Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock (but of course)

Starring: Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock

From: Warner Brothers

I figured it was about time to review a classic film*, and as I recently reviewed what I deemed to be a Hitchcockian film, why not go and see a film from The Master himself? Via TCM airing it late Monday night, I got to see this again. I’ve only seen it once, way back in like 2003, on a VHS tape, which I rented from a videostore in Normal, Illinois, back when I used to go to college down there. I only remembered bits and pieces of it, so this viewing was almost brand new for me.

* As I've seen my share of mediocre or worse movies as of late, that's for damn sure.

The basic plot is that a rich socialite type (no, not Paris Hilton; instead, it’s Bruno, played by Walker) meets up with an up and coming tennis player who hopes to be a politician eventually, Guy Haines (Granger). The socialite is more than a little nutty, and he knows about Guy’s personal life due to the newspapers. Guy has a girlfriend who’s the daughter of a politician. Problem is, Guy is already married to a shrewish woman named Miriam, who is also pregnant, but not with his child. Bruno also has the dilemma of having a father who he does not get along with at all. So, Bruno comes up with a scheme where they criss-cross and they kill each other’s arch-enemy, so that they’d get away Scott-free. Guy doesn’t agree to it but Bruno thinks he does, so he strangles old Miriam.

From there… I won’t give it away, but it’s a great yarn that is a lot of fun while at the same time being real suspenseful. Some of the shots are classic. And, I certainly did remember the ending from the time I saw it in college. It’s pretty hard to forget. There’s a legit extremely dangerous stunt that was done (it’s no trick photography) and I certainly remembered that.

What makes the movie go is that Walker played a great loony yet menacing figure. It’s a classic performance. I also enjoyed the director’s daughter Patricia as Barbara, the mousy other daughter of the senator. She was pretty entertaining at times with her brashness. But, I also have to give props to Hitch for the way it was shot and how suspense was garnered out of such things as the length of a tennis match Guy is involved with. It’s great entertainment and I’m glad I got to see it again.

Note that I haven’t seen any of the later variations on this story, even Throw Momma from the Train. Maybe I will one day, though.

I do know that I'll be back on Sunday night the 20th with a new review.