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Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train

  • Status: Released
  • 27-06-1951
  • Runtime: 101 min
  • Score: 7.67
  • Vote count: 1783

A charming psychopath tries to coerce a tennis star into his theory that two strangers can commit the perfect crime by exchanging murders—each killing the other’s most-hated person.

Farley Granger

Guy Haines

Ruth Roman

Anne Morton

Robert Walker

Bruno Antony

Leo G. Carroll

Sen. Morton

Patricia Hitchcock

Barbara Morton

Kasey Rogers

Miriam Haines

Marion Lorne

Mrs. Antony

Jonathan Hale

Mr. Antony

Howard St. John

Police Capt. Turley

John Brown

Prof. Collins

Norma Varden

Mrs. Cunningham

Robert Gist

Det. Leslie Hennessey

Brooks Benedict

Tennis Umpire (uncredited)

John Doucette

Det. Hammond (uncredited)

Harry Hines

Man Under Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)

Alfred Hitchcock

Man Boarding Train Carrying a Double Bass (uncredited)

Paul McGuire

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Oliver Cross

Party Guest (uncredited)

Tom Ferrandini

Linesman (uncredited)

Stuart Hall

Tennis Match Spectator (uncredited)

Joel Allen

Policeman (uncredited)

Murray Alper

Boatman (uncredited)

Monya Andre

Dowager (uncredited)

Benjie Bancroft

Police Officer (uncredited)

Harry Baum

Tennis Match Spectator (uncredited)

Al Bridge

Tennis Judge (uncredited)

Joe Brooks

Carnival Patron (uncredited)

John Butler

Blind Man (uncredited)

Leonard Carey

Anthonys' Butler (uncredited)

Edward Clark

Miriam's Boss (uncredited)

Jack Cushingham

Fred Reynolds (uncredited)

John Daheim

Detective at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)

Marilyn Dialon

Girl on Carousel (uncredited)

Jay Eaton

General - Party Guest (uncredited)

Roy Engel

Policeman (uncredited)

Herbert Evans

Party Guest (uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

Party Guest (uncredited)

Tommy Farrell

Miriam's Boyfriend (uncredited)

Sam Flint

Train Passenger Requesting Light (uncredited)

Kay Garrett

Tennis Match Spectator (uncredited)

Robert Haines

Bus Driver (uncredited)

Sam Harris

Party Guest (uncredited)

Edward Hearn

Lt. Campbell (uncredited)

Al Hill

Carnival Game Proprietor (uncredited)

Mary Alan Hokanson

Secretary (uncredited)

Edna Holland

Mrs. Joyce (uncredited)

J. Louis Johnson

Mortons' Butler (uncredited)

Fred Kelsey

Tennis Match Spectator / Carnival Attendee (uncredited)

Mike Lally

Detective at Carnival (uncredited)

Perc Launders

Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)

Louis Lettieri

Boy with Balloon (uncredited)

George Magrill

Policeman at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)

Charles Marsh

Bystander at Drain (uncredited)

Thomas Martin

Party Guest (uncredited)

David McMahon

Bystander at Drain (uncredited)

Charles Meredith

Judge Donahue (uncredited)

Ralph Moody

Seedy Man at Carnival (uncredited)

Mike Morelli

Boatman (uncredited)

Roland Morris

Miriam's Boyfriend (uncredited)

Odette Myrtil

Madame Darville (uncredited)

Richard Neill

Party Guest (uncredited)

Barry Norton

Tennis Match Spectator (uncredited)

Spec O'Donnell

Carnival Patron (uncredited)

Paul Panzer

Bystander at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)

Minna Phillips

Dowager (uncredited)

Anthony Redondo

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Georges Renavent

Monsieur Darville (uncredited)

Suzanne Ridgway

Bystander at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)

Dick Ryan

Minister (uncredited)

Charles Sherlock

Cop (uncredited)

Janet Stewart

Girl (uncredited)

Brick Sullivan

Carnival Patron (uncredited)

Shirley Tegge

Girl (uncredited)

Laura Treadwell

Mrs. Anderson (uncredited)

Joe Warfield

Soda Jerk (uncredited)

Howard Washington

Waiter on Train (uncredited)

Dick Wessel

Bill (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

Carnival Patron (uncredited)

Robert B. Williams

Bystander at Drain (uncredited)

CharlesTheBold

The "strangers on a train" are Guy, a successful athlete in an unhappy marriage, and Bruno, an amoral playboy. Bruno suggests a perfect crime whereby Guy can get rid of his wife without being suspected, and he convinces himself that Guy has agreed to it. Bruno is obviously evil, but what about Guy? Is he is respectable as he claims? Is his wife that bad, or is Guy really a social climber who wants to be rid of his unfashionable spouse in order to acquire a trophy wife? Does he send mix signals to Bruno because he really wants Bruno's plot to succeed? The notion of hidden, shadowy evil is what gives this thriller its power.

CinemaSerf

Tennis pro "Haines" (Farley Granger) is quietly travelling in the club car of a train when his neighbour "Bruno" (Robert Walker) strikes up a conversation. It all seems innocuous enough, the former man is an accomplished player and it seems to him that this is a fan, of sorts, who just wants some company as he drowns his journey in Scotch. What quickly becomes clear from this chat is that both have people in their lives they'd rather be without. "Haines" is married to "Miriam" (Kasey Rogers) but would far sooner be married to senator's daughter "Anne" (Ruth Roman) whilst "Bruno" desperately wants shot of his overbearing father (Jonathan Hale). How about these two complete strangers carry out a cunningly planned murder each that will solve the other's problem? The athlete is having none of this, but when "Bruno" takes matters into his own hands a bit of menacing blackmail rears it's ugly head before the suspicious police start sniffing around and "Haines" finds himself in quite a spot. This is one of Raymond Chandler's better structured stories with quite an intricate series of layers to it - each more perilous for the hapless, lovestruck and out of his depth "Haines". There develops a palpable chemistry between the on-form Walker and Granger who both manage to keep this story compelling as director Alfred Hitchcock turns the screws gently but firmly on both of these characters. It all comes to an head in a fairground where the dazzling lights, highly pitched music and accumulating sense of panic complete a tautly presented and powerfully scored (by Dimitri Tiomkin) drama that looks at human vice, betrayal and temerity. Trains always provide well as conduits for crime thrillers, and with strong, if sparing, support from the likes of Marion Lorne, Leo G. Carroll, Hitch's own daughter Patricia as the meddling "Barbara" and a short cameo from Norma Varden (before she discovered large, ugly, hats) to add some richness - and diversion - to the machinations, then it might just make you very wary of striking up any conversation with any stranger ever again!