Strangers on a Train (1951)

A psychopath forces a tennis star to comply with his theory that two strangers can get away with murder.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Raymond Chandler (screen play), Czenzi Ormonde (screen play)

Stars:

Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Farley Granger	...	Guy Haines
Ruth Roman	...	Anne Morton
Robert Walker	...	Bruno Antony
Leo G. Carroll	...	Sen. Morton
Patricia Hitchcock	...	Barbara Morton
Kasey Rogers	...	Miriam Joyce Haines (as Laura Elliott)
Marion Lorne	...	Mrs. Antony
Jonathan Hale	...	Mr. Antony
Howard St. John	...	Police Capt. Turley
John Brown	...	Prof. Collins
Norma Varden	...	Mrs. Cunningham
Robert Gist	...	Det. Leslie Hennessey

Storyline

Bruno Antony thinks he has the perfect plot to rid himself of his hated father, and when he meets tennis player Guy Haines on a train he thinks he's found the partner he needs to pull it off. His plan is relatively simple: Two strangers each agree to kill someone the other person wants gone. For example, Guy could kill his father and he could get rid of Guy's wife Miriam, freeing him to marry Anne Morton, the beautiful daughter of a U.S. Senator. Guy dismisses it all out of hand, but Bruno goes ahead with his half of the "bargain" and disposes of Miriam. When Guy balks, Bruno makes it clear that he will plant evidence to implicate Guy in her murder if he doesn't get rid of his father. Guy had also made some unfortunate statements about Miriam after she had refused to divorce him. It all leads the police to believe Guy is responsible for the murder, forcing him to deal with Bruno's mad ravings.

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Plot Keywords:

psychopath | tennis | murder | swapping murders | oedipus complex | 

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Taglines:

Now a very special Alfred Hitchcock event! A hundred and one breathless minutes of matchless suspense!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some violence and tension

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the last theatrical movie for Robert Walker, who died eight months after filming finished from an allergic reaction to a drug.

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Goofs

Obvious double playing the final match instead of Guy.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Guy Haines: Oh, excuse me.
Bruno Anthony: I beg your pardon, but aren't you Guy Haines?

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Alternate Versions

There are several differences in the British version of the film, including:

• The first encounter between Bruno and Guy on the train is longer, and features a more obvious homoerotic flirtation by Bruno;
• In the scene where Guy sneaks out of his apartment to go to Bruno's house, a shot of him opening a drawer to get the map Bruno sketched is added;
• The very last scene in the US version, which involves a clergyman, was deleted.

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Connections

Referenced in Pitfire of Hell (2016)

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Soundtracks

Bill Grogan's Goat
(uncredited)
Traditional children's song
Sung by John Brown on the train

User Reviews

Game,Set,Match to Robert Walker

I always thought that Robert Walker was a lightweight and happened to be Jennifer Jones' husband and that was about the extent of it. Then I saw "Strangers On A Train" and his performance in that film changed my mind and how!! His dark, perverse character is the epitome of evil with a smiling face. He oozes through this film like a bad dream and is your worst nightmare. The story, from the book by Patricia Highsmith, is well adapted from the original and may even be better. I read the book after seeing the movie and I was biased by the images from the film that kept popping before my eyes. Farley Granger, who never was one of my favorites is all wrong for the part of Guy Haines. Hitchcock insisted on using him (see "Rope")....he obviously saw something in him. His personality is so unattractive that it makes you wonder how Ruth Roman could ever be in love with him. He is the perfect victim for Walker, and is a weakling who won't even go to the police when the murder swapping scenario begins. Some of the images in this film are quite striking.....the reflection in the victim's glasses, the tennis match where everyone is watching the ball except Walker, and the fingers groping in the drain for the lighter. Pure Hitchcock. Poor Robert Walker never got the chance to follow up this wonderful performance due to his untimely death and the promise he showed here as a villain may have taken him to greater characterizations. This may not be one of Hitchcock's best films but it certainly should be on everyone's list as a must-see.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

30 June 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train'

Filming Locations:

West Side Tennis Club - 1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$534

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 96 min (cut) 103 min (preview)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1