The Fearmakers

These type of blatant red scare films of the 50s are strictly of academic interest now unless they contain some level of ambiguity. e.g. Siegel's Body Snatchers. The Fearmakers is just too preachy and stupid for its own good, and it's only Tourneur's craft and swift pacing, along with Andrews respectable performance, that keeps it watchable.

Has a great noir feel, and is--except for the original "Red Dawn"--the only anti-Commie film I really like. Dana Andrews is an effective hero, Dick Foran is marvelously slimy, and Mel Torme gives a surprisingly nuanced performance.

You want there to be a little more under the surface but mostly points to the same kind of boredom that permeates in Tourneur’s “propaganda” pictures. Falseness on both sides but fails to examine why. Lacks as cinematic an eye as some of his other work as well but can’t help but be drawn into it’s claustrophobic nature