The Stranger (1946)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Anthony Veiller (screenplay)
Victor Trivas (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 May 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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.

Plot Keywords:

Connecticut | War Crime | Clock | Nazi | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

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)

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

Production Companies

• International Pictures (I) (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Independent Releasing Organization (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Take 2 Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Classics (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Master Movies (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Roan Group, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Music (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• FOCUSfilm Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• FOCUSfilm Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Brentwood Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Questar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Roan Group, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Timeless Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Passport International Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Radio Filmes (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Castle Communications (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD) (special edition)
• Ermitage Cinema (2001) (Italy) (DVD)
• Ermitage Cinema (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Finnkino (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• YLE Teema (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1979) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Screen Time Images  audio restoration
• Screen Time Images  film restoration

Also Known As:

Date with Destiny (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Hungary:14 | Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #11353) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

United Artists Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

International Pictures (I)

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.

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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Prodigal Sons (2008)

I'm traveling for my health

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