Review of Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) by Allan C — 05 Jun 2015
Stylish and tight little crime thriller where the testimony from a reporter, John McGuire, puts away Elisha Cook Jr. but the reporter second guesses whether Cook is really innocent and he and his girlfriend discover the real killer is the wonderfully creepy Peter Lorre.
The potboiler elements of the story aren't that much of a standout, but Lorre's performance makes this film an absolute must see. He's not the haunted child killer he played in "M" but is more of a mentally ill man who doesn't really know what he's doing.
The other standout for the film is the stylish direction by Boris Ingster, who's a director who's never really been on my radar, but after looking at his IMDB page, he only ever directed three films and spent most of his career writing and producing low budget film and as a series producer on "The Man from U.
N.C.L.E." Ingster is not Wells or Lang, but he did provide the film some nice noir slashes of shadow and light. However, I may be giving credit to Ingster when it may be due director of photography Nicholas Musuraca , who also photographed the incredibly stylish "Out of the Past" and "Cat People.
" Regardless, the film looks great and Lorre is terrific, even if he isn't in the film all that much.
This review of Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) was written by Allan C on 05 Jun 2015.
Stranger on the Third Floor has generally received positive reviews.
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