“Alien”: Review of the 1946 THR

On July 2, 1946, director Orson Welles presented the film noir “Alien” in Los Angeles. The film received a 19th Academy Award nomination in the screenplay category. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, titled “A Stranger Will Hear High Boxoffice Returns,” is below:

Inside A stranger, International Pictures presents the sixth and final feature film through RKO-Radio. It’s the same high-quality entertainment that distinguished the Leo Spitz-William Goetz organization’s previous production, which plans future releases through United World Pictures. Produced by SP Eagle and directed by Orson Welles, which brings together an all-star trio of Edward C. Robinson and Loretta Young, box office expectations are especially strong for this tense and suspenseful melodrama. It starts on a chase note, carefully builds every possible rhythm, builds a legitimate interest in the heroine whose life is in danger, and then builds to a thrilling climax, all in the best traditions of movie drama. The creators of this deserve their credit.

A criminal can escape prison with a starter series. As he is relentlessly pursued by a bespectacled man, sometimes only recognizable by the pipe he smokes, it becomes clear that the fugitive is a Nazi. He was allowed to escape because it was believed that he would lead the way higher, in fact, to the animal mind that conceived most of the torture in German concentration camps. This thinker, if such a designation is applied to something so vile, is known to be hiding in America. But under what cover and where?

The road leads to the university town. The fugitive calls the professor the morning before the honorable wedding of the judge’s beloved daughter. They walk together through the forest. Only the teacher returns. The wedding takes place and the couple goes on their honeymoon.

In the days that follow, the stalker searches for his missing prey. Unable to find out who the missing person was looking for, the chase approaches giving up when a casual comment from the professor at the table betrays him. He spoke of his belief in the need for Carthaginian peace, but in calling for the extermination of the entire Germanic race, he erred in an unconscious tinge of anti-Semitism. It’s a trail that travels to a companion who might otherwise be free. Another betrayal is his hobby of repairing watches. His panic increases when he realizes the net is tightening around him. His fiancée has to tell him for her own protection, but until he tries to kill her, she can’t believe her husband is a hideous killer. Ironically, its ending brings a vengeful figure to Glockenspiel, who has spotted the church tower.

Orson Welles is responsible for a performance in The Professor that matches the power and substance of his brilliant direction. His mature talent is constantly on display. The inspiration is the inclusion of a part of the film itself from the German countryside, which is part of the evidence available to the War Crimes Commission. Welles is unmistakably aided by Russell Matt’s brilliant photography and Perry Ferguson’s compelling production design. There are many other charisma tips in Eagle’s smart production.

Loretta Young rarely climbs heights until asked to do so. Her horror at being asked to hear such accusations against the man to whom she had given her love is wonderfully overshadowed. Your own fears are perfectly realized and your ultimate challenge is superbly expressed.

eduardo g Robinson benefits from a clever change of pace that puts him in the leading scorer’s role. His performance was authoritative, but that pipe accessory might be worth it. Billy House uses all his rich comic skills as the town’s colorful merchant, and Martha Wentworth has a lot of fun as a housewife. The Judge excels in the hands of the late Philip Merivale, as well as Richard Long’s brother and Constantine Shine’s fugitive. – Jack D. Grant, originally published May 21, 1946