M (1931 movie) - Definition and Overview

M (original title: M- Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (translation: M- a city in search of a murderer)) is a 1931 German film noir directed by Fritz Lang and written by Thea von Harbou in which a serial killer, played by Peter Lorre, preys on children; the police and criminal underground of Berlin both work to stop him. M was the first starring role for Peter Lorre, and it boosted his career, even though he was typecast as a villain for years after.

Peter Lorre whistles the tune "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg in the movie.

The film was based in part on the stories of Jack the Ripper and the Vampire of Düsseldorf and consistently ranks among the top 50 of the Internet Movie Database's top 250 films.

The movie was remade in 1951 (see M (1951 movie)) shifting the action from Berlin to Los Angeles. The remake, directed by Joseph Losey with David Wayne playing Lorre's role, was not well received by critics or audiences.

External link

• M (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/) at the Internet Movie Database