The Intruder (1962)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (novel)
Charles Beaumont (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 January 1963 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He Fed Their Fears And Turned Neighbor Against Neighbor!

Plot:

A man in a gleaming white suit comes to a small Southern town on the eve of integration. He calls himself a social reformer. But what he does is stir up trouble--trouble he soon finds he can't control.

Plot Keywords:

Integration | White Suit | False Accusation | Mob | Nymphomaniac

Cast

William Shatner	...	Adam Cramer
Frank Maxwell	...	Tom McDaniel
Beverly Lunsford	...	Ella McDaniel
Robert Emhardt	...	Verne Shipman
Leo Gordon	...	Sam Griffin
Charles Barnes	...	Joey Greene
Charles Beaumont	...	Mr. Paton
Katherine Smith	...	Ruth McDaniel
George Clayton Johnson	...	Phil West
William F. Nolan	...	Bart Carey (as William Nolan)
Phoebe Rowe	...	Mrs. Lambert
Bo Dodd	...	Sheriff
Walter Kurtz	...	Gramps
Oceo Ritch	...	Jack Allardyce (as O.C. Ritch)
Jeanne Cooper	...	Vi Griffin

Also Known As:

I Hate Your Guts! (USA) (reissue title)
Shame (USA) (reissue title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some violence and sensuality.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Charleston, Missouri, USA

Company:

Roger Corman Productions

Trivia:

After the crew was thrown out of East Prairie, Missouri by the chief of police (for allegedly being "communists"), Roger Corman realized that he needed one more wide shot of the high school. He and an assistant went back into the town, and hurriedly filmed the shot. The chief must have gotten wind of his being there, as he was seen by Corman arriving in the distance. Corman and his assistant quickly threw the camera and equipment into their car, and sped away in the opposite direction, unscathed.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of Adam Cramer's speech in front of the town hall, he unbuttons his jacket twice.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Adam Cramer: [to the little girl he helps out of the bus] There you go... Ma'am.
Little Girl's Mother: Thank you... What do you say to the nice gentleman?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Intruder: Shatner-Corman Interview (2001) (V)

See this film.

After years of debate, the courts have finally ordered the desegregation of the nation's schools. A small (and fictitious) Missouri town must deal with the issue as black students go to the previously all white school for the first time.

Enter Adam Cramer (Shatner), a representative from Washington of the Patrick Henry Society. He claims to be a social worker, but it turns out that this society is a racist organization opposed to desegregation. Cramer hopes to interfere with the court-ordered policy and begins to stir up the community with fiery rhetoric and bold tactics. Cramer soon discovers that the mob he has helped create is beyond is ability to control.

"The Intruder" is a little known film written by Charles Beaumont (a core writer for "The Twilight Zone" and a screenwriter for many of American International's classic 1960s horror films) and directed by Roger Corman. It shouldn't be little known. This is arguably the best and most important film ever made by Corman and perhaps by Beaumont as well. Shatner puts in a sterling performance as the racist Cramer and the supporting cast, which included both veteran actors and local citizens from the town of Charleston, Missouri (where it was filmed), is also excellent. Corman and Beaumont took on some seriously volatile subject matter and used both tact and intelligence to tell a story and send a message. For those who are more sensitive to racist language or who are caught up with political correctness, "The Intruder" might be somewhat abrasive or uncomfortable to watch. Personally, I think that this would be ideal for viewing in high schools and colleges that are studying the subject of racism and integration in the United States. Regardless, for those seeking a well made, well acted film