The Stranger
Directed by Orson Welles
Having directed two undisputed masterpieces - Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons - Orson Welles delved into the suspense film, crafting a baroque postwar thriller that drew upon the style of his previous work, while laying the groundwork for his later film noir classics The Lady from Shanghai and Touch of Evil. Edward G. Robinson stars as Wilson, a government agent who tracks down a high-ranking Nazi officer (Welles) who has managed to craft a new identity for himself in a quaint Connecticut town, marrying the daughter (Loretta Young) of a local judge.
Circulated in poor versions for decades, this edition of THE STRANGER was mastered in HD from an original 35mm print preserved by the Library of Congress, and is accompanied by a wealth of supplemental material. Nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Mastered in HD from archival 35mm elements preserved by the Library of Congress
Audio commentary by film historian Bret Wood
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery
"Death Mills" (1945, 21 min.), an informational film on the Nazi death camps (produced by Billy Wilder), footage of which appears in The Stranger
Orson Welles's Wartime Radio Broadcasts. Four complete programs exemplify Welles's blending of propaganda and entertainment: "Alameda" (Nazi Eyes on Canada, 1942), "War Workers" (Ceiling Unlimited, 1942), "Brazil" (Hello Americans, 1942), and "Bikini Atomic Test" (Orson Welles Commentaries, 1946).
Reviews More Reviews
An inventive, highly enjoyable thriller - Chicago Reader
A grade A gooseflech-raiser - Time Magazine