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The Stranger
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The Stranger (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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The Stranger (1946) -- College professor Charles Rankin is actually notorious Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler. However, his true identity may be revealed when mild-mannered war crimes commissioner Wilson arrives posing as an antiques dealer.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   4,881 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 34% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Orson Welles
Writers:
Anthony Veiller (screenplay)
Victor Trivas (adaptation) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Stranger on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 May 1946 (USA) more
Tagline:
The Most Deceitful Man A Woman Ever Loved !
Plot:
An investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Who Are Your Favorite Movie Professors?
 (From Cinematical. 10 July 2009, 10:02 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
I'm traveling for my health more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Edward G. Robinson ... Mr. Wilson

Loretta Young ... Mary Longstreet

Orson Welles ... Professor Charles Rankin
Philip Merivale ... Judge Adam Longstreet
Richard Long ... Noah Longstreet
Konstantin Shayne ... Konrad Meinike
Byron Keith ... Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence
Billy House ... Mr. Potter
Martha Wentworth ... Sara
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Bond ... Student (uncredited)
John Brown ... Passport Photographer (uncredited)
Neal Dodd ... Minister (uncredited)
Nancy Evans ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Fred Godoy ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Joseph Granby ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw ... Todd, Customer in Potter's Store (uncredited)
Ruth Lee ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Lillian Molieri ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Isabel O'Madigan ... Mrs. Lawrence (uncredited)
Gabriel Peralta ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce ... Kid throwing newspaper shreds (uncredited)
Robert Raison ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Rebel Randall ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Johnny Sands ... Jogging Student in Woods (uncredited)
Erskine Sanford ... Party guest (uncredited)
Pietro Sosso ... Mr. Peabody (uncredited)
Brother Theodore ... Fairbright (uncredited)
Josephine Victor ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
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Directed by
Orson Welles 
 
Writing credits
Anthony Veiller (screenplay)

Victor Trivas (adaptation) and
Decla Dunning (adaptation)

Victor Trivas (story)

John Huston  uncredited and
Orson Welles  uncredited

Produced by
Sam Spiegel .... producer (as S. P. Eagle)
 
Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper  (as Bronislaw Kaper)
 
Cinematography by
Russell Metty (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Ernest J. Nims  (as Ernest Nims)
 
Production Design by
Perry Ferguson 
 
Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino (uncredited)
 
Costume Design by
Michael Woulfe (uncredited)
 
Makeup Department
Robert Cowan .... makeup artist (as Bob Cowan)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Voglin .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Arthur Johns .... sound
Corson Jowett .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Harry Redmond Jr. .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Stunts
David Sharpe .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Gladys Hill .... dialogue director
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Date with Destiny (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In one of the final scenes, when Orson Welles lifts Loretta Young one-handed into the clock tower from a ladder, this is not a special effect. Loretta Young stated that this was actually filmed in the church with her dangling dangerously many feet above the church floor. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The swastika that Kindler is drawing on the notepad is running in the wrong direction. more
Quotes:
Professor Charles Rankin: Murder can be a chain, Mary, one link leading to another until it circles your neck. Red was digging at the grave of the man I killed. Yes, your little man.
Mary Longstreet: You killed him?
Professor Charles Rankin: With these hands. The same hands that have held you close to me.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Prodigal Sons (2008) more

FAQ

Why are the picture and sound so bad?
What is the Orson Welles character doodling on the scratch pad?
Where has Edward G. Robinson played an investigator who gets a sudden intuition about his case?
more
17 out of 20 people found the following comment useful:-
I'm traveling for my health, 31 January 2005
8/10
Author: Celluloid_Rehab (lelnu@yahoo.com) from Hell's Kitchen, NYC

I picked up this movie, mostly because of the cover and the price ($4). I was happily surprised as to the quality of the movie.

The story takes place after the end of World War II. Edward G. Robinson plays a government official named Mr. Wilson. He is in charge of the Allied War Crime commission. He is looking for an elusive war criminal. His name is Franz Kindler (Orson Welles). He is suppose to be the one who came up with the Nazi plan of mass annihilation. There is no evidence, nor any photographs of Kindler. To find Franz, Wilson releases Kindler's assistant (Konrad). Konrad inadvertently leads Wilson to Harper, Connecticut. Kindler is hiding out at an all boys school as a professor named Charles Rankin. Konrad arrives on Charles' wedding day. He is getting married to the daughter of a liberal Supreme Court justice.

This movie is definitely film noir, in the lighting and the grittiness of the events. It is also quite evident that this movie was directed by Welles himself. If you have seen any one of his movies, you can see how he functions. The story is enjoyable, if not slightly predictable (especially if you have seen other film noir films or have listened to any golden age radio programs). Overall, it is nice to see Edward G. Robinson playing the good guy for a change. I also thought Billy House had a standout performance as Mr. Potter (the owner of the local general store). He provides most of the comedy relief. I highly recommend this movie for fans of Edward G. Robinson, Welles or the film noir genre.

-Celluloid Rehab

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