The Intruder (1962)

A man in a gleaming white suit comes to a small Southern town on the eve of integration. He calls himself a social reformer. But what he does is stir up trouble--trouble he soon finds he can't control.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (screenplay), Charles Beaumont (novel)

Stars:

William Shatner, Frank Maxwell, Beverly Lunsford

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Shatner	...	Adam Cramer
Frank Maxwell	...	Tom McDaniel
Beverly Lunsford	...	Ella McDaniel
Robert Emhardt	...	Verne Shipman
Leo Gordon	...	Sam Griffin
Charles Barnes	...	Joey Greene
Charles Beaumont	...	Mr. Paton
Katherine Smith	...	Ruth McDaniel
George Clayton Johnson	...	Phil West
William F. Nolan	...	Bart Carey (as William Nolan)
Phoebe Rowe	...	Mrs. Lambert
Bo Dodd	...	Sheriff
Walter Kurtz	...	Gramps
Oceo Ritch	...	Jack Allardyce (as O.C. Ritch)
Jeanne Cooper	...	Vi Griffin

Storyline

A man in a gleaming white suit comes to a small Southern town on the eve of integration. His name is Adam Cramer. He calls himself a social reformer. But his aim is to incite the people against letting black children into the town's white school. Soon he has the white citizens of the town worked up. He thinks he's leading them; but a man he befriends and immediately betrays knows better. The people have become a mob. The black leader of a church and a white newspaper editor soon feel its wrath. But after a false accusation against a black student, Adam Cramer may find the people are totally and permanently out of his control.

---

Plot Keywords:

church bombing | lynch mob | burning cross | kkk hoodie | racial integration | 

---

Taglines:

He Fed Their Fears And Turned Neighbor Against Neighbor!

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

The then little known William Shatner was cast as Adam Cramer and a number of writers were recruited for other parts, including script writer Charles Beaumont.

---

Goofs

At the beginning of Adam Cramer's speech in front of the town hall, he unbuttons his jacket twice.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Adam Cramer: [to the little girl he helps out of the bus] There you go... Ma'am.
Little Girl's Mother: Thank you... What do you say to the nice gentleman?

---

Connections

Featured in The Dark Side of Hollywood (1998)

User Reviews

No Shades Of Gray

A Northern white racist named Adam Cramer (played by William Shatner) moves to a Southern town, specifically to stir up racial hatred among Whites, as revenge for the passage of a recent desegregation law. Cramer, a smarmy, smug political salesman who smirks a lot, wears a white suit and represents the so-called "Patrick Henry Society".

The theme here is obvious and blunt. There is no subtlety either in story or in characterization. All the Blacks are portrayed as good. Most of the Whites are bad, and very easy to dislike. The story reeks of simplistic good vs. evil; there are no shades of gray. The film's ending is both predictable and unrealistic.

Except for the general level of overacting, the film's non-script technical elements are fine. The "black and white" cinematography is very good, and conveys a noir look. Background music appropriately hints at tension and danger. And I really liked the film's scene transitions.

Given the era in which it was made, "The Intruder" was quite bold and brave. The subject matter went against conventional "wisdom". It's a wonder the film ever got made. The film's director deserves cheers for his courage.

Although the story is dated, this is an excellent film to watch for its historical significance. The evil Cramer is an appropriate cinematic representation of the segregation attitudes that existed then, and to some extent, unfortunately, still exist, in American society.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 1963 (Norway)

Also Known As:

El intruso

Filming Locations:

Charleston, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roger Corman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1