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The Stranger
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The Stranger (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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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.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   4,881 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 34% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Orson Welles
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:
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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 Comments:
Taught, suspenseful thriller more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

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

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In one of the final scenes, when Orson Welles lifts Loretta Young one-handed into the clock tower from a ladder, this is not a special effect. Loretta Young stated that this was actually filmed in the church with her dangling dangerously many feet above the church floor. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The swastika that Kindler is drawing on the notepad is running in the wrong direction. more
Quotes:
Professor Charles Rankin: Murder can be a chain, Mary, one link leading to another until it circles your neck. Red was digging at the grave of the man I killed. Yes, your little man.
Mary Longstreet: You killed him?
Professor Charles Rankin: With these hands. The same hands that have held you close to me.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Prodigal Sons (2008) 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?
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41 out of 46 people found the following comment useful:-
Taught, suspenseful thriller, 30 May 2003
8/10
Author: Albert Ohayon from Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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.

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