In recent months I have delved into some of the western hits that acclaimed filmmaker Anthony Mann was most associated with such as The Furies and The Naked Spur. While Mann thrived in this genre, he was first known for wading into the gritty, criminal world of film noir in the early part of his career. His 1947 crime procedural tale T-Men was far from his first film produced, but Mann himself often referred to it as his real first film. This was the first feature in which he was completely responsible for the story, the structure, the characters, and putting it all together to fit his vision. Up until this point, Mann was a virtual nobody who had been making B-pictures that showed a glimpse of his talent but were not given a spotlight. Not only did T-Men get the A-list treatment from Eagle-Lion films, but audiences responded enthusiastically with a successful box office return. The choice to take a semi-documentary approach to the material does not always work, but when focused on the dramatized narrative the film is firing on all cylinders.
This tale of U.S Treasury department agents facing off against a currency counterfeiting ring makes its biggest misstep in the opening moments before swiftly moving forward. The film begins with a jarring opening from former Treasury Department official and Internal Revenue Service Director Elmer Lincoln Irey, the man who spearheaded the investigation which finally brought down Al Capone, in which he is given a platform to awkwardly praise the real-life people who helped bring down a crime syndicate. This was the price for being one of the few films at the time allowed to show genuine U.S. currency instead of prop money that would lessen the authenticity of the picture. Irey also had numerous conversations with screenwriter John C. Higgins to make sure the story being brought to the screen remained true to life. Throughout the tale, you can feel that you are witnessing something grounded in reality, but Higgins also has a knack for finding the engaging spark in each scene be it bureaucratic elements at the precinct or the sobering bluntness of the criminal gatherings.
Once we get into the flow of the proper narrative things markedly improve. Treasury Agents (aka T-Men) Dennis O’Brien (Dennis O’Keefe) and Tony Genaro (Alfred Ryder) are tasked with going undercover in a counterfeit ring posing as counterfeiters from out of town. The unfolding action itself is nothing groundbreaking, but under the direction of Mann scenes really begin to sing. The filmmaker does not overindulge in roaming dolly shots or close-ups unless the moment really calls for it. With the mastery of shadow courtesy of cinematographer John Alton, you are offered up moments where shadows are used for dramatic reveals in conjunction with intrusive close-ups. The lead agents can run slightly on the bland side, but the film itself has a pugnacious spirit that allows it to stand apart from many from this era with the brutality seen on screen. From a shocking execution that will take the wind out of your sails to an artfully composed hit in a steam room, the film shows these antagonists as people with whom you should not engage.
As alluded to earlier, the main Achilles heel of the film is the documentary aspect it insists on forcing into the story. Stories based somewhat on true events can be quite thrilling, but having a booming narrator popping in from time to time to illustrate what is happening on screen is so distracting. Film is a different medium than radio so there is no need for the audience to be told what is happening in addition to being shown. Thankfully, this lessens as the film goes along, yet it makes what would be classified as a great movie be downgraded to simply good. At just over 90 minutes, the film does not feel too padded and it does manage to throw in a few surprises. The villains are definitely more interesting than the heroes, and the few women who are allowed into the story are utilized to keep the plot flowing only. More than anything, this feels like an excuse for Anthony Mann to announce himself as an exceptional filmmaker, and on that basis it succeeds. Some of the presentational choices may have been a misstep, but overall when the film is working it is a very engaging film noir.
Video Quality
T-Men makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a 1080p master from a restoration that is quite excellent. The lovely black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact and next to nothing in terms of density fluctuations. Black levels are very deep with no obvious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and the track experiences nearly nothing in the way of damage. There is a grand amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. ClassicFlix has done some marvelous work here and any fan should be beyond pleased with the quality.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a less impressive LPCM 2.0 track that nonetheless serves this movie well enough. This track does present some amount of age-related wear and tear, as it sometimes struggles with the Paul Sawtell score. There are also certain instances of dialogue that sound a bit hollow, but typically it sounds natural with the bombastic narration coming through especially clear. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. The music never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Even with some core source issues, ClassicFlix has done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
This Blu-Ray set includes a multi-page booklet featuring the essay “The Tough Tale Of T-Men: The Making of Anthony Mann’s Breakout Thriller Hit” by film historian Max Alvarez. The essay provides a great amount of context to Mann’s career at the time of the film’s release as well as biographical details and discussion of his collaboration with John Alton. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Biographer and Producer Alan K. Rode provides an in-depth commentary track in which he discusses the circumstances behind the creation of this picture, the blending of fact and fiction, the careers of the talents involved, some criticisms of the film and much more that makes for a very enlightening track.
- Into The Darkness – Mann, Alton and T-Men: An eleven-minute featurette in which various film historians discuss the unique qualities of the film with a particular focus on the collaboration between Mann and cinematographer John Alton. This goes toward highlighting some of the unique shots employed in the feature.
- A Director’s Daughter – Nina Mann Remembers: A nine-minute featurette in which Anthony Mann’s daughter, Nina Mann, gives some insight into her father’s work with biographical details that you may find a bit unusual. This is a great interview which really is worth checking out.
Final Thoughts
T-Men stumbles when it comes to the hamfisted non-fiction aspects roped into the feature, but this is a minor part of what is overall a really compelling tale. Anthony Mann shows a level of craftsmanship that is to be admired, and when you couple this with the fact he is working with John Alton you are left with something really special. The two lead performances are not too dynamic, but the ensemble of bad guys do a great job of keeping you transfixed. ClassicFlix has released a Special Edition Blu-Ray featuring a pretty great video presentation and decent audio, along with a strong assortment of special features. If you are a fan of Anthony Mann or film noir, this should be a strong purchase for you. Recommended
T-Men (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.