The Stranger

    The Stranger
    1946

    Synopsis

    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.

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    Cast

    • Edward G. RobinsonFederal Agent Wilson
    • Loretta YoungMary Longstreet
    • Orson WellesProf. Charles Rankin
    • Philip MerivaleJudge Adam Longstreet
    • Richard LongNoah Longstreet
    • Konstantin ShayneKonrad Meinike
    • Byron KeithDr. Jeffrey Lawrence
    • Billy HouseMr. Solomon Potter
    • Martha WentworthSara
    • David BondStudent (uncredited)

    Recommendations

    • 100

      TV Guide Magazine

      The Stranger is not as wildly creative as his other films, but all the Welles trademarks are present, including superior lighting, inventive camera angles, strong transitions, and characters silhouetted in darkness.
    • 90

      Variety

      The Stranger is socko melodrama, spinning an intriguing web of thrills and chills. Director Orson Welles gives the production a fast, suspenseful development, drawing every advantage from the hard-hitting script from the Victor Trivas story.
    • 90

      Time

      Adroitly directed by Orson Welles, who also plays the star, it is a grade A gooseflesh-raiser.
    • 80

      Chicago Reader

      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.
    • 80

      Film Threat

      The Stranger may not be at the same level as Citizen Kane, but what is? On its own terms, it is a fine and invigorating experience that deserves to be sought out and enjoyed.
    • 80

      Time Out

      Welles' third film, often described as his worst, but still a hugely enjoyable thriller.
    • 75

      Slant Magazine

      As distinctively Wellesian as Citizen Kane, and packing nearly as many technical wonders.
    • 70

      The New Yorker

      It's a smooth, proficient, somewhat languorous thriller, handsomely shot with some showy long takes. It's quite watchable, but the script is clever in a shallow way; the people need more dimensions.

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