ORSON WELLES DIRECTS NEO NAZI FILM NOIR 'THE STRANGER'

Title: The Stranger Year: 1946 Rating: ****

Orson Welles plays an edgy and intense but, on the surface, affable, intellectual, quote-spouting teacher about to marry the beautiful daughter of a renown judge in a small town epitomizing post-war, postcard America....

Here where he's the perfect man: brilliant, handsome, and determined, with only one drawback — he's a former Nazi; on top of which, he still believes in "the cause" and that it could possibly sustain... 

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER with Loretta Young

But he keeps this secret from everyone, especially Edward G. Robinson as a dogged, determined yet equally sophisticated FBI agent posing as an antique collector (which Robinson was in real life), who soon discovers the real identity but needs proof before moving in...

In-between there's a fair share of unrealistic, melodramatic situations; and scenes bridging the second and third act tend to drag, especially Welles attempting to keep his poor, unstable wife by his ever-crumbling side... 

Orson Welles directs signature noir shadows for THE STRANGER

Yet the detailed framing and exquisite camerawork, especially Welle's use of shadows and the climax involving a clock tower adorned with sword-wielding angel statures, makes this, if anything else, a visual masterpiece: and one of the few box-office successes in the maverick auteur's artistically brilliant but financially unsuccessful directorial career... 

And has a nifty side-cast including a young idealistic (brother of the bride) Richard Long; Welles's redeemed hence doomed Nazi sycophant Konstantin Shayne; a goofy albeit likable Billy House housing checkers with town gossip; and Joseph Cotten doppelganger Byron Keith as Welles's best man. 

Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten lookalike Byron Keith in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles's great lighting of Loretta Young in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER with Billy House

Richard Long in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER with Loretta Young

Konstantin Shayne gets shot in THE STRANGER

Edward G. Robinson in THE STRANGER with Billy House

Edward G. Robinson in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles's THE STRANGER

Edward G. Robinson in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Edward G. Robinsonin THE STRANGER

Richard Long in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER with Billy House

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Loretta Young in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Orson Welles directs THE STRANGER

Orson Welles in THE STRANGER

Edward G. Robinson in THE STRANGER