Strangers on a Train (1951)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Patricia Highsmith (novel)
Whitfield Cook (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

3 July 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

A girl in love with young America's idol--and a good-looking stranger in search of sensation--that's how it all began..! Warner Bros. bring a pounding new tempo to motion picture entertainment!

Plot:

A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder...a theory that he plans to implement.

Plot Keywords:

Cigarette Smoking | Double Life | Cynicism | Eyeglasses | Husband Wife Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Farley Granger	...	Guy Haines
Ruth Roman	...	Anne Morton
Robert Walker	...	Bruno Anthony
Leo G. Carroll	...	Sen. Morton
Patricia Hitchcock	...	Barbara Morton
Kasey Rogers	...	Miriam Joyce Haines (as Laura Elliott)
Marion Lorne	...	Mrs. Anthony
Jonathan Hale	...	Mr. Anthony
Howard St. John	...	Police Capt. Turley
John Brown	...	Prof. Collins
Norma Varden	...	Mrs. Cunningham
Robert Gist	...	Leslie Hennessy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joel Allen	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	Boatman (uncredited)
Monya Andre	...	Dowager (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Tennis umpire (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Tennis judge (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Blind man (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Anthonys' butler (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Miriam's boss (uncredited)
Jack Cushingham	...	Fred Reynolds (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Detective at merry-go-round (uncredited)
John Doucette	...	Det. Hammond (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Tommy Farrell	...	Miriam's boyfriend (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Train passenger requesting light (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Lt. Campbell (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Carnival game proprietor (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	Man under merry-go-round (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man boarding train carrying a double bass (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	Mrs. Joyce (uncredited)
J. Louis Johnson	...	Mortons' butler (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Detective at carnival (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Police desk sergeant (uncredited)
Louis Lettieri	...	Boy with balloon (uncredited)
Charles Marsh	...	Bystander at drain (uncredited)
Paul McGuire	...	Man on train (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Bystander at drain (uncredited)
Charles Meredith	...	Judge Donahue (uncredited)
Ralph Moody	...	Seedy man at carnival (uncredited)
Roland Morris	...	Miriam's boyfriend (uncredited)
Odette Myrtil	...	Madame Darville (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Bystander at merry-go-round (uncredited)
Minna Phillips	...	Dowager (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	Monsieur Darville (uncredited)
Dick Ryan	...	Minister (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Cop (uncredited)
Janet Stewart	...	Girl (uncredited)
Shirley Tegge	...	Girl (uncredited)
Laura Treadwell	...	Mrs. Anderson (uncredited)
Howard Washington	...	Waiter on train (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Bill (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Bystander at drain (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Patricia Highsmith		(novel)
Whitfield Cook		(adaptation)
Raymond Chandler		(screenplay) and
Czenzi Ormonde		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mel Dellar	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dolph Thomas	....	sound

Special Effects by
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H. F. Koenekamp)

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Leonard J. South	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leah Rhodes	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Ray Heindorf	....	musical director

Other crew
Barbara Keon	....	production associate

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (1952) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Varus Video (19??) (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (UK and US versions)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS) (UK version)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS) (US version)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violence and tension.

Runtime:

101 min | 103 min (preview version) | Portugal:96 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) (2004) | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 (DVD) | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #14946) | USA:PG | Argentina:13 | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Danbury Railroad Station - 120 White Street, Danbury, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Raymond Chandler's version of the script ended with Bruno Antony being arrested and institutionalized, with the final image being the villain writhing in a straight jacket.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Bruno's house, the dog on the top of the stairs has stiff ears. That one which licks the Guy's hand in close-up, differently, has flexible ears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bruno Anthony: I beg your pardon, but aren't you Guy Haines?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Law & Order: C.O.D. (#14.24)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Ain't We Got Fun

Amazing performance by Robert Walker

"Strangers on a Train" was one of those film classics I had always heard about but somehow never gotten around to actually seeing. I finally watched it a few weeks ago and, as always with any Hitchcock movie, it not only stood up to the test of time, it far surpassed most thrillers being made today. You can see the inspiration for future action movies here - the climactic ending with the out-of-control merry-go-round and the two villains dueling each other reminded me of the big action sequence at the end of Jan de Bont's "Speed." Of course, "Strangers" is over forty years older than "Speed" and contains no modern special effects, but the visceral thrill is there - Hitchcock was a true genius.

The not-so-subtle gay side of Bruno (Robert Walker in an amazing performance) has taken form in many other psycho-stalker-figures in future movies. Consider him a male version of Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Single White Female." He knows about Guy before he even meets him on the train - we almost get the feeling their contact isn't incidental - and is soon entirely obsessed with him.

Hitchcock loved the Oedipial elements in his movies (also see "Psycho" for more blatant undertones) and there's a lot of that here. Bruno hates his father and wants him to die so he can be with his mother. His effeminate ways and obvious homosexuality must have just slipped by the censors in 1951, when gays were not "allowed" to be portrayed on the screen - yet Hitchcock gets the message through effectively when we see Bruno in the lounge on the telephone wearing a very non-masculine robe, flirting with Guy and responding to his mother.

The deep layers of this movie make it a fast-paced thriller than you can return to again and again - unfortunately it's being remade as a big-budget Hollywood production, but after seeing the original I honestly can't imagine anything surpassing the sheer white-knuckle thrills of this movie.