Stranger on the Prowl (1952)

A nameless, homeless and rejected man who is looking for a new life and a young boy from an impoverished family, who is forced to steal when he loses the milk money. These two come together in the same hiding place.

Director:

Joseph Losey (as Andrea Forzano)

Writers:

Noël Calef (story "La bouteille du lait"), Ben Barzman (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Muni, Joan Lorring, Vittorio Manunta

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Muni	...	The Stranger With A Gun
Joan Lorring	...	Angela, a lonely woman
Vittorio Manunta	...	Giacomo, a small boy
Luisa Rossi	...	Giacomo's Mother
Aldo Silvani	...	Peroni, the junk dealer
Arnoldo Foà	...	Inspector-in-Charge
Alfredo Varelli	...	The Neighborhood Patrolman
Héléna Manson	...	Grocery Store Clerk (victim)
Fausta Mazzucchelli	...	Giacomo's Little Sister
Cesare Trapani	...	Tall Boy
Enrico Glori	...	Signor Pucci
Franco Balducci	...	Morelli
Leonardo Scavino	...	Mancini (as Leon Lenoir)
Linda Sini	...	Signora Raffetto
Giulio Marchetti	...	Signor Raffetto

Storyline

A nameless, homeless and rejected man who is looking for a new life and a young boy from an impoverished family, who is forced to steal when he loses the milk money. These two come together in the same hiding place.

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Plot Keywords:

based on short story | foreign language adaptation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

With several of the participants under suspicion for their Left associations, and two of the producers known for their previous ties to Fascism, director Losey called the political mixture "the perfect Italian combination."

User Reviews

Uneven, but worth a look

A drifter (Paul Muni) is kicked off a ship he'd been stowing away in and begins wandering around town. At the same time, a poor young boy named Giacomo (Vittorio Manunta) is sent by his mother to get milk. He doesn't have enough money and decides to steal it while the shopkeeper isn't looking. As he leaves the shop, he passes the drifter, who begins eating a piece of cheese. The shopkeeper objects, he grabs and silences her, and she dies. (heart attack?) Now both are on the run from the police and they stick together.

This was an interesting one. It's a sort of slice-of-life-in-Italy film, focusing on the poor and abused, who just happen to get embroiled in some very difficult circumstances. The story is decent, the scenery is nice, and performances are solid, including that of Joan Lorring as a woman who steals from her lecherous employer and is forced to pay for it his way. But it all kinda feels a little average and a bit too long. It has its moments, but there are no real big moments that grab you (save for the end, to a degree), and the empathy for, or interest in, the characters isn't strong enough to make the tension tense enough.

Certainly not Muni's best, nor Losey's, but still worth a look.

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

9 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Encounter

Filming Locations:

Livorno, Tuscany, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Riviera Films, Tirrenia Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1