byJohn Ford
StarringVictor McLaglen
Heather Angel
Preston Foster
Margot Grahame
Wallace Ford
Una O'Connor
CinematographyJoseph H. August
Edited byGeorge Hively
Music byMax Steiner
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • May 9, 1935 (1935-05-09)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$243,000[1]
Box office$950,000[1]

The Informer is a 1935 American drama thriller film directed and produced by John Ford, adapted by Dudley Nichols from the 1925 novel of the same title by Irish novelist Liam O'Flaherty. Set in 1922, the plot concerns the underside of the Irish War of Independence and centers on a disgraced Republican man, played by Victor McLaglen, who anonymously informs on his former comrades and spirals into guilt as his treachery becomes known. Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame, Wallace Ford, Una O'Connor and J. M. Kerrigan co-star. The novel had previously been adapted for a British film of the same name in 1929.

Along with Mutiny on the Bounty, The Informer was a big contender at the 8th Academy Awards, competing directly in all six categories they were nominated for (though Mutiny got eight nominations in total, given its three Best Actor nominations). The Informer won four Oscars: Best Director for Ford, Best Actor for McLaglen, Best Writing Screenplay for Nichols, and Best Score for Max Steiner.

In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[2][3][4]

  1. ^ a b Jewel, Richard. "RKO Film Grosses: 1931–1951", Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol. 14 No. 1, 1994, p. 55.
  2. ^ "'Jurassic Park,' 'The Shining,' And 23 Other Movies Added To National Film Registry". NPR.org.
  3. ^ "National Film Registry Turns 30". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 16, 2020.