Stranger on the third floor is a 1940 american film noir directed by boris ingster and starring peter lorre, john mcguire, and margaret tallichet, and featuring elisha cook jrit was written by frank partos. May 22, 2011 tribute to stranger on the third floor 1940 peter lorre. Peter lorre plays the eerie title role in this onceneglected gem about a reporter john mcguire whose testimony sentences a smalltime loser elisha cook jr. The movie stars john mcguire as a hot shot reporter and margaret tallichet as his best gal who eventually becomes the protagonist. May 22, 2014 stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a gloomy dump peter lorre. Mcguire plays mike ward, a reporter who is the key witness in a murder trial that ends with the defendant cook being found guilty. The so called surrealism of the film is a triumph of turning lowbudget necessity into an effective style. The rko secondfeature often considered the first film noir takes a dark turn, as we begin the internal monologue of michael john mcguire, whose testimony just clinched a maybeunjust murder conviction, and he meets the title character peter lorre in stranger on the third floor, 1940. Stranger on the third floor cast and crew tv guide. Scarcely more than an hour long, this movie directed by boris ingster is a masterpiece in miniature. Feb 15, 2011 stranger on the third floor was the second feature on the opening night double bill of seattle 2011 noir city festival and is available on the warner archive collection of dvdr discs in a remastered edition and it looks superb.
Modern research has shown that nathanael west wrote the final version of the screenplay, but was uncredited. Periodstyle trailer for stranger on the third floor, for conversion to 16mm. This small, interesting, film which is generally considered the first film noir, the stranger on the third floor, directed by boris ingster, is the story of the story of a. Stranger on the third floor 1940 boris ingster, peter. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a gloomy dump peter lorre mildred pierce. Stranger on the third floor is a 1940 american film noir directed by boris ingster and starring peter lorre, john mcguire, and margaret tallichet, and featuring. Stranger on the third floor letterboxd your life in film.
Peter lorre virtually reprises the eerily convincing persona he. Stranger on the third floor was the second feature on the opening night double bill of seattle 2011 noir city festival and is available on the warner archive collection of dvdr discs in a remastered edition and it looks superb. And who is that buggedeyed stranger on the third floor. Film noir really was born in france in the late 30s theres a reason why the term is french. Find out when and where you can watch stranger on the third floor on tv with the full listings schedule at. These are some of the questions that were waiting to be answered when the film that is. As to the claim that its the first film noir, thats pretty questionable. Stranger on the third floor 1940 stranger on the third. Stranger on the third floor is a 1940 film noir about an aspiring reporter who is the key witness at the murder trial of a young man accused of cutting a cafe owners throat but who is soon accused of a similar crime himself directed by boris ingster. Sneaking out in 1940 was a sleeper film s sleeper film, a riveting little creepshow called stranger on the third floor. How to make a good movie with 64mins, a humble cast and a. Maitland mcdonagh, samm deighan directed by boris ingster with a screenplay by frank partos, stranger on the third floor 1940 defines the stylistic conventions that would come to be known as film noir. Stranger on the third floor 1940 boris ingster, peter lorre, john mcguire, margaret tallichet april 18, 2015 rising reporter michael ward is a key witness in the murder trial of young joe briggs, who is convicted on circumstantial evidence while swearing innocence. This extremely weird b movie has been hailed as the first true film noir.
On march 11, 2018, tcm showed stranger on the third floor 1940 as its selection for its weekly noir alley show sunday mornings, 10 a. Stranger on the third floor is a 1940 american film noir directed by boris ingster and starring peter lorre, john mcguire, and margaret tallichet, and featuring elisha cook jr it was written by frank partos. You can stream the new spliff 2020 film fest starting april 17. Newspaper reporter john mcguire plunges into a nightmare of guilt, fearing that his evidence has sentenced the wrong man to death. Stranger on the third floor 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This film is one of the two contenders for first film noir ever. Stranger on the third floor full movie hd film stranger on the third. Sneaking out in 1940 was a sleeper films sleeper film, a riveting little creepshow called stranger on the third floor. Stranger on the third floor the familiar artifice of placing the scribe in parallel plight, with the newspaperman arrested for two slayings and only clearing himself because of his sweethearts. Mar 01, 2016 periodstyle trailer for stranger on the third floor, for conversion to 16mm. According to some film critics the films blind alley, rio, and. Peter lorre is the stranger on the third floor in this b movie from 1940 that stars john mcguire, maria tallichet mrs. Whatever you want to call it, its a wellmade little film and well worth your time. This small, interesting, film which is generally considered the first film noir, the stranger on the third floor, directed by boris ingster, is the story of the story of a reporters search for a.
In stranger on the third floor, michael wardjohn mcguire, a reporter, is the chief witness for the prosection in the murder trial of joe briggselisha cook jr. Stranger on the third floor is the little b picture that launched one of the greatest movements in cinema history. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a. Peter lorre gets top billing in an underplayed, but brilliant supporting role as the stranger. Approved 1h 4min crime, drama, filmnoir 16 august 1940 usa. Modern research has shown that nathanael west wrote the final version of the screenplay, but was uncredited stranger on the third floor is often cited as the first true film noir of. Frank partos story and screenplay peter lorre, john mcguire, margaret. Modern research has shown that nathanael west wrote the final version of. Here is the intro by host eddie muller, aka the czar. An aspiring reporter is the key witness at the murder trial of a young man accused of cutting a cafe owners throat and is soon accused of a similar crime himself. Stranger on the third floor subtitles 20 subtitles. Nicolas musuracas haunting cinematography, a must for this kind of film, is wonderful throughout and never more so than in the kafaesque trial sequence. Written by frank partos and nathanael west uncredited. The rko secondfeature often considered the first film noir takes a dark turn, as we begin the internal monologue of michael john mcguire, whose testimony just clinched a maybeunjust murder conviction, and he meets the title character peter lorre in stranger on the.
Stranger on the third floor movie tv listings and schedule. Its unique blend of expressionistic visuals, mikes uncertain, paranoid voiceover, and a cast of characters who all fit into a decidedly gray area on the spectrum of morality makes itwith the exception of. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a gloomy dump peter lorre. The film starts out as a modest thriller, with a young woman trying to save her beloved from execution for a crime she is sure he didnt commit. I had thought this was about a guy who lived on the third floor, but he really is a stranger who appears on the third floor. Stranger on the third floor warner archive collection remastered edition a compact 63 minute noir thriller that features a surreal nightmare sequence that justifies its place in your film collection. Stranger on the third floor full movie hd film slideshare. This extremely weird b movie has been hailed as the first true film noir, and it. So, stranger on the third floor, the first film noir, is rather more than an historical curio. It embodies stylistic and thematic developments that.
Click here to find it on the warner archive website. With peter lorre, john mcguire, margaret tallichet, charles waldron. Stranger on the third floor 1940 approved 1h 4min crime, drama, filmnoir 16 august 1940 usa an aspiring reporter is the key witness at the murder trial of a young man accused of cutting a cafe owners throat and is soon accused of a similar crime himself. How to make a good movie with 64mins, a humble cast and a nice idea.
But despite these unfortunate outcomes, stranger on the third floor deserves its status as the first film noir and as a minor classic. The screenplay by frank partos and some uncredited dude named west, as well as director boris ingsters pacing, is first rate as well. Eddie mullers intro to stranger on the third floor. In stranger on the third floor cinematographer nicholas musuraca. Shadows come cheap, so lowbudget movies can afford to use them lavishly. Thanks to its performances, all perfect, and its staging, stranger on the third floor is a discovery that still surprises more than seventy years later. Stranger on the third floor 1940 film noir of the week. Stranger on the third floor 1940 rising reporter michael ward is a key witness in the murder trial of young joe briggs, who is convicted on circumstantial evidence while swearing innocence. Eddie mullers intro to stranger on the third floor 1940 on tcm noir alley duration. A stunning example of cinematic expressionism, cited by many as the first studio film shot in a completely noir style.