The Stranger (1946)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

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

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

Also Known As:

Date with Destiny (USA) (working title)
Az óra körbe jár (Hungary) [hu]
Criminel (Belgium: French title) [fr]
Den fremmede (Denmark) [da]
Der Fremde (West Germany) [de]
Die Spur des Fremden (West Germany) [de]
El extraño (Spain) [es]
El extranjero (Spain) (DVD title) [es]
Främlingen (Sweden) [sv]
Främlingen försvan (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Ha-Zar (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Intruz (Poland) [pl]
Le criminel (France) [fr]
Lo straniero (Italy) [it]
Moordenaar (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Muukalainen katoaa... (Finland) [fi]
Muukalainen katosi (Finland) (reissue title) [fi]
O Estrangeiro (Portugal) [pt]
O Estranho (Brazil) [pt]
O agnostos (Greece) [el]

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:

Orson Welles' least favourite film of his own.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Wilson runs the Concentration Camp footage for Mary Longstreet we see several shots of her face with the flickering light from the screen reflected onto her face. When the film runs out of the projector the light on her face continues to flicker as if film is still being projected instead of being a bright white light.

Quotes:

Mr. Wilson: Look out the window. Look!
Professor Charles Rankin: Well, that's - that's an old trick, Mr. Wilson, a very poor trick.
Mr. Wilson: Tricks. That's all you know is tricks. I don't need any tricks! And no matter what happens to me, tricks won't do YOU any good. You're finished, Herr Franz Kindler.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spitfire (1984)

Taught, suspenseful thriller

This film has been knocked by many people saying that Orson Welles was forced to work within the strict confines of the Hollywood system. I have absolutely no problem with this. Welles is a master craftsman. He made great films, period. In an interview he said that the studio cut out " a couple of reels" that take place in South America at the beginning of the story that he felt was the best part of the movie. As a viewer I feel that the film is compact and taut. Adding more to it would not help(in my opinion). On the contrary, I think adding more might make the film sluggish. As it stands the film remains dark. You feel that evil is present. You are just not sure what is going to happen next.

The performances in this film are for the most part excellent. Edward G. Robinson is amazing. This could have been a cardboard thin good-guy part. Instead he turns the character of Wilson into a smart, cunning hero. He is self-assured not obsessed. He understands what most people in the town don't: Kindler is a monster who is capable of anything. To catch such a man you have to be several steps ahead of him. Also excellent is Konstantin Shayne as Meinike. You can see the fear and madness in his eyes as he repeats "I am travelling for my health, I am travelling for my health..." before going through customs. Make no mistake, this man is "an obscenity that must be destroyed" to quote Wilson. Just look at his scene with the photographer in South America. He is used to people following his orders. Welles is also very good as Kindler/Rankin. There are moments that you actually feel sympathy for him. His obsession with fixing the town clock is very significant. Here is a man who needs things to be precise and structured. He wants total control of his environment(a good example is how he treats his wife). Welles hints at this man's mania but keeps him human. Even though you want him to be caught, you can't help wondering if he'll get away. Loretta Young is unfortunately just average in this film. She has some good moments (especially in the final scene when she confronts Rankin/Kindler)but her hysterics are just too much. The scene where Wilson is showing her the Nazi atrocities is well played. She keeps a certain composure that works well.

Overall, a very well made thriller with top notch performances and solid direction by one of cinema's masters. I give it 8 clock towers out of 10.