Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Powerful

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

First the good: No one is better than Peter Lorre playing a maniac. Nor is anyone better than Elisha Cook, Jr. playing whatever he always plays. That covers the acting. The photography by Nicholas Musuraca was beautiful moment by moment. He photographed Cat People, The Spiral Staircase, Out of the Past and The Jack Benny Show! The dream sequences were vivid and entertaining. The direction by a director I've never heard of, Boris Ingster, directed only 2 other films - was good often times - although he couldn't get a tumble out of the very handsome and awkwardly stiff male lead, John McGuire, either because of his particular dialogue or his delivery which bordered on absurdity and as often as not delved right into it. Margaret Tallichet, however, had a beguiling look and style. Some other good qualities as well, but...But - the dialogue while amusing at times - except maybe in McGuire's dream horror at what he might have done - went nowhere; the ending was ludicrous - an MGM kind of sappy ending, all but the rainbow - the taxi driver unscathed by his almost death sentence, and the too convenient solutions. All and all - great to look at and absurd to make sense of. Not that you have to. But it is definitely film noir.

For only a few minutes work in this B picture Peter Lorre got top billing playing a bug eyed character who escaped from an asylum and has taken root in the lives of John McGuire and Margaret Tallichet a pair of 20 somethings young and in love and looking to get married.The Stranger On The Third Floor opens with reporter McGuire giving testimony at a murder trial of Elisha Cook, Jr. who is accused of murdering and robbing a store owner in a gruesome fashion. McGuire found him standing over the body, but Cook swears he didn't do the deed.Nevertheless Cook's pleas of innocence shake the star witness McGuire. Later on he spots Peter Lorre coming out of his fellow boardinghouse roomer Charles Halton with whom McGuire had quarreled with earlier. When Halton who is a nasty little sort is similarly gruesomely dispatched the cops are thinking that McGuire might have done both the crimes.It's up to Tallichet to find a guy who looks like Peter Lorre and clear the boyfriend.The Stranger On The Third Floor is a neat and economical thriller taken from a radio play. Lorre is his usual menacing self and Tallichet proves to be a regular Nancy Drew in tracking down the culprit. Note another nice performance by Ethel Griffies as the landlady for McGuire and Halton. They make a really great matched pair of creeps.Check this one out if you like Peter Lorre.

Stranger on the Third Floor is directed by Boris Ingster and co-written by Frank Partos and Nathanael West. It stars Peter Lorre, John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet and Elisha Cook Jr. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Michael Ward is a news reporter who is the key witness in a murder trial. His evidence, circumstantial at best, is instrumental in getting a guilty verdict delivered on suspect Joe Briggs (Cook Jr.). When his girlfriend Jane (Tallichet) casts doubt over Briggs' guilt, and his part in the evidence, Michael becomes haunted by the fact he may have sent an innocent man to death row. Things further compound his troubled mind as a sinister stranger is lurking around his rooming house building……Often referred to as the first true film noir picture, Stranger on the Third Floor hardly set the cinematic world alight upon its release. With Lorre the draw card barely in it and its production value no more than that of a B movie programmer, it's not hard to envisage some of those 1940's critics stroking their beards and pondering how to write about such a film. Aesthetically the film caused some consternation, too, while the snarky aside to the legal system, and the people involved in such, adds some intrigue into the narrative mix. For a film running at just over an hour, it was doing well to make a mark: favourably or otherwise!The truth is is that at its core, Ingster's film is no more than a capably acted crime thriller, but what cloaks that core are hugely impressive visuals that paint a skew whiff world of a paranoid mind at work. The script, while light as spoken, does indeed carry cynicism, but this aspect only impacts because of the expressionistic visuals and baroque like imagery. Characters, and the actors playing them, ultimately are playing second fiddle to style over substance, but in this instance it's OK. With Musuraca weaving his photographic magic around heavy shadows, stilted angles and high contrast framing, film contains one of the greatest dream/nightmare sequences to have ever graced/dominated film noir. This alone makes the film essential viewing for noir enthusiasts. The ending is all too swift and contrived, distastefully accompanied by the jolly old music that opened up the piece. But again this is forgiven in light of what has gone before it, for now, nothing can be seen in quite the same way. A most interesting and sneaky little picture this one. 7.5/10

Hey, looking for a good black and white movie? Check this one out. This is a nice suspenseful love story that you will not regret sitting down to watch. There are a lot of old black and white movies that have lost their luster over the years and would probably not be able to entertain today's audience. But take my word for it. I am a college teen that loves having fun goofing off and playing video games and yet I managed to actually enjoy this aged film. The characters are very well played. You can easily fall in love with the 2 main protagonist which is very vital in this type of film. I cared about their relationship. I wanted them to live happily ever after. I wanted them just to live! I won't give away the story I promise because you should really watch this yourself. The story is not only engaging but has you anticipating each scene as it plays. The filming techniques are superb and seem to be the most appropriate position for each shot. No thriller is complete without music. And this movie has just the touch needed to add that extra filler in the background to keep you on your toes. The sound quality is actually not that bad considering how old of a movie it is.The ongoing lesson or moral of the story is well represented and portrayed. There really is nothing bad about this movie. It has Peter Lorre in it for heaven's sake. If you don't know who that is then watch this movie just to find out. You'll love him. He is classic in this movie. Overall this is just a great movie that you should sit down with your family one night and watch together. I would watch it again right now if I wasn't in college.