USA, 1940
64m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono, English
An American crime thriller with horror elements directed by Boris Ingster.
Plot Summary
An aspiring reporter is on the trail of a serial killer and dreams of being convicted for the murder of a nosy neighbour.
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Boris Ingster
Copyright MCMXL [1940] RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. presents
Produced by: Lee Marcus
Story and Screen Play by: Frank Partos
Director of Photography: Nicholas Musuraca
Edited by: Harry Marker
Musical Score by: Roy Webb
Recorded by: Bailey Fesler
Wardrobe by: Renié
Special Effects by: Vernon L. Walker
Art Director: Van Nest Polglase
Cast
Peter Lorre [stranger]
John McGuire [Michael Ward]
Margaret Tallichet [Jane]
Charles Waldron [district attorney]
Elisha Cook Jr [Joe Briggs]
Charles Halton [Albert Meng]
Ethel Griffies [Mrs Kane]
Cliff Clark [Martin]
Oscar O’Shea [judge]
Alec Craig [defence attorney]
Otto Hoffman [police surgeon]
Alternative Titles
El desconegut del tercer pis – Spain (Catalan)
El desconocido del tercer piso – Spain (DVD)
El extraño del tercer piso – Spain
O Homem dos Olhos Esbugalhados – Brazil
L’inconnu du 3ème étage – France (DVD)
El misterio del tercer piso – Mexico
Mordet i tredje våningen – Sweden
Murha kolmannessa kerroksessa – Finland (television)
Não Matei – Portugal
Lo sconosciuto del terzo piano – Italy
Stranac sa treceg sprata – Yugoslavia (Serbian)
O xenos tou tritou – Greece
Незнакомец на третьем этаже – Russia
Links
Extracts included in
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light (2006)
The Rules of Film Noir (2009)
References
Periodicals
- Castle of Frankenstein no.4 p.7
- Kine Weekly no.1751 (7 November 1940)
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.48 no.571 (August 1981) pp.165-1666
- Motion Picture Herald vol.140 no.10 (7 September 1940) p.40
- Today’s Cinema vol.55 no.4490 (6 November 1940)
- The Velvet Light Trap no.5 (Summer 1972 ) pp.11-12
Books
- Feature Films, 1940-1949: A United States Filmography by Alan G. Fetrow pp.485-486
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.376
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.464 – credits
- The RKO Features by James L. Neibaur p.235 – credits, synopsis
- RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929-1956 by Michael R. Pitts pp.311-313
