The Sniper (1952)

The emergence of film noir also saw the emergence of the police procedural, many of them which were shot in documentary fashion. These included such movies as T-Men (1947), The Naked City (1948), and He Walked by Night (1948). Among the police procedurals of the early Fifties was The Sniper (1952). What sets The Sniper apart from other police procedurals and films noirs is that it spends more time on the psychology of its antagonist than law enforcement's pursuit of him.

At the centre of The Sniper (1952) is Eddie Miller (Arthur Franz), a delivery man who hates women. This hatred of women eventually manifests itself in Miller killing women at a long distance with a rifle. In order to catch the killer, the police find they must work with a psychologist, who creates a profile of the killer.

The Sniper (1952) was based on a story by Edna and Edward Anhatt, who had earlier came up with the story of the film noir Panic in the Streets (1950). The inspiration for the story came about when Edward Anhatt noticed a steeplejack atop a smoke stack in San Diego. In the May 4 1952 issue of The New York Times, in the article "The Shiper--From Research to Shooting," Edna & Edward Anhatt explained that they had four purposes in writing and producing the film with Stanley Kramer, "One, to expose the shocking inability of our present social machinery to protect the individual citizen against the sex criminal. Two, to do so with a maximum of suspense and excitement, i.e. entertainment. Third, to use the correct psychological vocabulary of the situations to make our points, regardless of traditional censorship. Four, to do a completely straight story line without jazzing up or gimmicking for cinematic effects or relief."

The Anhatts sold the story to producer Stanley Kramer.. Stanley Kramer was already becoming known for producing films with messages, having already produced Home of the Brave (1949) and The Men (1950). To write the screenplay Stanley Kramer turned to novelist, poet, and playwright Harry Brown. Harry Brown had already worked in film, hving written the screenplays for such films as A Place in the Sun (1951), Only the Valiant (1941), and Bugles in the Afternoon (1952). Stanley Kramer would adapt Harry Brown's play A Sound of Hunting as the film Eight Iron Men (1952).

The Sniper (1952) would run into trouble with the Production Code Administration. On June 26 1951 Joseph Breen of the PCA wrote to Stanley Kramer with his concerns about the first draft screenplay of The Sniper. Mr. Breen informed Mr. Kramer that The Sniper could not be approved by the PCA as it violated the provision of the Code which stated that "sex perversion or any inferences to it is forbidden." This did not discourage Stanley Kramer. The producer, his team, Edna and Edward Anhatt, and Harry Brown, met with a representative from the PCA on August 2." Ultimately, it was agreed to remove any inferences of sex perversion from the screenplay. The PCA approved a revised version of the screenplay on August 14, 1951, although the PCA wanted further changes. The PCA would eventually relax its stance against The Sniper referencing  sex offenders. It finally approved The Sniper on December 10 1951.

The Sniper (1951) would also run afoul of the British Board of Film Censors. When The Sniper was first submitted to the board, the BBFC determined it to be unsuitable for classification. The BBFC would eventually approve The Sniper (1952), but only after several cuts were made to the movie. Even then, The Sniper was given an X certificate, which meant no one under the age of 16 could see the movie. Apparently the British still regard The Sniper (1952) as intense. In 2021 when The Sniper (1952) was submitted for home entertainment (both physical entertainment and streaming), the uncut film was classified "15," meaning it is suitable only for those 15 years and older.

Of course, The Sniper was controversial not only because of its content, but because of its director. Edward Dmytryk had been a member of the Communist Party for a brief time in 1944 and 1945. It was in 1947 that he was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). He then became one of the Hollywood Ten, ten screenwriters and directors who refused to testify HUAC. He was cited for contempt of Congress, sentenced to prison, blaclklisted in Hollywood, and fired from RKO. Edward Dmytryk ten fled to England. He had to return to the United States to renew his passport, where he was arrested. He served four months and 17 days in prison. It was in 1951 that Edward Dmytryk went before HUAC were he testified and named names. 

Given the political beliefs of both Stanley Kramer and Edward Dmytryk, it might be surprising that Adlophe Menjou was cast as Police Lt. Frank Kafka. Adolphe Menjou was a staunch Republican who tended to think of Democrats as "socialists." He fully supported HUAC and willingly testified before them in 1947.Knowing that Edward Dmytryk and Adolphe Menjou were polar opposites when it came to politics, he called them both into his office and asked them to get the job done without any political or personal resentments. Fortunately, both Edward Dmytryk and Adolphe Menjou proved to be professionals on the set.

Beyond having to work with Edward Dmytryk, the casting of Adolphe Menjou is interesting for another reason. Know for his sense of fashion, in The Sniper (1952) Adolphe Menjou wore cheap suits and cheap shoes as Lt. Kafka. It would be the last leading role of Adolphe Menjou's career.

The Sniper (1952) is known for its extensive location work in San Francisco. Much of the film was shot around Telegraph Hill, with scenes shot on Filbert Street, Union Street, and Montgomery Street. One scene not shot in San Francisco is one that in the film is supposed to be Playland at the Beach. In reality it was the Pike amusement park in Long Beach. Other scenes were shot at Columbia.Warner Bros. Ranch.

The Sniper (1952) premiered in Washington DC on March 12 1952. The moview received good reviews in both The Hollywood Reporter and  Variety, although Bosley Crowther in The New York Times gave it a mixed review. One place where The Sniper received no love was The Daily Worker, which was pleased with neither Stanley Kramer's choice of Edward Dmytryk as director or Adolphe Menjou as star. It complained  "Movie director Edward Dmytryk, ex-member of the Hollywood Ten who turned informer for the FBI, is now palsy-walsy with his erstwhile foe--the rabid witch-hunter and haberdasher's friend--Adolphe Menjou."

Unfortunately, among those who disliked The Sniper (1952) were Harry Cohn the head of Columbia. Stanley Kramer reported him as saying, "This thing sticks, and it will never make a nickel." It was perhaps because of this that the Columbia publicity and distribution departments did little towards promoting the film. It then proved to be a disappointment at the box office.

While it was not a hit with audiences in 1952, The Sniper 1952 is highly regarded to day. It is a fairly sophisticated film, that can be appreciated on multiple levels. On one hand, it is a tightly plotted thriller On the other hand, it is very much a character study of a very disturbed individual. Indeed, The Sniper (1952) is one of the earliest films to feature the psychological profiling of a criminal. The film also brings up some important questions, such as how society fails individuals such as the film's antagonist, who never received help although repeatedly crying out for such. The film also features some excellent performances, from Arthur Franz to  Gerald Mohr to Marie Windsor to Richard Kiley. Even today, The Sniper (1952) is an intense film.