Movie review - Orson #4 - "The Stranger" (1946) ***1/2

Not one of the favourites of Orson cultists, even though it ticks a major box (i.e. it was stuffed around by insensitive producers during post-production), perhaps because the star-director never cared for it much himself and it is more conventional than his other films and Welles' visual flourishes are toned down. Having said that the basic idea is a strong one: Edward G Robinson (bringing warmth and audience identification which sometimes is not present in Welles films) is the American agent who tracks ex Nazi Orson to small town America where he's married to Loretta Young.

The film gets off to a flying start with Robinson letting one of Orson's cronies escape so he can follow him, the crony arriving in town, then being killed by Orson. (Welles wanted more of this sequence but I don't think producer Sam Spiegel was wrong to keep it the length it is). It's a terrific start after which things slow down a bit with Robinson poking around town. Danny Peary has correctly I think pointed out the film lacks something in its story - a plan by Orson to revive the Nazis, a love interest (say a rival for Young - there's her brother, Richard Long, who helps Robinson but its not quite enough), or another even more evil Nazi or something - a plot strand to help motor the second act a bit more.

The scripts to Welles movies often suffered problems (and not always due to post production interference) - this one was written by AH Veilier and an uncredited John Huston and is generally well done but feels as if it needs another iron or something, if that makes sense. But every time things get flabby they perk up - for instance at first I was annoyed at Young's character being so stupid, but it makes sense a stupid girl would marry an overbearing man in order to escape her overbearing father (and that she would then try to kill that man when he betrayed her - if only Young had actually died, now that would have been a great ending).

Full of great touches like the man who is always playing checkers, some flashy camera angles, Orson being impaled on a clock, the fact that Orson's character is basically banging this ninny. Orson's own performance is full of make up and facial ticks but is fun if you're in the mood, and I enjoyed this a lot more on second viewing and you can see why it is the one Welles film to make money on its initial release (though in 1946 it was hard not to make money in Hollywood).