A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
- Miriam Joyce Haines
- (as Laura Elliott)
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
- Boatman
- (uncredited)
- Dowager
- (uncredited)
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Tennis Match Spectator
- (uncredited)
- Tennis Umpire
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome posters showed Sir Alfred Hitchcock inserting the letter "L" into the word "Strangers" in the title to make "Stranglers".
- GoofsThe openings in the sewer grate where Bruno drops the lighter are too small for Bruno's arm, especially wearing a suit coat, to get through for him to reach the lighter.
- Quotes
Senator Morton: Dreadful. Dreadful business. Poor unfortunate girl.
Barbara Morton: She was a tramp.
Senator Morton: She was a human being. Let me remind you that even the most unworthy of us has a right to life and the pursuit of happiness.
Barbara Morton: From what I hear she pursued it in all directions.
- Alternate versionsThere 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.
- ConnectionsEdited into My Son John (1952)
- SoundtracksThe Band Played On
(1895) (uncredited)
Music by Chas. B. Ward
Lyrics by John F. Palmer
Sung by Kasey Rogers, Tommy Farrell, Roland Morris and Robert Walker while riding the merry-go-round
Played often throughout the picture
Hitchcock plays suspense masterfully as in the tunnel of love sequence early in the film. We know that Bruno plans to murder the woman and we 'see' that is why he is following her into the tunnel. We hear a scream and think the deed is done when voila! the girl comes sailing out with her two admirers. Then there is one of the finest scenes in all movie history: the final scene on the carousel. Hitchcock manages suspense on many non-stop levels: the two protagonists fighting each other, a small boy who nearly falls from the ride as it whirls at tremendous speed, and the elderly man who crawls beneath the carousel to try and get at the brakes. Although I think the end of the scene was a bit over the top it was masterful to that point and I will never forget it.
I was surprised to see Ruth Roman in the lead. Usually Hitchcock has blondes for his leads, but the commentator on the TMC channel told us Hitch had to use her because she was under contract to the studio where he filmed it.
I highly recommend this obscure Hitchcock masterpiece and give 9.99 out of 10.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,200,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $26,597
- Gross worldwide
- $50,415
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1