''The Intimate Stranger'' (U.S. title: ''Finger of Guilt'' ) is a 1956 British

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American film and theatre director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Hollywood ...

(under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Alec C. Snowden), and starring

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. Known for his "deep, resonant baritone voice and craggy good looks," he was active in film, theatre and television from 1947 until 1983. He won two National ...

, Mary Murphy,

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born on 15 May 1910 in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate ...

and

Roger Livesey Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', '' ...

. The screenplay was by Howard Koch (as Peter Howard).

Plot

Reggie Wilson's Hollywood career as a film editor ended after he had an affair with his boss's wife. He then moved to England, became successful and married the daughter of a producer. They are both working on a new film called ''Eclipse''. His new life is threatened when he starts receiving intimate letters from a woman. She reminds him of a relationship that they had some time ago, but he has no knowledge of it.

Cast

as Reginald "Reggie" Wilson * Mary Murphy as Evelyn Stewart *

as Kay Wallace *

as Ben Case *

Faith Brook Faith Brook (16 February 1922 – 11 March 2012) was an English actress who appeared on stage, in films and on television, generally in upper-class roles. She was the daughter of actor Clive Brook. Early years Although she was born in Yor ...

as Lesley Wilson *

Mervyn Johns David Mervyn Johns (18 February 18996 September 1992) was a Welsh stage, film and television actor who became a fixture of British films during the Second World War. Johns appeared extensively on screen and stage with over 100 credits between 1 ...

as Ernest Chaple * Vernon Greeves as George Mearns * André Mikhelson as Steve Vadney * David Lodge as Police Sergeant Brown *

Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...

as Dr Gray * Grace Denbigh Russell as Mrs Lynton *

as director *

Garfield Morgan Thomas Timothy Garfield Morgan (19 April 1931 – 5 December 2009) was an English actor who appeared mostly on television and occasionally in films. He had a regular role in ''The Sweeney'' as Detective Chief Inspector Frank Haskins. Early lif ...

as Waiter *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone app ...

as Miss Cedrick, the secretary * Peter Veness as policeman * Frederic Steger as barman Director Joseph Losey appears in a small cameo part as a film director.

Production

Producer/director Losey, a communist who had been

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

in the United States and moved to the United Kingdom, is credited onscreen as Alec C. Snowden. The

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

was written by fellow communist Howard Koch, who had also been blacklisted and wrote under the name of Peter Howard. Losey had previously made '' The Sleeping Tiger'' under a pseudonym for the same company, Anglo Amalgamated. The film, originally titled ''With All My Heart'', was produced at

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of Pinewood Group, the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not ...

, where filming began in November 1955. Another early title was ''Man Betrayed'' and ''Pay the Piper''.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "The plot of this melodrama is ingenious, and the problem of why the mysterious Evelyn has chosen to hound the innocent Reggie is sufficiently intriguing for the film to build up a fair degree of tension. The denouement, however, ends the story on a tame anti-climax. The direction is quite slick, although more might have been made of the studio backgrounds. Mary Murphy, as Evelyn, gives a nicely judged performance, and Richard Basehart is adequately harassed as her victim." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "Richard Basehart contributes a thoroughly convincing performance as the harassed Reggie, Mary Murphy is both brash and attractive as Evelyn, Roger Livesey comfortably fits part of executive Ben, Faith Brook makes an appealing Lesley, and Constance Cumming and Mervyn Johns are more than adequate as direct support." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote: "''Finger of Guilt'' provides enough mystery to keep the spectator fairly engrossed during most of a well-developed unfoldment, but film's contrived climax is weak."

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

wrote: "Perhaps Koch and his director Joseph Losey...were too drawn in to the plot's semi-metaphorical take on blacklisting to see that the scenes are not properly focused, the dialogue lacks enough sparkle and that the string of coincidences causes some plausibility problems. Fortunately, ''Finger'' is helped immensely by the on-target performance of leading man Richard Basehart and the beautifully wicked one of Mary Murphy, as well as the solid turn from Constance Cummings." Derek Winnert wrote "It is one of the least well known of all Losey's films, but then it is arguably also one of the least too, though far from negligible." Dennis Schwartz noted a "tightly scripted crime thriller...The conclusion comes with a pat resolution, but by that time I was engrossed in the improbable story and too much impressed with the fine acting to care that much if I was being manipulated."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Intimate Stranger, The 1956 films 1956 drama films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Joseph Losey British drama films 1950s British films British black-and-white films Films scored by Trevor Duncan English-language drama films