Orson Welles's 1946 film reproduces his personal themes of self-scrutiny and self-destruction only in outline, though it is an inventive, highly enjoyable thriller.
The Stranger
The most deceitful man a woman ever loved!
1946 · 1h 35m · Passed
Crime, Thriller
Directed by
Orson Welles
Overview
An investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi, who may be hiding out in a small town in the guise of a distinguished professor engaged to the Supreme Court Justice’s daughter.
Director and cast
- Orson Welles Director
- Edward G. Robinson as Federal Agent Wilson
- Loretta Young as Mary Longstreet
- Orson Welles as Charles Rankin
- Philip Merivale as Judge Adam Longstreet
- Richard Long as Noah Longstreet
- Konstantin Shayne as Konrad Meinike
- Byron Keith as Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence
- Billy House as Mr. Potter
- Martha Wentworth as Sara
- Erskine Sanford as Party Guest (uncredited)
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
The whole film, produced by S. P. Eagle, comes off a bloodless, manufactured show.
Welles' third film, often described as his worst, but still a hugely enjoyable thriller.
Adroitly directed by Orson Welles, who also plays the star, it is a grade A gooseflesh-raiser.
The Stranger is socko melodrama, spinning an intriguing web of thrills and chills.
More films
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Horror · Science Fiction · Approved
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive after being attacked by an angry mob. The now-chastened scientist attempts to escape his past, but a former mentor forces him to assist with the creation of a new creature.
- Runtime
- 1h 15m
- Director
- James Whale
- Cast
- Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Comedy · Crime · Romance · Approved
Two musicians witness a mob hit and need to quickly find a way out of Chicago. Their only opportunity comes in the form of joining an all-girl band as they prepare to leave on a tour. The two disguise themselves as women and struggle to keep their identities secret as the gangsters close in.
- Runtime
- 2h 2m
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Cast
- Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Action · Comedy · Crime · Music · R
Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.
- Runtime
- 2h 13m
- Director
- John Landis
- Cast
- Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, James Brown
Arlington Road (1999)
Crime · Drama · Mystery · Thriller · R
Bedraggled college professor Michael Faraday has been vexed — and increasingly paranoid — since his wife's accidental death in a botched FBI operation. When a seemingly all-American couple set up house next door, Michael begin to suspect there’s more to them than meets the eye.
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Director
- Mark Pellington
- Cast
- Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack
The Third Man (1949)
Mystery · Thriller · Approved
In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and fal...
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Cast
- Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Splinter (2008)
Crime · Horror · Science Fiction · Thriller · R
When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly and boyfriend Seth decide to check into a motel. On their way, they're carjacked and kidnapped by low-rent crooks Dennis and Lacey, who take the victims and their SUV to a nearby gas station. Along the way, they encounter an increasingly terrifying horde of parasites, and if any of them...
- Runtime
- 1h 22m
- Director
- Toby Wilkins
- Cast
- Jill Wagner, Charles Baker, Rachel Kerbs
The Grudge 3 (2009)
Horror · Mystery · Thriller · R
Jake Kimble, the sole survivor of the Chicago massacre, is killed while in solitary confinement. His doctor begins investigating the claims he made about a long-haired woman in white, as a mysterious Japanese woman arrives at his old apartment building to help them get rid of the curse.
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Director
- Toby Wilkins
- Cast
- Johanna Braddy, Emi Ikehata, Jadie-Rose Hobson










Comments
Talk about the film with other members