IMDb > The Stranger (1946)
The Stranger
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The Stranger (1946) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 49 | slideshow) Videos
The Stranger (1946) -- College professor Charles Rankin is actually notorious Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler. However, his true identity may be revealed when mild-mannered war crimes commissioner Wilson arrives posing as an antiques dealer.

Oscar Nominations    Photos    more »

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   5,328 votes
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Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Anthony Veiller (screenplay)
Victor Trivas (adaptation) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Stranger on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 May 1946 (USA) more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Who Are Your Favorite Movie Professors?
 (From Cinematical. 10 July 2009, 10:02 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
Good Thriller With Welles, Robinson, & More more (103 total)

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Date with Destiny (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
95 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Though not as well remembered as some of Orson Welles's more original projects, this was the only film directed by Welles to show a profit in its original release. more
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. more
Quotes:
Wilson: He was an obscenity on the face of the earth. The stench of burning flesh was in his clothes. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Spitfire (1984) more

FAQ

Why are the picture and sound so bad?
What is the Orson Welles character doodling on the scratch pad?
Where has Edward G. Robinson played an investigator who gets a sudden intuition about his case?
more
15 out of 17 people found the following review useful.
Good Thriller With Welles, Robinson, & More, 4 March 2005
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

It's quite interesting to see two acting legends like Orson Welles and Edward G. Robinson working together, and with a cast that includes those two plus Loretta Young, along with an interesting story, "The Stranger" is a pretty good thriller.

Welles and Robinson play an interesting cat-and-mouse game in the search for a former Nazi who is hiding out in a peaceful Connecticut town. It's fair to point out, as others have done, that the dialogue at times leaves a little to be desired, but Welles and Robinson have more than enough ability to carry it off anyway.

Loretta Young has a difficult role as the wife of Welles's character. The script does her no favors, either, but she gives a creditable performance as a character who is important to the story. Among the supporting cast, Billy House particularly stands out, getting surprisingly good mileage out of his role as the store-keeper.

Perhaps the most creative aspect of the movie is the effective use of the clock tower, both as a plot device and as an idea, along with the related themes of clocks and time. The tense climax makes good use of all of these elements.

Welles and Robinson were both parts of so many outstanding movies that sometimes their merely good movies can seem to suffer by comparison. As long as you don't try to compare "The Stranger" with some other film, but just watch it for itself, it's a good thriller and an entertaining movie.

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