Odd Man Out [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Overview

Carol Reed's taut character study (disguised as a suspense melodrama) was adapted from the novel by F.L. Green and stars James Mason in his star-making role as I.R.A. operative Johnny McQueen. Breaking out of jail, Johnny takes it on the lam, but idealism forces him out of hiding in order to raise money for the I.R.A. cause he believes in so strongly. He decides to rob a bank, but the hold-up goes bad and Johnny is seriously wounded by the police. Staggering through the streets of Belfast, Johnny meets a succession of people who either want to help him or turn him over to the authorities. Johnny finally stumbles into a pub, where he is taken in by a homosexual artist (Robert Newton) who wants Johnny to pose for him in order to capture the desperation in his eyes. Johnny breaks free from the artist and tries to make his way to the waterfront in a final effort to escape ... but the police are slowly closing in.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/14/2015
UPC:	0715515143912
Original Release:	1947
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	12,115

Special Features

New interview with British cinema scholar John Hill, Author of Cinema and Northern Ireland: Film, Culture and Politics Postwar Poetry, a new short documentary about the film New interview with music scholar Jeff Smith about composer William Alwyn and his score Home, James, a 1972 documentary featuring actor James Mason revisiting his hometown Radio adaptation of the film from 1952, starring Mason and Dan O'Herlihy

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Mason	Johnny McQueen
Kathleen Ryan	Kathleen
Robert Newton	Lukey
Robert Beatty	Dennis
William Hartnell	Barman
F.J. McCormick	Shell
Fay Compton	Rosie
Beryl Measor	Maudie
Cyril Cusack	Pat,Actor
Dan O'Herlihy	Nolan
Roy Irving	Murphy
Maureen Delaney	Theresa
Kitty Kirwan	Granny
Min Milligan	Housekeeper,Actor
Joseph Tomelty	Cabby
W.G. Fay	Father Tom
Arthur Hambling	Alfie
Denis O'Dea	Head Constable
Elwyn Brook-Jones	Tober
Anne Clery	Maureen
Eddie Byrne	Policeman
Pat McGrath	Actor
Dora Bryan	Girl in Telephone Kiosk
Guy Rolfe	Policeman
Geoffrey Keen	Soldier
London Symphony Orchestra	Performer
William Alwyn	Composer
Muir Mathieson	Composer

Technical Credits

R.C. Sherriff

F.L. Green

Carol Reed	Director,Producer
Stanley Grant	Special Effects
Bill Warrington	Special Effects
R.C. Sherriff	Screenwriter
F.L. Green	Screenwriter
Harry Miller	Sound/Sound Designer
Desmond Dew	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Odd Man Out is an entertaining chase movie that has been criticized for an unrealistic representation of Northern Ireland. Directed by London-born Carol Reed, the film works for the universality of its story, and James Mason's fine performance compensates considerably for the film's sometimes blurry focus. The supporting performances are first-rate -- Cyril Cusack's in particular -- and the attention to character detail is unusual for films of the 1940s. Mason's intricate, psychological performance is among the best of his career, while Reed's use of visual symbolism (such as the crucifixion motif in the film's conclusion) provides additional richness. Odd Man Out was remade in 1969 as The Lost Man, with a U.S. setting and Sidney Poitier in Mason's role.

All Movie Guide - Richard Gilliam