Anthony Mann

Anthony Mann (June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967)

Mann was an actor and film director, most notably of film noir and Westerns. As a director, he often collaborated with the cinematographer John Alton and with actor James Stewart in his Westerns. He appeared as an actor in The Blue Peter (1925), The Little Clay Cart (1926), and Uncle Vanya (1929). In 1930 he began directing as well, but he continued to act, appearing in The Streets of New York, or Poverty is No Crime (1931), and The Bride the Sun Shines On (1933). He directed Thunder on the Left (1933). During these years he met and married his first wife Mildred when they both worked at Macy's department store in New York City. Contrary to misleading newspaper reports, Mildred was a clerk and not a store executive or manager. They would have two children and divorce in 1956. Mann's career took a leap when he made T-Men (1947) for Eagle Lion. It was a critical and commercial success. He followed it with Railroaded! (1947). He went back to RKO for Desperate (1947) then had some other big successes at Eagle Lion with He Walked by Night (1948) and Raw Deal (1948). Mann's first "A" film was the Western The Furies (1950) at Paramount. He followed this with a Western at Universal, starring James Stewart, Winchester '73 (1950). It was a huge success. Mann was reunited with Stewart for another Western at Universal, Bend of the River (1952). The actor and director made a contemporary adventure film, Thunder Bay (1953) at Universal and a Western, The Naked Spur (1953) at MGM. Mann and Stewart had their biggest success to date with The Glenn Miller Story (1954). Also well received was their "Northern", The Far Country (1954). Mann went to Columbia to make a Western without Stewart, The Last Frontier (1955), with Victor Mature. Star and director were reunited on The Man from Laramie (1955) at Columbia.

He was also the original director of Spartacus (1960), but was fired early in production by producer-star Kirk Douglas and replaced with Stanley Kubrick, having shot a handful of scenes. In 1967, Mann died from a heart attack in Berlin while filming the spy thriller A Dandy in Aspic. The film was completed by the film's star Laurence Harvey. Mann was 60 years old.