Truly Dreadful Film

the audience applauded

Fresh and Exciting

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"Love From A Stranger" is notable as one of the first film adaptations of Agatha Christie's work, and certainly the earliest that is commercially available today. The first three quarters of its length are not too thrilling (they are a little padded - the script was based on a short Christie story, after all), and Basil Rathbone's eyebrow-raising gives away his evil intentions too early (to be more specific, at the scene where he gets Ann Harding to sign the papers about their new house), but the last 20 minutes will have you glued to your seat. I would go as far as describing them as a masterclass in building screen suspense. Also fun to watch a young Joan Hickson, one of the future Miss Marples, playing someone on the opposite side of the intellectual spectrum. **1/2 out of 4.

LOVE FROM A STRANGER is an adaptation of an Agatha Christie which seemed to have been made into loads of films in the 1930s and 1940s. I previously watched the 1947 version which was superior to this, although with 1937's LOVE FROM A STRANGER the viewer has the novelty of seeing a pre-Sherlock Holmes Basil Rathbone playing the fortune hunter who marries a young woman who recently won a lottery.It's a simple version of the classic 'Bluebeard' tale, as Ann Harding's naive young bride falls head over heels for this charming suitor before coming to realise that not all is right with him. He spends an inordinate amount of time in his cellar, enjoying his photography hobby, and nobody else is allowed inside. The viewer is awarded the chance to see a normally stern and sedate Rathbone going off the rails, although the rest of the production has dated somewhat and the female protagonist's character is quite poorly written. Still, LOVE FROM A STRANGER does have a fine twist ending going for it, which is the best thing in the movie.

Ann Harding was capable of delivering as fine a dramatic screen performance as any actress of her generation. That is a big statement, but watch this film and you will be impressed with her performance every minute she is on screen. It is that good.Rathbone seemed to get a lot of roles requiring a lot of dramatic "flair", such as Dr. Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, and this role here. Within that context he always delivers what is required, which is to walk the fine line between overacting and "flair".While a bit slow developing, the good acting by all the cast in "A Night of Terror" will hold your attention, and will leave you wanting to look for more Ann Harding films.If you are a fan of good, straight, no-gimmick drama, watch this one.

I saw this film under the British title "Love From a Stranger", and I found it interesting to place Basil Rathbone on the wrong side of Scotland Yard for a change. That reference in the story didn't go very far, but putting the future Sherlock Holmes on the opposite side of the law seemed oddly satisfactory.Actually, Ann Harding has top billing in bold letters over Rathbone in the opening credits, and it IS pretty much her picture throughout until about the last half hour when Rathbone summons up his maniacal best. Personally, I would have been suspicious of him on the cruise ship when he offered Miss Howard (Harding) and Kate (Binnie Hall) a tray of hot chocolate, whipped cream, French pastry and pilchard sardines.Considering the tension in the build up to the finale, I thought the story had a pretty good mix of humor going for it. I would liked to have seen more of hypochondriac Aunt Lou, she seemed like quite the trip with her floating pains. And dim-witted English house maid Emmy (Joan Hickson) raised my eyebrows with a remark to Carol about her prospects for getting married, considering she 'ain't quite bright but I'm willing'. A bit of double entendre there.Actually, two key elements of the story can be interpreted in different ways, and since I haven't read the Agatha Christie short story this was based on, I don't know the definitive result. Presumably, the character 'Fletcher' was actually Gerald Lovell (Rathbone), but if you think about it, the criminal might have only been the inspiration for Lovell's madness. I tried mentally erasing the scruffy beard on the picture of Fletcher, and it didn't strike me that the resemblance to Lovell was there.Secondly, the verbal sparring between Carol and Lovell was explained as buying time for the poison in the coffee to kick in. However considerable pains were taken to establish Lovell's heart condition, so Carol's pressing of the argument could have been taken as providing the stress to cause a massive heart attack. Otherwise, guess what? - she's a murderer! How come no one else has considered that in the dozen plus other reviews posted on this board?