User reviews

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.

I picked up this movie, mostly because of the cover and the price ($4). I was happily surprised as to the quality of the movie.

The story takes place after the end of World War II. Edward G. Robinson plays a government official named Mr. Wilson. He is in charge of the Allied War Crime commission. He is looking for an elusive war criminal. His name is Franz Kindler (Orson Welles). He is suppose to be the one who came up with the Nazi plan of mass annihilation. There is no evidence, nor any photographs of Kindler. To find Franz, Wilson releases Kindler's assistant (Konrad). Konrad inadvertently leads Wilson to Harper, Connecticut. Kindler is hiding out at an all boys school as a professor named Charles Rankin. Konrad arrives on Charles' wedding day. He is getting married to the daughter of a liberal Supreme Court justice.

This movie is definitely film noir, in the lighting and the grittiness of the events. It is also quite evident that this movie was directed by Welles himself. If you have seen any one of his movies, you can see how he functions. The story is enjoyable, if not slightly predictable (especially if you have seen other film noir films or have listened to any golden age radio programs). Overall, it is nice to see Edward G. Robinson playing the good guy for a change. I also thought Billy House had a standout performance as Mr. Potter (the owner of the local general store). He provides most of the comedy relief. I highly recommend this movie for fans of Edward G. Robinson, Welles or the film noir genre.

-Celluloid Rehab

It's quite interesting to see two acting legends like Orson Welles and Edward G. Robinson working together, and with a cast that includes those two plus Loretta Young, along with an interesting story, "The Stranger" is a pretty good thriller.

Welles and Robinson play an interesting cat-and-mouse game in the search for a former Nazi who is hiding out in a peaceful Connecticut town. It's fair to point out, as others have done, that the dialogue at times leaves a little to be desired, but Welles and Robinson have more than enough ability to carry it off anyway.

Loretta Young has a difficult role as the wife of Welles's character. The script does her no favors, either, but she gives a creditable performance as a character who is important to the story. Among the supporting cast, Billy House particularly stands out, getting surprisingly good mileage out of his role as the store-keeper.

Perhaps the most creative aspect of the movie is the effective use of the clock tower, both as a plot device and as an idea, along with the related themes of clocks and time. The tense climax makes good use of all of these elements.

Welles and Robinson were both parts of so many outstanding movies that sometimes their merely good movies can seem to suffer by comparison. As long as you don't try to compare "The Stranger" with some other film, but just watch it for itself, it's a good thriller and an entertaining movie.

The Stranger was directed by Orson Welles but he did not adapt it to the screen. Although this is seen as a detraction from the whole by some who have seen it, I believe that Welles' deft directing and penetrating acting is what makes this a Welles film for my taste. He was never a facile actor - but he uses his usual wooden countenance here to the advantage of this role.

Another thing that fascinates me is the underrated status of this engrossing thriller. The action and suspense builds and builds to a peak of excitement that few movies can reach without lots of special effects and Foley work these days. This movie fascinates at every turn without ever seeming as if we are watching art. But art it was in Welles' direction and gentle handling of the unravelling.

Edward G. Robinson is the subtle but welcome prize we receive from this outing. The undercurrents of the horrors that have just come before this movie was made and its actions can be seen seething within his duty to find hidden Nazis. He is methodical and intelligent, it so difficult to see the difference between Robinson the man and Robinson the actor here. He is such a talent that we often mistake his ease for something else but acting -- and of acting he was a master. Plainly seen here as a gift to all of us.

What I like about this and many other good films is how facts are revealed slowly, layer by layer.

Loretta Young was good as the innocent young girl who believes that marriage is a sacred institution, that life has a course to follow which will not be derailed and finds it hard to accept the truth of the horrors behind her marriage.

It was mildly amusing to see a very young Richard Long as the open-minded young man with whom Robinson's character confides certain facts.

I recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers, mysteries and of course, of Mr. Orson Welles. So sad that the studio heads were such disingenuous towards this utter genius of a man who deserved more earnest accolades in his life.

THE STRANGER is not glittering masterpiece but it's a hell of great story that I do not tire of watching...and seeing each piece of the puzzle fall into place.

What MORE could an intelligent person want from a movie?

A little much in parts, particularly the use of headlight direction that Welles loves to employ, nevertheless, this is a film that rates three stars in the Wellesian collection.

Edward G. Robinson is superb as the laid-back, all-knowing, in-your-face detective and Loretta Young scores as Orson's wife but it's big Billy House who is the real scene-stealer. House plays the man who owns the self-service store in town who likes playing checkers with his customers.

Welles, who looks a little strange--no doubt to match up with the title-provides a commanding performance throughout in a film that reflects the era's revulsion with the Nazi dream.

Who says that fear of terrorism is a new development, post 9/11. Imagine the fears and exposed nerve endings of the average towns person living in the shadow of World War II. There was the fear of infiltration by the Nazis with their secret agents, blending in with our everyday citizens. Orson Welles plays just such a guy. He is kind, pleasant, quiet, and very dangerous. He even sets about marrying a woman as part of his secret plot. Edward G. Robinson, who normally would have been the heavy, plays a tired, hard working investigator who is leaving no stone unturned. The plot is intricate, though predictable, and the whole thing is hard to take your eyes off. Welles was a great director, but perhaps an even better actor. He keeps this thing going, raising it above the common fair of the time. The writing keeps the good guys at bay, but the clues continue to sit there, ripe for discovery. The clock tower is a great symbol, continuing to remind us of the urgency of everything. The dramatic irony presented makes us continually uncomfortable. We are treated to the movements and activities of the villain, and being let in, it makes everything more enjoyable. See this if you can.

The reason people talk about "The Stranger" 60 years later is because it was Orson Welles' first directorial effort after he was evicted from the Mercury Theater cocoon which gave us "Citizen Kane" as well as its worthy follow-ups "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "It's All True." The reason "The Stranger" is worth talking about is because it features one of the greatest performances by that criminally-ignored actor, Edward G. Robinson.

Robinson plays Mr. Wilson, an anti-Nazi hot on the trail of a war-crimes-tribunal escapee Wilson hopes will lead him to Franz Kindler, architect of the Final Solution. Kindler, we quickly discover, has set himself up as a history teacher, Mr. Rankin, at a Connecticut prep school. There he is about to marry Mary Longstreet, the daughter of a U.S. Supreme Court justice, "a liberal," Kindler relates with chilling amusement.

As Kindler, Welles gives a weak performance. There's a scene where he chews on more than his dinner as he gives himself away, by saying Marx was not a German because he was a Jew. Actually, I'd say the jig was up when he revealed his novel notions of reconstruction. The scenes between him and Loretta Young, who plays his too-trusting bride, are uncomfortably clichéd.

But Robinson is a marvel throughout the film. Of course, he is best remembered for playing a gangster, but he shone playing good guys, too. "Double Indemnity" is the best of them, though "Confessions Of A Nazi Spy" is good, too, and somewhat to the point here as it features Robinson playing a role similar to "The Stranger," though at the beginning of World War II rather than the end.

Robinson's character here, Mr. Wilson, might in fact be "the stranger" of the title, though it seems to refer to Kindler. Frankly, Kindler may be a Nazi bent on killing innocents, but Wilson is about as coldblooded a character. From the beginning, he seems to be half-playing a game with the Nazi he is chasing, smoking his pipe and staring directly into the eyes of his fearful prey. Perhaps the war crimes he has immersed himself in investigating have stripped him of any human kindness. The way he works on Mary's brother Noah and his father the judge is remarkable for Wilson's lack of humane concern, perhaps necessary, but still bone-chilling. He's like that all the way to the end. Just think for a moment about that final line he says to Mary, after all she's just been through. He's on the side of the angels, but Robinson turns in one of his most devilish performances.

There are nice scenes in and around the town of Harper, and I agree with those viewers who see shades of "Shadow Of A Doubt" in its depiction of small-town life, even though that took place in California and this is happening in Connecticut. Billy House as Mr. Potter dominates the scenes he is in with his amiable whimsy and the eyeshade he dons when he's in the middle of a serious checkers game (quarter stakes).

But "The Stranger" never really gels as a movie. Welles as director is strangely ill at ease with Wells as star. Too many cow-eyed portentous stares, not enough subtle moments like that low-key moment with Mr. Potter when he pays for a soda after finding out Mr. Wilson's hot on his trail. Young may have been a fine actress, but she doesn't get much help from a script that serves up every frail female stereotype in the book. Her every reaction seems more suited to soap opera.

Yet there's more to like here than dislike. Take the satisfying conclusion, where Kindler/Rankin has his moment of truth in the church tower where he has been working on the clock. It's the one effective scene between him and Mary, and very gripping. Welles was a gifted artist, but a superb craftsman, too, and if "The Stranger" offers more evidence of the latter, who are we to quibble? Pleasant dreams

The Stranger is a little slow to start. Edward G. Robinson, playing a war crimes detective named Wilson, lets loose one of the right-hand men of an important Nazi war criminal named Franz Kindler (Orson Welles) who escaped prison and managed to erase his identity. He was the mastermind behind the concentration camps. No photographs exist of him, and only this goon might know where he is. Wilson tracks the goon to a small town in Connecticut, where Franz Kindler is posing as a history professor about to marry the daughter of an important politician. Immediately the goon disappears, but the professor arouses Wilson's suspicion.

After the setup is over, The Stranger bolts ahead at a breathless pace. All the clues point to the professor, though there is nothing definitive. When his wife, Mary, finds out (played by Loretta Young), she refuses to believe it. Kindler feeds her a nice lie explaining everything, and she's desperate to believe it. He's not sure that he can trust her.

Welles pulls a ton of suspense out of the situation. He's so good at creating points of tension out of both the simplest means, like a group of college boys on a paper chase, a dog who won't stop digging in the leaves, or something much more gothic, like the ancient, broken-down clock in the church tower. Kindler was an expert on clocks (which is one of the biggest clues), and when he revives this old monster, an iron angel with a sword chases away the devil and then rings the bell to the hour. To get to the top of the tower, an extraordinarily tall ladder must be climbed. This leads to as much or more suspense as existed in the cognate scenes in Hitchcock's Vertigo. In fact, I'm sure Hitchcock watched and liked this film. Everyone knows he admired Welles' later Touch of Evil, which he mimicked in his own Psycho, so why not this film?

The acting is quite brilliant as well. We would expect it from Orson Welles, of course. This is actually one of his very best roles. He is amazing at telling believable lies to his wife and friends, but with the dramatic irony in which the audience is in possession, we see the depth and the nervousness and the evil. Edward G. Robinson has a pretty thankless role for a long time, but nearer the end he begins to expand. We cringe when he coldly suggests that Mary is in mortal danger. He is simply great in the climactic scene (which I won't mention except to say that it is one of the best in film history, although some might find it a bit silly). Loretta Young is also great as a naive wife who so desperately wants to be the perfect wife and believe everything her husband says. If this movie were to be remade today, her character would have been developed further psychologically, but what is here is good. She is also great in the climactic sequence.

Welles' films often have thriller elements, but this is his most thrilling. It's also probably his least philosophical, and almost certainly his most conventional. He made the film as a concession. I think he was allowed to make The Lady of Shanghai in return, which is an even better film than this. That is no matter, though. It's a masterpiece anyway. 10/10.

Infamous Nazi war criminal called Franz Kindler (Orson Welles) assumes a new respectable identity in a Midwestern little town following WWII , unaware that a government agent (Edward G. Robinson) from the Allied War Crimes commission patiently stalks him . But his name is fake and his past is tenebrous . The escaped Nazi sedately living and is about to marry a beautiful as well as unsuspecting young woman (Loretta Young) , daughter of a prestigious judge (Philip Merivale) . But later on , Kindler feels his past closing in and he will need his own spouse to help him elude capture .

Interesting Welles movie with plenty of thrills , fine character studio , terrific interpretations and suspense from start to finish . It holds the viewer's interest but admittedly has some flaws , naive moments and wobbles . But it is studded with splendid scenes like the furtive flight across the dockyards at the beginning , the killing in the forests and the final confrontation on the clock tower including the sword wielded mechanical figures that move when the hour begins to strike . The vast New England town exterior sets, including the church with its 124-foot clock tower, were constructed in Hollywood on the back lot of the United Artists studio located on Santa Monica Blvd . Shocking scenes when are shown images about Nazi crimes , in fact it was the first mainstream American movie to feature footage of Nazi concentration camps following World War II . Nice acting by Orson Welles as a Nazi criminal who feels fascination with antique clocks and sedately esconsced in a small Connecticut town when an investigator is tailing him . Edward G. Robinson is perfect as a Federal agent out to get him . However , Orson Welles originally wanted Agnes Moorehead to play the FBI part , then the studio said no and instead gave him Edward G. Robinson . Furthermore , Loretta Young as attractive wife and Richard Long as brother give nicely understated interpretations . Suspenseful and thrilling musical score by Bronislau Kaper . Extremely well made camera-work throughout ; being shot in black and white filled with lights and darks by excellent cameraman Russell Metty . It is also available in horrible computer-colored version .

¨The stranger¨ was efficiently produced by Sam Spiegel and well directed by Orson Welles in 95 minutes runtime , being the only film directed by him to show a profit in its original release . However , Orson has stated that this is his least favorite of his films . Welles was a genius who had a large as well as problematic career . In 1938 he produced "The Mercury Theatre on the Air", famous for its broadcast version of "The War of the Worlds" . His first film to be seen by the public was ¨Ciudadano Kane¨ (1941), a commercial failure , but regarded by many as the best film ever made , along with his following movie , ¨The magnificent Ambersons¨ . After that , he directed this ¨The stranger¨ with an over-pitched acting by the same Welles and often described as his worst . He subsequently directed Shakespeare adaptation such as ¨Macbeth¨ , ¨Othelo¨ and his highly enjoyable ¨Chimes at Midnight¨ or ¨Falstaff¨ . He also performed a lot of films , Orson Welles interpreted for getting financing to shoot his pictures , as he played several exotic characters such as ¨The Tartari¨ , ¨Saul¨ , ¨Cagliostro¨ , ¨Cesare Borgia¨ and ¨Black rose¨ . Many of his next films were commercial flops and he exiled himself to Europe in 1948 . In 1956 he directed ¨Touch of evil¨ (1958) ; it failed in the U.S. but won a prize at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair . In 1975, in spite of all his box-office failures , he received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award , and in 1984 the Directors Guild of America awarded him its highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award . His reputation as a film maker has climbed steadily ever since .

The IMDb trivia page says this is Orson Welles's least favorite and least personal film. Aside from "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons," I think this potent film noir is his most enjoyable—certainly more so than the ugly "Lady from Shanghai" or the overbaked and convoluted "Touch of Evil."

Charles Rankin (Orson Welles) is a professor in a respectable Connecticut town about to marry the daughter of a U.S. Supreme Court justice. But his name is fake and his past is filthy. An earnest convert to Christianity (Konstantin Shayne), who once ran a Nazi concentration camp, is capable of exposing him. "Rankin" kills this little old man and buries his body in the forest. But he isn't safe because an investigator (Edward G. Robinson) from the War Crimes Commission is on his tail. Rankin needs his own wife (Loretta Young) to help him elude capture. But his fascination with the local clock tower may prove his undoing.

As a director, Welles strains a bit too hard for effect in this film—and much too hard in everything but "Kane" and "Ambersons." In those two films all of his technical effects, striking as they are, seem effortless and exactly the right choices. Here, he has imperfect moments—such as the scene where his character is frantically, and inexplicably, trying to pick up pieces of paper—but everything else is splendid, especially the climax.

As an actor he's always compelling, but I think he makes one bad choice here. He's too guilty-looking in the early scenes. It makes us wonder why no one suspects him; and it robs us of a dramatic contrast when he begins to realize he's in imminent danger.

Loretta Young is generally a dull actress. She doesn't have enough skill to make an impression in the early scenes; but once the part requires histrionics she performs her duties well enough. Certainly her character is morally dubious and therefore fascinating in itself.

The best performance by far is Edward G. Robinson's. One of the great actors of his time, this ugly man has enough talent and star quality to underplay his role to great effect.

Orson Welles fans might find this exciting, well-plotted thriller too un-Wellesian to suit them. Otherwise, this is highly recommended.

THE STRANGER offers an interesting story, but it takes its time in involving the viewer in it after a slow start. ORSON WELLES is an ex-Nazi hiding in a small Connecticut town and EDWARD G. ROBINSON is the man hunting him down. Loretta Young is his attractive wife who knows nothing about her husband's past.

These elements are combined to make a fairly suspenseful story under Orson Welle's rather theatrical direction. He gives one of his robust over-the-top performances in the peak melodramatic moments, such as the final scenes where he follows his distraught wife to the clock tower, an ending foreshadowed by his fascination with clocks.

Seen in a pristine print, it's a very watchable movie. Unfortunately, there are many Public Domain prints that make the film look like a low-budget production. Avoid them if you can, and you should get some suspenseful entertainment from a good print.

Performances by Loretta Young and Edward G. Robinson are excellent.

Whenever Edward G. Robinson appeared in a picture and Orson Welles directed and starred, you could always count on a great film and this particular film will be enjoyed for many generations because of a great plot and fantastic acting. Edward G. Robinson,(Mr. Wilson),"The Red House",'47 played the role of an investigator, looking for a man who committed horrible crimes during WW II and also a missing friend of his who recently visited this town. Mr. Wilson connects himself with the local town people and plays checkers with a man in town who knows just about everything that goes on with everyone in an New England town. Loretta Young( Mary Longstreet Rankin),"Second Honeymoon",'37, falls in love with Orson Welles,(Dr. Charles Rankin/Franz Kindler),"Butterfly,",'82 and marries the doctor and all kinds of strange things start to happen. Dr. Rankin loves to fix all kinds of clocks and especially a large church steeple clock which has not been working for many years. This story will keep you glued to the silver screen and the ending is very exciting.

Start with an inviting, wish-I-were-there small town setting. Then, toss in the most horrendous and heinous kind of evil, creating ripples in the placid pond. Watch as the ripples and their reflections move across the waters. Add the acting talents of three of the truly great performers of the 20th century, Loretta Young, Edward G. Robinson, and Orson Welles, and direction worthy of Hitchcock at his peak. Top it all off with a supporting cast that never misses a beat. That is what you have here. The Stranger may not be the perfect film, but if you like the sense of films like Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt," you'll probably enjoy this. Personally, I have found it more engrossing every time I view it. Even though the mystery is gone, the great performances and pacing really are amazing.

Is this well made movie still worth watching today? As an insightful historical snapshot of a specific time - yes, definitely. As entertainment - yes, just about.

Criticising this film feels like kicking sand into your grandma's face or telling your best mate that his newly born baby girl looks like Edward G Robinson. Obviously this is brilliantly directed and gorgeously photographed with shadows playfully dancing across the screen as you'd expect. The problem is however what also makes this unique - that it was made just after the war. Not until 1945 were the true horrors of Hitler's Germany made fully aware to the general public and this film was one of the vessels used for that grim but necessary task.

In 1946 this film, with its extracts from the Dachau camp, carried tremendous shock value but all these years later we have become a little blasé as the years have made these events seem unreal, like something from the movies. In 1946 this film shocked people, it made them gasp with incredulous horror upon discovering that this kindly, local professor, exactly the sort of person living next door to them was one of these monsters.

As a movie, that's why it worked - because it was all so horribly real and not just close to home but at home. Today, without that sense of immediacy, this film seems like any other thriller.

Today, Orson Wells' acting might seem a little over the top at times as he swoons around town like Bela Lugosi on coke but his character was a Nazi and their true nature had only just been discovered - they literally were monsters so a slightly over the top performance wasn't too far removed from reality.

Today, Loretta Young's character might seem ridiculously stupid. How can she at first not believe her new hubby is a Nazi and then when she finds out, how can she think he's probably not that bad. Well again, for most Americans, who the Nazis actually were was virtually unimaginable and so almost impossible to believe. Of course she wouldn't believe that her husband, the nice guy from the school who she fell in love with, was responsible for gassing thousands of Jews to death. Who would! Loretta Young's 'Mary' is symbolic of the America of 1945 - like the country itself, she's gradually accepting the truth and she does this perfectly. Indeed, I don't think I've ever seen Loretta Young in anything which she's less than brilliant in and this is no exception. As an aside, as a fan of early 1930s movies, I don't think I've ever seen her looking this old before. Unsurprisingly, even in her 30s, she's still crazily gorgeous!

Loretta Young intones her provincial view of a small Connecticut town, and how everything is perfect, nothing terrible can ever happen in Harper.

Orson Welles deserves credit for this underrated gem. Richard Long is Noah Longstreet and Richard Merrivale as Young's father, a Supreme Court judge.

Edward G. Robinson is the government official, tracking down former Nazi Franz Kindler. Could he be in this perfect American town?. Welles is undercover as a local professor. He marries Mary Longstreet (Loretta Young) but soon some terrible things start occurring in Harper. Mary's dog, Red is missing. Then the body of a mysterious foreigner is found in the woods.

The clock plays a backdrop; Franz Kindler is an amateur clock collector. There are several intriguing scenes, such as when Welles is discussing Nazis and warfare, in the context of history. This is a brilliant suspense film. 10/10.

The film has an interesting theme with dark, multi-dimensional characters which makes this an entertaining film. What could have been a well-crafted and intriguing suspense mystery however, is weakened by the overly simple plot and poor editing in places. Simple plots are normally something I support too. The beginning starts with a lot of promise and sort of gives out halfway through. The film almost seems like a failed imitation of an Alfred Hitchcock film (in terms of attempt at suspense)Despite this, the movie is still worth watching if you have some free time.

A particular disappointment for those who recognize Orson Welles as a film innovator and genius. Despite many critic's belief that "The Stranger" is a minor masterpiece, the truth is that it's little more than a convoluted piece of propaganda intended to assuage the feelings of post-war audiences. On the plus side, director Welles does manage to show a stylish touch here and there, and the stark black-and-white photography evokes a somber and appropriately eerie pall over the proceedings. But nothing can overcome the banal, increasingly preposterous story line which, by some miracle, received an Oscar nomination.

Top-billed Edward G. Robinson plays a federal agent who has assigned himself the task of finding a heinous, sought-after Nazi war criminal who played a principal role in the operation of concentration camps. By cleverly allowing the "escape" of a minor Nazi figure, Robinson hopes that Nazi minor will lead him to the whereabouts of Nazi major. As the action unfolds, the trail quickly leads to a quaint, quiet, seemingly unaffected Connecticut town.

Welles' batting average at this point of his film career was poor. He had struck out profitably with his prior three movies, but producer Sam Spiegel gave Welles this final opportunity to prove he COULD churn out a movie on time and within the budget. For Welles the result was remunerative and commercially successful. But at such a cost! While the studio was appreciative, Welles himself called it the worst film of his career and I couldn't agree more. It probably succeeded because the film's content struck a politically correct chord with its 1946 post-war audiences. I can think of no other reason.

Accenting this suspense melodrama with shadowy camera angles and wonderful "portrait-like" close-ups of his stars, Welles shows surprisingly little of the inventiveness he is known for. Everything seems rehashed, including a strikingly reminiscent clock tower finale a la Alfred Hitchcock. Moreover, Welles dilutes most of the film's suspense with stale, ineptly drawn, poorly motivated characters -- most of them sacked with implausible dialogue and situations. Even the musical score is obtrusive and obvious.

Wisely understated, Robinson comes off best here as the dogged agent whose instincts do not fail him as he ferrets out his suspect. His character's tone seems balanced, direct, and realistic, which is truly welcomed for he is surrounded by a cast of over-emoters.

Welles the director comes off marginally better than Welles the actor. He plays the small-town professor-turned-suspect as if he were Macbeth in a production of "Our Town." His classical demeanor just doesn't jell. At least his Nazi isn't a caricature, but his intense, incessant brooding here quickly turns mechanical, registering every sinister act and intention with a wide, fixated, stony gaze. One of his few good moments occurs at a dinner table sequence when he is allowed to expound on everything from Marxism to the mental restoration of post-war Germans.

Loretta Young is the chief violator of most of the film's acting problems. As the unsuspecting wife of Welles' character who refuses to see the obvious, she is simply unconvincing in her many scenes, unleashing a plethora of emotions, none of them coming from anywhere real. Her reactions are over-baked and, at times, unintentionally amusing as she feigns shock, disbelief, false bravado, and everything else under the sun. The dialogue served on her certainly doesn't help either.

But the most frustrating aspect of this film is that Welles, in order to advance the plot, allows his characters to do such silly, unsubtle, nimble-minded things. Neither Robinson's methods of tracking down his man nor Welles' ability to elude the ever tightening dragnet are done with much intelligence. One wonders how they ever achieved their stations in life. And poor Loretta! She is practically offered up as a sacrificial lamb just to expose her husband's true identity, when other methods could have utilized just as well!

While "The Stranger" cannot seriously damage Orson Welles' reputation as a masterful but frustrated filmmaker, it certainly does nothing to enhance it.