Stranger on the Third Floor

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Stranger on the Third Floor

Released Aug 16, 1940

1h 4m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

64%

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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Alberto Abuín

Espinof

Thanks to its performances, all perfect, and its staging, "Stranger on the Third Floor" is a discovery that still surprises more than seventy years later. [Full Review in Spanish]

Apr 10, 2020

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Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

... a paranoid murder thriller that, for all of its budgetary constraints, took viewers on a spiral of justified paranoia.

Feb 16, 2011

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 27, 2005

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

This low-budget B film is thought by many to be the first true film noir.

Rated: B+

Feb 12, 2005

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Pretty creepy suspenser with unsettling Lorre performance.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 8, 2004

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Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Jul 29, 2002

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Ted B

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/03/24

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j f

Heck of a cast. But kind of middy, slight smell of hay.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/24

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Russ G

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.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/27/22

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Ed M

I love Peter Lorre but this movie is weak.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/02/21

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deke p

Kind of interesting. Film noir. Peter Lorre in it, younger. Never heard of until saw it on TV, Jan 2020.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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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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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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