The Stranger (1946 film)

This article is about the 1946 Orson Welles film. For other films with the same title, see The Stranger (disambiguation).

The Stranger
File:The Stranger (film).jpg Theatrical poster
Directed by	Orson Welles
Written by	Anthony Veiller, Victor Trivas, Decla Dunning, Uncredited (John Huston & Orson Welles)
Produced by	Sam Spiegel as S.P.Eagle
Starring	Orson Welles, Loretta Young, Edward G. Robinson
Distributed by	International Pictures/RKO Pictures
Release date	25 May 1946
Running time	95 min
Language	English

The Stranger 1946 in film film noir/drama starring Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, and Loretta Young. Welles also directed the film, which was based on an Oscar-nominated screenplay written by Victor Trivas. Sam Spiegel was the film's producer, and the film's musical score is by Bronisław Kaper. It is believed that this is the first film released after World War II that showed footage of concentration camps. The Stranger was the only film made by Welles to have been a bona fide box office success on the first release (Citizen Kane had made back its budget and marketing, but not enough to make a profit). The copyright was by "The Haig Corporation"; & it has been in the public domain for several years.

Plot

It is 1946 and Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) of the United Nations War Crimes Commission is hunting for Nazi fugitive Franz Kindler (Orson Welles). Kindler has effectively concealed his Nazi activities prior to his escape to the United States. He assumes a new identity, Charles Rankin, lands a job as a university professor and marries Mary Longstreet (Loretta Young), who is the daughter of Supreme Court justice Judge Adam Longstreet.

Wilson releases Kindler’s former associate Meinike (Konstantin Shayne) and follows him to Harper, Connecticut, but Meinike is strangled to death before he can identify Kindler. Wilson must convince Mrs. Rankin, the only person who knows for certain that Meinke came to meet her husband, that her Charles is a war criminal.

Trivia

In an early scene at the school, Edward G Robinson's character follows Meinike into the gymnasium and is nearly killed by Meinike. As Meinike escapes from the gym, there is a sign on the door he opens that reminds students to use equipment at their own risk. It is signed by Coach Roskie. There really was a Coach Roskie who taught and coached at the Todd School for Boys where Orson Welles went to school. Coach Roskie was also the summer program director at Camp Tosebo (the summer extension of the Todd School) from 1930 until 1971. That same scene also has a sign mentioning Miss Collins and Clover Hall, both real people and places from Orson's days at Todd School.

Cast

Actor/Actress	Role
Edward G. Robinson	Mr. Wilson
Loretta Young	Mary Longstreet Rankin
Orson Welles	Franz Kindler AKA Professor Charles Rankin
Philip Merivale	Judge Adam Longstreet (Mary’s father)
Richard Long	Noah Longstreet (Mary’s brother)
Konstantin Shayne	Konrad Meinike
Byron Keith	Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence
Billy House	Mr. Potter
Martha Wentworth	Sara
Erskine Sanford	Uncredited cameo; major role in Kane

External links

• Paul Lewis, 2009: Review of the Network DVD release of The Stranger. DVDCompare