For Men Only

Paul Henreid launched his credited film directing career with For Men Only (1952), a compelling indictment on hazing in college fraternities. Seemingly ripped from the headlines, For Men Only tells the story of a college "hell-night," a controversial and potentially dangerous night of initiation rituals gone wrong. Based on a story by Herbert Margolis which was adapted by screenwriter Lou Morheim, Henreid's issue film was a project that meant a great deal to him and he spent the better part of a year preparing for its production. According to a 1951 article in The New York Times, Henreid spent months drawing "a detailed blueprint for every scene." Henreid worked closely with cinematographer Paul Ivano and production designer Frank Durlauf to carefully plot out every shot, every camera angle as well as some of the lighting details. As a result of Henreid's meticulous planning, For Men Only was shot in just 16 days with hardly any last-minute changes. By the early 1950s, Henreid's career was in decline. He was blacklisted by Hollywood as a Communist sympathizer, which greatly limited his job opportunities and for several years he worked almost exclusively in Europe. Furthermore, Henreid, best known for his iconic performances in Casablanca and Now, Voyager (both 1942), had been typecast in good-guy roles. Wanting to take control of his career, he sought more responsibility behind the camera. He saw an opportunity with the Eagle-Lion film Hollow Triumph (1948). He took on the role of producer and cast himself as the villain, a role that would give him the creative challenge he desired. When director Steve Sekely clashed with Eagle-Lion, he was fired and replaced by Henreid who directed the remainder of the film. This was the catalyst for the next phase in Henreid's career. He went on to direct six feature films and many television episodes, including several for Alfred Hitchcock Presents. For Men Only was financed by theater owner turned producer Robert L. Lippert. Henreid joined forces with producers William and Edward Nassour to form H-N Productions. While there were plans to make more films under this outfit, For Men Only would ultimately be their sole project. Henreid served as both producer and director on the film and according to J.D. Spiro of The New York Times, Henreid cast himself as one of the leads because "the cheapest way to get the name actor for the lead role would be to play it himself." Actor Russell Johnson, Vera Miles, Robert Sherman and Kathleen Hughes all had their credited film debuts with For Men Only. Russell Johnson, who's eventual claim to fame would be the role of The Professor on Gilligan's Island, was cast as the lead villain Ky Walker. Broadway dancer Bambi Linn was cast in the film but had to drop out due to a work conflict and was replaced by Vera Miles in the role of Kathy. Margaret Field, mother of actress Sally Field, played opposite Henreid as the professor's wife. Kathleen Hughes, who had appeared in numerous uncredited bit parts for 20th Century-Fox, landed the juicy role of Tracy Norman, the socialite college student who tries to implicate Henreid's character, Dr. Brice, in a sexual harassment scandal. The following year, Hughes would appear in Universal's science fiction film It Came from Outer Space (1953). A promotional portrait of Hughes from that film, with arms raised and screaming, would soon make her an icon of cult cinema. Several locations were scouted for filming including ones in San Diego, Colorado Springs, Denver and Reno. Ultimately, For Men Only was shot at General Service Studios (later renamed Hollywood Center Studios) as well as one of the earlier campus locations of the Los Angeles City College. Production ran through September 1951. Henreid's wife, who went by the name Lisl, served as costumer. Financier Lippert and Henreid carefully released vague bits of information about the production to news outlets. They were secretive about the film's subject matter except to say it was "topical and controversial." Henreid worried that another production company would pounce on the timely topic of hazing and release a picture before he could. For Men Only was released January 11th, 1952. It garnered mixed reviews which skewed towards positive. The Hollywood Reporter called the film "an example of... enterprise and ingenuity." The New York Times called Henreid's film a "serious little item" and that it "seems to be jousting against a terribly tiny dragon." It went on to note that "Mr. Henreid's contribution is not a shattering castigation, nor is it likely to cause sweeping reform." The title For Men Only inherently alienated a key demographic: women. Henreid originally wanted to call the film Hell-Night but later changed it to For Men Only to appease the censors. After the film's release, the marketing shifted in order to encourage women to see it. Taglines including "... and Women, Too!", "KISS by KISS.. It's today's most shocking scandal!" and "RIPPED!... from the heart of a woman's hate" called out the movie's sex scandal subplot. When Kathleen Hughes later rose to fame, the film was repackaged as The Tall Lie with Hughes' name and image featured more prominently on the poster and marketing materials. by Raquel Stecher