M (1951 film)

M is a 1951 American thriller film noir directed by Joseph Losey, an English-language remake of Fritz Lang's 1931 German film about a child murderer. The film stars David Wayne, Howard da Silva, Luther Adler and Martin Gabel in the leading roles. This version shifts the location of action from Berlin to Los Angeles. The film was produced independently, and released by Columbia Pictures in March 1951. Both versions of M were produced by Seymour Nebenzal, whose son, Harold, was associate producer of the 1951 version. Much as the original film was widely interpreted as an allegory for Nazism, Losey's interpretation was influenced by his experiences in the Red Scare and the Hollywood blacklist. Several of the cast and crew would be targeted by the blacklist, and Losey himself would move to Europe soon after the film's release when he was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee.