|
Love From a
Stranger
|
 Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone |
 Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone |
"It is a tense and moving melodrama ... A chilling film, more resourceful than the play in building up its climax." —Frank S. Nugent, New York Times
"LOVE FROM A STRANGER has changed from good to better during its translation from stage to screen ... Increased terror and suspense ... Sufficiently bizarre to provide the horror hounds with red meat ... LOVE FROM A STRANGER is a handsome hair-raiser, remarkable well directed." —Robert Garland, New York American
 "Love From a Stranger"Melodrama, from the Frank Vosper stage play founded on an Agatha Christie story, which has been a considerable success in the West End here. Basil Rathbone has the part played by Vosper on the stage and Ann Harding, in her first British film, is the other big name. Rowland V. Lee directed the Frances Marion script for Max Schach who made the picture at Denham. The story is that an office girl wins a big lottery prize, is infatuated by a plausible stranger who comes to hire her flat and, during a trip to Paris, decides to marry him, turning down the faithful but unpretentious lover of her working days. Returned from the honeymoon, the young couple settle down in an isolated country cottage where the husband begins to show eccentricities, awakening the girl's suspicions until she realizes, when he is about to murder her, that he is a homicidal maniac. Her attempts to outwit him lead to a good suspense finish. The material is artificial and there is a good deal of over-acting from the leads in the "big" scene, but direction is skilful in detail, there is considerable humor in the early scenes and all the dialogue will be easily understandable in America. It is lacking in convincing human interest. Allan —Motion Picture Daily, January 18, 1937 |
"Much of the glory is down to the actors, all of whom exude a nice naturalism in their performances. ... Rathbone – who could certainly go over the top when he wanted to – remains creepy throughout, but with a realistic edge. Surprisingly, ... the film doesn’t really censor his urges, and we understand fully Gerald’s alcoholism, and the urges that he simply can’t control." —therebelprince, The Agatha Christie Reader
"Has pace and quality ... Faithfully taken from the play of the same name ... Basil Rathbone does well and Ann Harding is the same pretty and wholesome blonde she used to be before she went to England." —Archer Winsten, New York Post
 Carol is concerned about Gerald's heart. |
 Dr. Gribble checks Gerald's heart. |
"Finely wrought horror story ... Ann Harding figuratively lets down her lovely hair and gives all ... Basil Rathbone rises to the heights and turns in a magnificent and brilliant performance." —J.W.B., Washington Times
Enthusiastically recommended ... Packed with suspense and excitement ... Mr. Basil Rathbone functions matchlessly ... Based on an admirably theatric stageplay, the film provides Rathbone with an excruciatingly effective role, noble Miss Harding with one of the best in her long career ... Miss Harding never has been more human and sympathetic. —Bland Johaneson, New York Mirror
 "Love From a Stranger" with Ann Harding and Basil
RathboneThis British-made horror melodrama, by virtue of its theme, which is a psychological study of a homicidal maniac, is limited in its appeal; it is suitable mostly for class audiences. The leisurely pace in the first half, which consists of dialogue instead of action, makes it too slow for the masses. The second half is more gripping; there the maniacal tendencies and morbid character of Basil Rathbone are developed, holding one in suspense. The closing is the most powerful part; there Ann Harding, to save her life, outwits the maniac Rathbone:— Miss Harding wins a large sum of money on a sweepstakes ticket. Planning to go to Paris for a gay time with her friend (Binnie Hale), she decides to sublease her apartment. Her first caller is Rathbone; his culture and charm appeal to Miss Harding. He promises to call again. When her fiancé returns from a business trip, she tells him of her good fortune and suggests that they marry and with her money spend a gay honeymoon on the continent. He resents this; they quarrel and part. Miss Harding is pleasantly surprised to find Rathbone her ship companion on the way to Paris. She falls madly in love with him and after a whirlwind courtship marries him. Her former fiancé, who felt that Rathbone was a scoundrel, is heartbroken. Miss Harding and her husband return to England; she is considerably worried about his health—he suffered from heart attacks and pains in his head. He insists that they move to the country; they rent a house in an extremely quiet section. As time goes on Miss Harding becomes frightened at Rathbone's attacks of despondency during which he would fly into a rage. The night before they were to leave on a trip, Miss Harding suddenly realizes that Rathbone was a maniac and that he intended to kill her that very night in the same manner that he had killed three other wives. He tells her how he had planned the whole marriage and had even set the time for the murder. Different methods failing, Miss Harding tells him she had poisoned his coffee. This so frightens him that he suffers from a heart attack and dies. Miss Harding runs screaming to the arms of her former fiancé who, feeling that Hiss Harding was in danger, had broken into the house. The plot was adapted from the play by Frank Vosper. Rowland V. Lee directed it, and Max Schach produced it. In the cast are Jean Caddell, and others. Not for children or adolescents. Adult fare. Class B. —Harrison's Report, May 1, 1937 |
"For the chills and fever of melodramatic suspense LOVE FROM A STRANGER is a humdinger of a socker ... Produced with taste as well as a stern eye to excitement ... In that last terrifying ten minutes the film gets in as much sheer melodrama as any normal person can stand ... Certainly a tense, exciting, spine-chilling thriller." —Eileen Creelman, New York Sun
"An exciting study of a pathological murderer ... unfolds adeptly up to its novel and breathtaking conclusion." —Silver Screen, July 1937
 Gerald and Dr. Gribble |
 A photograph of serial killer Fletcher (Rathbone) |
"Eerie tale suffers from staginess and early slackness of pace; but has breathless climax." —Finn, Philadelphia Record
"Better in almost ever respect than the late Frank Vosper's stage melodrama from which it was adapted ... Chilling screen study in maniacal homicide ... Superb performance by Basil Rathbone ... A more than ordinary sinister melodrama. ... Suspense is admirably sustained ... The finish is novel and breath-taking." —Howard Barnes, New York Herald Tribune
 Love From a StrangerThe story values here are original but very highly colored, climaxing in a scene in which a girl, alone with her husband in an isolated country cottage, discovers that he is a homicidal maniac, whose technique is to marry a woman for her money and to kill her after arranging for the legal transfer of her wealth. with the date set for her own death, and cynically announced by her sinister spouse, the girl succeeds in frightening him into a fatal heart attach by the pretense that she has poisoned his coffee. Added to the possibilities of stunt publicity suggested by this episode, the picture offers selling values in Ann Harding, in her first British film, Basil Rathbone, a Frances Marion script, and direction by Rowland V. Lee. To the lovers of thrillers it will be a recommendation that the picture derives from a very successful stage production based on an Agatha Christie story. Carol Howard, an office girl, wins a big prize in the French Lottery. She plans a trip to Paris to collect the money, and advertises her flat to let. Ronald Bruce, in love with her, is estranged by her wealth and her apparent expectation that he will become dependent on her. Gerald Lovell, plausible and fascinating, comes to view the flat, makes an impression on Carol and, turning up on the Paris boat, uses his opportunities to persuade her to a speedy wedding. Back in England, Lovell persuades his wife to buy a country cottage in an isolated spot. He also tricks her into signing documents which guarantee that her property will pass to him. His anxiety to keep everyone from the cellar where he practices a mysterious hobby, his sudden flashes of violent passion, and other incidents gradually arouse suspicion in the girl, but when she finally discovers that she has married a murderer and a madman she is alone with him and at his mercy. The girl, terrified, attempts to plead with and then to trick the maniac in the way already described, as Ronald and a friend break down the door of the cottage. The big scene has suspense value but is not too convincing in action, however impressive it may be in literary form, and it is over-acted by both leads. Rathbone has a very far-fetched character to interpret and that he does not make it convincing is perhaps the author's fault as much as his; Ann Harding, also, gives the impression that she does not believe too heartedly in her role. Better class audiences are not likely to think it impressive, but will find compensation in the light comedy and variety of settings of the earlier scenes, and the crudity of the thrills will perhaps be no drawback to audiences which like their melodrama without pretense. Bruce Allan —Motion Picture Herald, February 13, 1937 |
"The suspense of the story is so well built up that the patrons of the Rivoli Theatre were sitting on the edges of their edges of their seats by the time the picture reached its climax." —Kate Cameron, New York Daily News
"The film’s strongest asset is undoubtedly Basil Rathbone, who gives a pretty fantastic performance. He gives his character the perfect underlying tone of creepiness in the beginning and turns into a total madman by the end, becoming increasingly moody and suspicious." —Lindsey, "Mill Creek Musings: Love from a Stranger," The Motion Pictures
 Gerald is surprised to see the photo of Fletcher in his book. |
 Gerald forces carol to read about how brilliant Fletcher was. |
 |
 |
Love from a Stranger is in the public domain. You can watch it for free at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/LovefromaStranger#
Return to Page One. See Page Three for pictures of posters, lobby cards and promo photos.
..
|
Love from a Stranger is available on DVD
|
