The Informer (1935) in Color — Starring Victor McLaglen & Heather Angel

The Informer (1935) — Buy This Classic in Color

Experience the Academy Award-winning masterpiece The Informer (1935) Colorized, John Ford’s powerful and expressionistic drama about a simple-minded Irish revolutionary who betrays his best friend to the British authorities for twenty pounds during the turbulent days of the Irish War of Independence, starring Victor McLaglen in his Oscar-winning performance, now available for purchase in stunning color for just €15.00. This digitally enhanced version brings the fog-shrouded streets of 1920s Dublin and the tormented psychological landscape of guilt and betrayal to vivid life. Own this DRM-free digital download and witness John Ford’s most artistically ambitious film.

Plot Summary

Dublin, 1922. The Irish War of Independence rages, and the city is a dangerous maze of revolutionary cells, British patrols, and terrified civilians. Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaglen), a massive, hulking former member of the Irish Republican Army, wanders the foggy streets in a state of poverty and desperation. He has been expelled from the revolutionary organization for failing to execute a prisoner, and he survives on the margins of Dublin’s underworld, hungry, homeless, and without purpose.

Gypo’s closest friend is Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford), a fellow IRA man who is wanted by the British authorities with a twenty-pound reward on his head. When Gypo sees the wanted poster, a terrible temptation takes hold of his confused mind — twenty pounds would buy passage to America for himself and Katie (Margot Grahame), the woman he loves, who has been driven to prostitution by poverty.

In a moment of weakness and desperation, Gypo goes to the British police headquarters and informs on Frankie. The result is swift and terrible — British soldiers raid Frankie’s hiding place, and in the ensuing confrontation, Frankie is killed. Gypo collects his twenty pounds, but from the moment the blood money touches his hands, his guilt begins to destroy him.

Through the long, fog-drenched night that follows, Gypo stumbles through Dublin in an increasingly frantic attempt to spend the money and drown his guilt in drink. He buys rounds for strangers, throws money at beggars, and boasts and lies with pathetic transparency. Meanwhile, the IRA leadership — including the cold, brilliant Commandant Dan Gallagher (Preston Foster) — begins investigating who betrayed Frankie. The net closes around Gypo as his drunken behavior and sudden wealth make him the obvious suspect, leading to a revolutionary tribunal that will judge his fate with merciless justice.

Cast & Crew

Director: John Ford

Stars: Victor McLaglen as Gypo Nolan, Heather Angel as Mary McPhillip, Preston Foster as Dan Gallagher, Margot Grahame as Katie Madden, Wallace Ford as Frankie McPhillip, Una O’Connor as Mrs. McPhillip

Victor McLaglen won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his towering, heartbreaking portrayal of the doomed Gypo Nolan — a performance of raw physicality and agonized confusion that remains one of the most powerful in cinema history. John Ford also won Best Director, bringing an unprecedented visual expressionism to this deeply personal project.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The colorization of The Informer enhances the film’s extraordinary expressionistic atmosphere with haunting effect — the yellow-green of Dublin’s fog, the warm orange glow of pub interiors, the cold grey stone of rain-slicked streets, the harsh white glare of the British police station, and the deep shadows that follow Gypo through the night all gain a nightmarish vividness that intensifies the psychological torment at the heart of the film. Now also available in colour. Buy The Informer (1935) Colorized today for €15.00 and own this Oscar-winning masterpiece in a DRM-free format you can enjoy forever.

Historical Significance

The Informer won four Academy Awards — Best Director (John Ford), Best Actor (Victor McLaglen), Best Screenplay (Dudley Nichols), and Best Score (Max Steiner) — and is considered one of the landmark achievements of 1930s American cinema. The film is based on Liam O’Flaherty’s novel and represents John Ford’s most overtly artistic and expressionistic work, influenced by German Expressionism and the Soviet montage cinema. It explores the Irish struggle for independence with a psychological depth and moral complexity that was revolutionary for American film. The film’s influence on subsequent cinema — from film noir to the modern crime thriller — is immeasurable. Through colorization, this essential American classic is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes, professional AI-assisted colorization
• Audio: English mono soundtrack
• Runtime: Approximately 91 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: How many Academy Awards did this film win?
A: The Informer won four Academy Awards: Best Director (John Ford), Best Actor (Victor McLaglen), Best Screenplay (Dudley Nichols, who famously declined the award), and Best Musical Score (Max Steiner). It was one of the most acclaimed films of 1935.

Q: Is this based on real events?
A: The Informer is based on Liam O’Flaherty’s 1925 novel, which is a work of fiction set during the Irish War of Independence (1920-1922). While the specific characters are fictional, the setting of revolutionary Dublin and the moral dilemmas of informing were drawn from the real historical context.

Q: Is this considered a John Ford masterpiece?
A: Yes, The Informer is regarded as one of John Ford’s greatest and most artistically ambitious films. It showcases a more expressionistic and psychologically intense style than his celebrated Westerns and remains a key work in understanding Ford’s range as a filmmaker.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file in HD 720p resolution, compatible with virtually all modern devices and media players.

Q: Is the download DRM-free?
A: Yes, your purchase is completely DRM-free. You own the file outright and can watch it on any device without restrictions or recurring fees.

Q: How quickly will I receive the download?
A: Your download link is available immediately after payment is confirmed. You can begin watching The Informer (1935) Colorized within minutes of your purchase.

Related Colorized Classics

• Rio Grande (1950)
• Odd Man Out (1947)
• The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
• How Green Was My Valley (1941)
• Stagecoach (1939)