TMBTMB
TMBTMB

Track, discover and find where to watch TV shows and movies.

Discover

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Browse
  • Topics

Account

  • Watchlist
  • Watched
  • Ratings

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Content Policy

© 2026 Movie Browser. All rights reserved.

Data provided by TMDB

Home
Browse
Watchlist
backdrop
backdrop
logo
A preacher kills a kid and the grief goes both ways—no heroes here, just broken people.
TMDB
58
IMDb
61

Man Afraid (1957)

moral mazesweaty palmsgray morality

Overview

DramaThrillerCrime

A preacher (George Nader) fears for his family (Phyllis Thaxter, Tim Hovey) after killing a teenage burglar whose father seeks revenge.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
burglar

Standout Aspects

Acting

Nader's sweaty desperation, Franz's wounded menace.

Direction

Keller squeezes tension from suburban normality.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to feel morally uncomfortable.·Rewatch: Catch what you missed in the preacher's unraveling.
Heads up:Violence: Teen death by gunshot, off-screen but emotionally brutal.·Emotional: Grieving father storyline hits hard; no clean resolution.
H

Director

Harry Keller

ReleasedApr 4, 1957
Runtime1h 24m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Universal International Pictures

Top Cast

George Nader

George Nader

Reverend David Collins

Phyllis Thaxter

Phyllis Thaxter

Lisa Collins

Tim Hovey

Tim Hovey

Michael Collins

Eduard Franz

Eduard Franz

Carl Simmons

Harold J. Stone

Harold J. Stone

Lieutenant Marlin

Judson Pratt

Judson Pratt

Wilbur Fletcher

Reta Shaw

Reta Shaw

Nurse Willis

Tom Nolan

Tom Nolan

Ronnie (Skunky) Fletcher (as Butch Bernard)

Mabel Albertson

Mabel Albertson

Maggie

Martin Milner

Martin Milner

Shep Hamilton

John Damler

John Damler

Reporter (uncredited)

Troy Donahue

Troy Donahue

Reporter (uncredited)

William Henry

William Henry

Reporter (uncredited)

Ask about Man Afraid

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Made during the peak of 'prestige problem pictures,' this sneaks moral ambiguity past Hayes Code censors by making everyone suffer equally.

Trivia

Tim Hovey, who plays the preacher's son, was a major 1950s child star who died tragically young; his real-life innocence haunts every scene he's in.

Gallery

Reviews

No ratings yet

Start the discussionBe the first to post — spoiler-safe
Rate & reviewBe the first to weigh in

Recommended

The Parts You Lose movie poster (2019)
6.7

The Parts You Lose

The Seven-Ups movie poster (1973)
6.3

The Seven-Ups

The Quiller Memorandum movie poster (1966)
5.9

The Quiller Memorandum

Islands movie poster (2025)
6.1

Islands

Limbo movie poster (2023)
5.9

Limbo

Indemnity movie poster (2022)
6.6

Indemnity

Knock on Any Door movie poster (1949)
6.2

Knock on Any Door

The Limits of Control movie poster (2009)
6.0

The Limits of Control

Surviving the Game movie poster (1994)
6.1

Surviving the Game

The Bygone movie poster (2019)
6.5

The Bygone

The Organization movie poster (1971)
6.3

The Organization

Winged Creatures movie poster (2009)
5.9

Winged Creatures

Thick as Thieves movie poster (2009)
6.0

Thick as Thieves

On Fire movie poster (2023)
6.1

On Fire

Killer's Kiss movie poster (1955)
6.4

Killer's Kiss

More Like This

The Intruder movie poster (1953)
7.6

The Intruder

White Dog movie poster (1982)
6.6

White Dog

Thief of Hearts movie poster (1984)
5.5

Thief of Hearts

Burglar movie poster (1987)
5.2

Burglar

The Dark Knight Rises movie poster (2012)
7.8

The Dark Knight Rises

Picture the Steal movie poster (2018)

Picture the Steal

All the President's Men movie poster (1976)
7.7

All the President's Men

Willenbrock movie poster (2005)
6.3

Willenbrock

Dobermann movie poster (1997)
6.5

Dobermann

Edward Scissorhands movie poster (1990)
7.7

Edward Scissorhands

Entrapment movie poster (1999)
6.2

Entrapment

The Ref movie poster (1994)
6.6

The Ref

Thief movie poster (1981)
7.2

Thief

Flugtkongen movie poster
6.0

Flugtkongen

Recipe for a Break-In movie poster (2024)

Recipe for a Break-In

Discussion

Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.

Discussion starters

View all comments →