Eddie mullers intro to stranger on the third floor 1940 on tcm noir alley duration. Stranger on the third floor 1940 kozaks classic cinema. As scholars of the genre have attempted to determine what films quality as noir, they almost always agree that the onehour rko b programmer stranger on the third floor 1940 is the first of its kind. Approved 1h 4min crime, drama, filmnoir 16 august 1940 usa. Stranger on the third floor 1940 classic film freak. Stranger on the third floor is a film directed by boris ingster with peter lorre, john mcguire, margaret tallichet, charles waldron, year. It presses the envelope between a film and a docudrama at a tight runtime of a mere. This film is one of the two contenders for first film noir ever. It presses the envelope between a film and a docudrama at a tight runtime of a mere 65 minutes. Slides from stranger on the third floor 1940 youtube. Eddie mullers intro to stranger on the third floor. 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.
Even though at the time of release this little sleeper wasnt considered the first film. More than just a possible influence on the flood of dark, urban crime dramas about to follow en masse as a b film, its influence on anyone at the time is debatable, it marked, as author robert porfirio has written, a distinct. Scarcely more than an hour long, this movie directed by boris ingster is a masterpiece in miniature. Register to upload movie stills yourself and compete with others. 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. Noir709960355693140 to see the film in its entirety, visit the. Mcguire plays mike ward, a reporter who is the key witness in a murder trial that ends with the defendant cook being found guilty. A weird expressionist investigation of personal guilt that takes its jaunty, banal hero mcguire from the bright lights of a cafeteria into a strange interior. Stranger on the third floor 1940 directed by boris. 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 is a 1940 american film noir directed by boris ingster and starring peter lorre, john mcguire, and margaret tallichet, and featuring. 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 1940, directed by boris ingster film. Starring peter lorre as the stranger, john mcguire as michael ward, margaret tallichet as jane, charles halton as albert meng, and elisha cook, jr.
Ce film, dune duree dune heure, a ete realise par boris ingster en 1940. It was directed by a man named boris ingster, and one reason the film hasnt been as widely embraced as noirs starting point by some critics and historians is because ingster wasnt a. Modern research has shown that nathanael west wrote the final version of the screenplay, but was uncredited. Sneaking out in 1940 was a sleeper film s sleeper film, a riveting little creepshow called stranger on the third floor.
Eddie mullers intro to stranger on the third floor 1940 on tcm noir alley. Stranger on the third floor 1940 when upstart journalist michael ward john mcguire testifies that he saw joe briggs elisha cook jr. Stranger on the third floor 1940 stranger on the third. The contrarian position often argueserroneouslythat the 1939 film blind alley should hold that distinction. And who is that buggedeyed stranger on the third floor. 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. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a. Like in phantom lady, the villain of stranger on the third floor is a psychopath, albeit a sympathetic one. With peter lorre, john mcguire, margaret tallichet, charles waldron. 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.
Good start to a wonderful genre that is if eddie mueller is right when he says this is the first noir, and who am i to argue with the resident tcm night. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a gloomy dump peter lorre mildred pierce. 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 1940 stranger on the third floor 1940, an obscure b movie from rko studios, has its place in movie history as the first film noir.
When a tenant who shares the same apartment building with the reporter is killed, the reporter is the first. Reporter michael ward is the key witness in a murder trial. Very obviously a b movie a great deal of the picture is comprised of street scenes, due to budgetary. Stranger on the third floor started off a little slow, but the nightmare sequences and incredibly moody lighting helped get it on point. These are some of the questions that were waiting to be answered when the film that is considered the first film noir stranger on the third floor was released in theatres on august 16, 1940. Stranger on the third floor 1940, directed by boris ingster, written by frank partos and nathaniel west.
Siskoid widely considered the first american film noir, stranger on the third floor is nevertheless a minor work in the genre, but an efficient one that doesnt waste time getting to the point. Stranger on the third floor 1940 film noir of the week. Stranger on the third floor 1940 directed by boris ingster. Stranger on the third floor is the little b picture that launched one of the greatest movements in cinema history. Peter lorre gets top billing in an underplayed, but brilliant supporting role as the stranger. Stranger on the third floor 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The stranger on the third floor the american society. Despite receiving top billing, peter lorre only appears in the 1940 thriller stranger on the third floor for roughly ten minutes. If so, it almost seems to exaggerate and satirizere noir tropes even as its inventing them. Many critics feel that stranger on the third floor marks the inception of the film noir genre and it is true that it does incorporate many elements of that slightly later genre.
The cinematography and lighting definitely show the dramatic. Released 1940, stranger on the third floor stars peterlorre, johnmcguire, margarettallichet, charleswaldron the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 4 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. His evidence that he saw the accused briggs standing over the body of a man in a diner is instrumental in having briggs deemed. On the downside, stranger on the third floor wastes the talents of peter lorre on a whole lot of facepulling antics, when he should be acting. Stranger on the third floor newspaper reporter john mcguire drops right to a nightmare of guilt, stressing that hissigns has sentenced the incorrect person into departure. 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. Stranger on the third floor 1940 eddie robson, who is one of the worlds most thoroughgoing experts on film noir, is determined that stranger on the third floor is the worlds first noir. Stranger on the third floor 1940 movie clip what a gloomy. Often though debatably classified as the first true film noir, the stranger on the third floor is an uneven but fascinating example of that fascinating genre. A more likely candidate, however, is a little 63minute rko film from 1940 called stranger on the third floor. Even so, lorre earns his keep during every second hes onscreen. Wtm stranger on the third floor 1940 warning in order to properly access whatthemovie you have to activate javascript.
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