A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
- Miriam Joyce Haines
- (as Laura Elliott)
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
- Boatman
- (uncredited)
- Dowager
- (uncredited)
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Tennis Match Spectator
- (uncredited)
- Tennis Umpire
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome posters showed Sir Alfred Hitchcock inserting the letter "L" into the word "Strangers" in the title to make "Stranglers".
- GoofsThe openings in the sewer grate where Bruno drops the lighter are too small for Bruno's arm, especially wearing a suit coat, to get through for him to reach the lighter.
- Quotes
Senator Morton: Dreadful. Dreadful business. Poor unfortunate girl.
Barbara Morton: She was a tramp.
Senator Morton: She was a human being. Let me remind you that even the most unworthy of us has a right to life and the pursuit of happiness.
Barbara Morton: From what I hear she pursued it in all directions.
- Alternate versionsThere are several differences in the British version of the film, including:
- The first encounter between Bruno and Guy on the train is longer, and features a more obvious homoerotic flirtation by Bruno;
- In the scene where Guy sneaks out of his apartment to go to Bruno's house, a shot of him opening a drawer to get the map Bruno sketched is added;
- The very last scene in the US version, which involves a clergyman, was deleted.
- ConnectionsEdited into My Son John (1952)
- SoundtracksThe Band Played On
(1895) (uncredited)
Music by Chas. B. Ward
Lyrics by John F. Palmer
Sung by Kasey Rogers, Tommy Farrell, Roland Morris and Robert Walker while riding the merry-go-round
Played often throughout the picture
I get why this is regarded as a classic for many fans, and rightly so, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I wouldn't perhaps put it up there with the likes of Rear Window, Vertigo and The Birds, but it's still an excellent film.
It is full of suspense, it's clever, and it presents us with a tantalising, ingenious murder device, two strangers with zero apparent motive, committing the perfect crimes. I see the ending has gotten criticism of some fans, personally I quite liked it.
Robert Walker delivers an extraordinary performance, the whole cast are great, but his chilling, relentless doggedness is the key to the film's success, he has some presence on screen. Granger is also excellent.
Impressive visuals, the tennis scenes in particular look great, and good to see that Farley Granger Granger can actually play tennis, it's very rarely the case with films and TV shows.
8/10.
- Sleepin_Dragon
- Sep 16, 2023
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Pacto siniestro
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,200,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $26,597
- Gross worldwide
- $50,415
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1