Review of The Last Angry Man

I find the comments about this film having the feel of a teleplay rather odd. Made in the fifties, a good many directors were trying for that kind of look, thought to be more realistic than gaudy Hollywood color shoots. I hardly think that that detracts from the intrinsic artistry of the film. A previous reviewer has commented on the performances of Paul Muni and David Wayne. Muni was much more comfortable on the stage and his acting style never quite made a full transition to the camera. Stage performances have to be bigger in every aspect to be effective. Muni's performances on film may have tended to be a bit larger than life but they were never without honesty. His peers chose to vote him an Academy Award earlier in his career and to nominate him for The Last Angry Man. This would seem to indicate that actors who worked with him admired his work. A pretty good recommendation. David Wayne was also more successful on Broadway than in Hollywood, to some degree because he wasn't given material equal to his talent. (With the exception of Adam's Rib). A measure of his talent and ability would be his three Tony Awards: 1968 best actor in a musical (The Happy Time), 1954 Best Actor in a Play (The Teahouse of the August Moon) and 1947 Best Featured Actor in a musical (Finian's Rainbow). Not bad for an actor who was "never any good". The Last Angry Man is not available on DVD, but anyone who appreciates good film should keep an eye out for it on TCM. It is worth the time.