Stranger on the Third Floor1940
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)
Stranger on the Third Floor Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as The Stranger
as Jane
as Michael 'Mike' Ward
as District Attorney
as Joe Briggs
as Meng
as Mrs. Kane
as Martin
as Judge
as Defense attorney
as Police surgeon
as Nick
as Jack
as Lt. Jones
as Postman
as Court Clerk
as Chambermaid
as Cabdriver
as Woman
as Detective
as Bartender
as Minister
as Boss McLean
as Landlady
as Gardener
as Charwoman
as Policeman
as Truck driver
as Stout Woman
as Detective
as Drug Store Attendant
as Giuseppe
as Reporter
as Lunch Counter Seat Man
as Policeman
as Policeman
as Detective
as Cabdriver
as Reporter
as Reporter
Critic Reviews for Stranger on the Third Floor
All Critics (6) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (1)
... a paranoid murder thriller that, for all of its budgetary constraints, took viewers on a spiral of justified paranoia.
This low-budget B film is thought by many to be the first true film noir.
Pretty creepy suspenser with unsettling Lorre performance.
Audience Reviews for Stranger on the Third Floor
so it's a bit contrived and the lead actress is quite bad but this highly stylized film is considered the first noir with good reason: stunning art direction, especially the remarkable dream sequence, and great expressionist cinematography by nicolas musuraca. makes a powerful anti-death penalty statement as well
Super Reviewer
In "Stranger on the Third Floor," Michael Ward(John McGuire), a reporter, is the chief witness for the prosection in the murder trial of Joe Briggs(Elisha Cook Jr.), a drifter. During the trial, Michael's fiancee Jane(Margaret Tallichet) comes by to lend moral support. After Briggs is convicted of first degree murder and is likely to be sentenced to death, Michael starts to have second thoughts, especially after this strange dude(Peter Lorre) puts in an appearance. "Stranger on the Third Floor" is a dark little number with a very cool nightmare sequence. The movie is about how often appearances can be deceiving while taking a shot at the strict moral code of the time and this is an important lesson for Michael if he is to be a success at his chosen profession. However, the movie wraps a little too neatly and quickly, as more could have been done with the premise.
Super Reviewer
A good little B-movie about a journalist whose eyewitness testimony convicts a potentially innocent man of murder. The journalist himself then becomes a victim of circumstantial evidence after his despised neighbour is murdered. The plot is contrived and overuses both flashback and voice-over, but there's an excellent expressionist dream sequence in the middle. John McGuire makes a dull hero but Peter Lorre walks away with the movie with his 10 minute contribution.
Super Reviewer
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