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Stranger on the Third Floor

Play trailer Poster for Stranger on the Third Floor 1940 1h 4m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
When upstart journalist Michael Ward (John McGuire) testifies that he saw Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr.) at the scene of a murder, Briggs is jailed and sentenced to death. Later, Michael's conscience and troubling dreams get the better of him. He tells his girlfriend, Jane (Margaret Tallichet), that he isn't certain Briggs is guilty. They begin to investigate, but unfortunately, the couple soon makes the acquaintance of an ominous, enigmatic man (Peter Lorre) who wants the case to stay closed.
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Stranger on the Third Floor

Stranger on the Third Floor

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Critics Consensus

While it suffers from the occasional stilted performance, Stranger on the Third Floor turns its gripping premise into a visually persuasive noir nightmare through bold production design and Boris Ingster's striking direction.

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Audience Says

While Stranger on the Third Floor occasionally loses its footing, Peter Lorre never does, cementing it as a must-see Noir.

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Critics Reviews

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SMH Staff Sydney Morning Herald Feb 10
There is nothing routine here, and the acting by some comparative strangers is another proof that it does not need leading players to make a good story arresting. The romance of the narrative also has some fresh treatment. Go to Full Review Guardian Staff Guardian Feb 10
"Stranger on the Third Floor" is another example of the unpretentious pot-boiler achieving the dignity and design of an epic. Go to Full Review Philip K. Scheuer Los Angeles Times Feb 10
The production rates as a novelty and should exert a spell above that of the routine program effort. With it, Boris Ingster accomplishes a promising directorial debut. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 13h
3/4
The very first film noir? Good luck finding a definitive answer. Yet in recent times, the frontrunner for that title would seem to be Stranger on the Third Floor. Go to Full Review Photoplay Staff Photoplay Feb 10
Staging is dramatic and suspense well sustained. Go to Full Review Miami Herald Staff Miami Herald Feb 10
The picture... is designed to raise goose pimples and chill your spine, though it isn't hard to figure out to the end that suspense is lacking. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ted B @Movieaddicted 07/03/2024 3.0 stars; According to TCM, this was one of the first film noir movies. It certainly fits that description to me. The underlying theme is how blind Lady Justice is. What happens when you send an innocent man to the electric chair? A real air of creepiness is added by Peter Lorre, the master of that art. The acting was acceptable for the most part, although a little overdone in some scenes. But that was the style in the early 1940s. A well-done thriller that holds up well, even by today’s standards. See more j f @LiberteBurrows 06/17/2024 Heck of a cast. But kind of middy, slight smell of hay. See more Bill B @RT01438538 12/17/2022 Controversial film, very much becomes "film noir" by the middle of it (probably the first one made). There are great moments and dud moments so it is difficult to rate, but it is unique and divergent enough (and short) to recommend. See more Russ G @RT78760655 10/27/2022 Pretty awful. Barely an hour long and there's 10 minutes in the middle that you can skip right over. Peter Lorre is usually in better than this dreck; the studio had to have held a gun to his head on this one. See more Ed M @RT80499164 11/02/2021 I love Peter Lorre but this movie is weak. See more deke p @RT96675217 01/13/2020 Kind of interesting. Film noir. Peter Lorre in it, younger. Never heard of until saw it on TV, Jan 2020. See more Read all reviews
Stranger on the Third Floor

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Cast & Crew

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Boris Ingster

Director

Peter Lorre

The Stranger

John McGuire

Michael "Mike" Ward

Margaret Tallichet

Jane

Charles Waldron

District Attorney

Elisha Cook Jr.

Joe Briggs

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Stranger on the Third Floor

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When upstart journalist Michael Ward (John McGuire) testifies that he saw Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr.) at the scene of a murder, Briggs is jailed and sentenced to death. Later, Michael's conscience and troubling dreams get the better of him. He tells his girlfriend, Jane (Margaret Tallichet), that he isn't certain Briggs is guilty. They begin to investigate, but unfortunately, the couple soon makes the acquaintance of an ominous, enigmatic man (Peter Lorre) who wants the case to stay closed.
Director
Boris Ingster
Producer
Lee S. Marcus
Production Co
RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 16, 1940, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 4m
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