Strangers on a Train

Plot synopsis:
Amateur tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) wants to divorce his vulgar and promiscuous wife Miriam (Laura Elliott), so he can marry the elegant Anne Morton (Ruth Roman), the daughter of a senator, and hopefully have a career in politics. On a train, Haines accidentally meets Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), who recognizes Guy from the sports pages and knows about his situation from the gossip pages. Bruno tells Guy about his idea for the perfect murder scheme: the two should "swap murders". Bruno will kill Miriam, and, in exchange, Guy will kill Bruno's hated father. Each murderer will kill a perfect stranger, having no identifiable motive, so neither will be suspected. Guy does not take Bruno's suggestion seriously; he humors Bruno by pretending to find it amusing, but Bruno interprets Guy's response as agreement to the scheme. Guy lets Bruno light a cigarette with his (Guy's) monogrammed cigarette lighter; instead of returning it, Bruno puts it in his own pocket.
Guy meets with Miriam, who is pregnant by someone else. She tells him that she is no longer willing to agree to a divorce. She threatens to follow Guy to Washington, D.C. and cause a scandal. Guy calls Anne with the bad news and, speaking figuratively, tells her he would like to "break [Miriam's] neck"...that he could "strangle her." Meanwhile, Bruno follows Miriam and her two beaux to an amusement park, stalks her through various rides, and strangles her to death on the "Magic Isle". Later, Bruno tells Guy that Miriam is dead and that Guy must honor his part of the deal and kill Bruno's father. Bruno sends Guy his house key, a map to his father's room, and a pistol.
Senator Morton, Anne's father, (Leo G. Carroll) informs Guy that his wife has been murdered. The police question Guy; his alibi, that he was on a train with another passenger at the time of the murder, fails because the police examine the train schedule and determine that he could have left the train in time to commit the murder, and then completed his trip on another train. The police do not arrest Guy, but assign a police escort to ensure he does not flee while they continue to investigate.
To pressure Guy into fulfilling his obligation, Bruno introduces himself to Anne. Soon after, Bruno appears at a party at Senator Morton's house. To amuse another guest (Norma Varden), Bruno demonstrates how to strangle someone by playfully putting his hands around her neck. His gaze falls upon Anne's sister Barbara (Patricia Hitchcock), who physically resembles Miriam. Her resemblance to Miriam triggers a flashback. Staring at Barbara, he begins actually strangling the guest, and then blacks out. Barbara tells Anne: "His hands were on her throat, but he was strangling me." Her suspicions aroused, Anne confronts Guy, who tells her the truth about Bruno's crazy scheme.
Guy pretends to agree to Bruno's original plan. He creeps into Bruno's father's room hoping to warn him of his son's murderous intentions, but the father is away, and Bruno is waiting for Guy there. Guy tries, unsuccessfully, to persuade Bruno to seek psychiatric help. Bruno responds by threatening to punish Guy for betraying him. He menacingly reminds Guy that he, Bruno, is "a very clever fellow".
Anne visits Bruno's house and attempts to explain to his befuddled mother (Marion Lorne) that her son is responsible for a murder, but the demented woman does not believe her. Bruno tells Anne that he has Guy's cigarette lighter and intends to incriminate Guy by planting it at the amusement park. Anne and Guy devise a plan for Guy to finish his tennis match quickly, evade his police escort, and reach the amusement park first and prevent Bruno from planting the lighter.
Guy eventually wins the long match at Forest Hills, then, eluding the police, heads for the amusement park. Bruno is also delayed when he accidentally drops Guy's lighter down a storm drain and has to recover it. Guy arrives at the amusement park. Bruno stays out of sight until sunset when he can plant the lighter on the "Magic Isle". A worker recognizes him from the night of the murder and informs the police. Guy catches up to Bruno, and they fight on the park's carousel. Thinking Guy is trying to escape, a police officer shoots at him, but his shot misses and kills the carousel operator instead. The dead man falls onto the carousel's control panel and the carousel spins wildly out of control and crashes. Bruno is mortally injured. The worker who recognized Bruno tells the police chief that Guy is innocent. Guy tells the police that Bruno was attempting to plant Guy's lighter at the murder scene. Bruno lies to the police, but, as he dies, his fingers open to reveal Guy's lighter in his hand.
=== U.S. version ===
In the American version of the movie, a final scene shows Guy reunited with Anne on a train home. A minister, who is also a tennis fan, recognizes Guy and attempts to strike up a conversation, but Guy, hardened by his traumatic experience, turns away coldly and leaves with Anne, without replying to the eager fan.

Tags: insanity, comedy, suspenseful, psychedelic, murder

Review:
One day, on the way to see his wife, he meets the mentally unstable Bruno Anthony aboard a train and soon gets drawn into a murder plot that he can neither stop nor stall; and one that could ultimately cost him his life.The conversation aboard the train between Bruno and Guy is one of the cinema's most intriguing and thought provoking of all time.
This is a truly brilliant example of film-making, every shot is drenched in suspense, every cut is masterful, every detail important, every second exciting, it never lets go till the very end, and what an ending that is, a delicious bit of humor that is perfectly in tone with the rest of this delightful masterpiece.Some have criticized Farley Granger's performance as Guy Haines, but it really is quite perfect; he delivered all his lines well and makes us feel honestly sympathetic towards him.
It isn't a complicated story, two strangers meet on a train, and one comes up with a crazy plot: "You do my murder, I do yours." One takes it as a joke and shrugs it off, but the other takes himself seriously and goes on to commit the murder he offered to, getting the 'good guy' into huge trouble.
You can see the inspiration for future action movies here - the climactic ending with the out-of-control merry-go-round and the two villains dueling each other reminded me of the big action sequence at the end of Jan de Bont's "Speed." Of course, "Strangers" is over forty years older than "Speed" and contains no modern special effects, but the visceral thrill is there - Hitchcock was a true genius.The not-so-subtle gay side of Bruno (Robert Walker in an amazing performance) has taken form in many other psycho-stalker-figures in future movies.
Consider him a male version of Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Single White Female." He knows about Guy before he even meets him on the train - we almost get the feeling their contact isn't incidental - and is soon entirely obsessed with him.Hitchcock loved the Oedipial elements in his movies (also see "Psycho" for more blatant undertones) and there's a lot of that here.
His effeminate ways and obvious homosexuality must have just slipped by the censors in 1951, when gays were not "allowed" to be portrayed on the screen - yet Hitchcock gets the message through effectively when we see Bruno in the lounge on the telephone wearing a very non-masculine robe, flirting with Guy and responding to his mother.The deep layers of this movie make it a fast-paced thriller than you can return to again and again - unfortunately it's being remade as a big-budget Hollywood production, but after seeing the original I honestly can't imagine anything surpassing the sheer white-knuckle thrills of this movie..
Strangers on a Train boasts a neat central idea (the 'swapping' of murders), several classic Hitchcockian moments, and a fine performance from Robert Walker as psychotic socialite Bruno; but despite these admirable qualities the film fails to qualify as a complete success thanks to a severely flawed final act that makes one wonder what the hell Hitch was thinking.Farley Granger's tennis-pro Guy Haines being coerced into discussing murder by charismatic lunatic Bruno—all well and good.
Top-notch Hitch film dealing with a girl in love with young America's idol , a Tennis star named Guy Haines who becomes involved with a good-looking stranger , Bruno Anthony, in search of sensation that's how it all began..!
A psychotic socialite (Robert Walker as unforgettable psycho) confronts a pro tennis star (Farley Granger) with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder...a theory that he plans to implement .
Hitchock married Alma Reville , usually screenwriter ,and had one daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, who appeared in several of his movies: Stage fright (1950), and Psicosis (1960) and Strangers on the train where she plays splendidly the distrusted sister .Frequent collaborator the director of photography Robert Burks creates a stunning cinematography .
Suspenseful and atmospheric original music by the classic Dimitri Tiomkin.Hitchcock often used the ¨false guilty¨ or "wrong man" or "mistaken identity" theme in his movies Sabotage (1942), I confess (1953), Wrong man (1956), North by Northwest (1959), Frenesí (1972) and of course Stranger on a train .
Usually, it is the other way around, but in this case, the movie is a major improvement over the original book.I had seen this wonderful movie at least a dozen times, before I managed to find a copy of the book it was taken from....the book has the same title and was written by Patricia Highsmith.I scoured the used bookstores for years, before I finally found a copy, and because the movie was SO good, I could not wait to begin reading the story in its original version.I was never so disappointed!Not because the book is unreadable...but because Hitchcock made such vast improvements over the book that the book simply does not come close to measuring up to the movie version.That said, let me now comment on Robert Walker's amazing performance as Bruno Antony.This was Robert Walker's last completed performance...he died while shooting his final film, "My Son John," in August, 1951.This role as Bruno was the performance of his career!Perfect in every way.The movie has been around now for nearly half a century.
Strangers on a Train, one of Hitchcock's first and more underrated hits, is a perfect example of these traits - an entertaining and suspenseful story, even when viewed over 50 years later, yes, but so carefully and intelligently constructed it stands today as a masterpiece in film technique.
Sadly enough, there are certain moments in the story which are screechingly out of place enough to jar our focus away from the superb cinematography and editing - Bruno being able to reach down to the bottom of a sewer grate is simply unbelievable, and the figure of a stereotypical old man crawling under a wildly out of control carousel provides unintentional comedic relief in what is meant to be the film's most tense and engaging scene.
The antagonistic figure of Bruno (essayed to perverse perfection by Robert Walker, sadly in his last film role, but easily stealing the film from his admittably very talented fellow cast members) is without a doubt what makes Strangers on a Train so memorable, as the character is a marvel to behold.
Superb support is given by Ruth Roman, who manages to overcome the clichée and be a more innovative and complex romantic interest figure, Kasey Rogers giving a stunning performance as Guy's horrifyingly manipulative and hedonistic first wife, and Patricia Hitchcock, proving that she is far more talented than being simply "the director's daughter" would imply.
"Lets swap Murders- your wife, my father"- seemingly innocent conversation between two strangers - Bruno Anthony and Guy Haines when they meet over lunch on a train journey.
Robert Walker's performance as Bruno Anthony is marvelous and makes the movie worth watching - but that is the only thing positive about this mess of  movie.Some details are just plain forced - such as anything to do with the ornate cigarette lighter that the tennis star originally has with him (even though he "doesn't smoke much".) This lighter plays a pivotal role throughout the movie.Much of the dialog is bad, particulary the various police detectives and the police chief - and most people have English accents (it takes place in America).The announcer at the tennis game is so bad he is funny, as is the exaggerated way the crowd watches the game - although I appreciate the effect.Finally, although I could forgive some of the silliness, the final scene at the amusement park was so ludicrous as to make this movie an unintentional laugher.Nice thing about the DVD is it has both the US version and UK version.
The Guy in Hitchcock's movie doesn't resemble the conflicted, messed up character shown in Highsmith's novel and is a complete disappointment.Bruno, too, lacks the obsessive, disgusting nature shown in the novel.
Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to perceive this potential (just as he'd done earlier with Joseph Cotton in "Shadow of a Doubt").So when it came to casting Bruno Anthony in "Strangers on a Train," Hitch shrewdly pegged Walker for the part.
Once again, Strangers On A Train is symptomatic of Hitchcock's cinema, along with movies like Vertigo or North By Northwest: it has an interesting potential but ultimately it doesn't live up to the expectation.To begin with, the premise is a bit far-fetched.
Yet, there were a lot of possibilities, and one would have liked, for example, to get to know Bruno's character more, who is ultimately quite superficial despite being central to the plot.Moreover, while in other Hitchcock movies the form compensates for the content, here even the direction, editing or soundtrack struggle to make up for the lack of a solid script.
The characters are so implausibly rendered that they sap much of the drama and suspense from the movie.Some Hitchcockian flourishes:  his cameo, with double-bass in tow, at the train station; a murderer's shadow envelopes that of his victim, then a scream rings out; bizarre vantage to observe a strangulation, reflected in the convexity of eyeglass lenses; mounting tension with quick cuts between scenes of a tennis match and scrabbling for a cigarette lighter down a storm drain; the two 'strangers' wrestle in the climatic scene while the unrelenting hoofbeats of merry-go-round horses bear down on them.I am baffled that nearly a quarter of those rating this movie gave it a '10'.
The film might not be among Hitchcock's most famous and recognized thrillers but it contains all of the director legend's trademarks; excellent directing far ahead of its time and a story filled with mystery, intensity and suspense.Strangers on a Train tells about a chance encounter on a train which entangles two vastly different character's and their destinies' together.
Story wise the Strangers on a Train is quite typical Hitchcock film as the director has always been master in creating suspense out of ordinary characters who find them in most unordinary situations.
The film's original score was annoying; but I liked the song "The Band Played On".Despite an implausible plot that gradually descends into silliness, "Strangers On A Train" is worth at least a one-time viewing, mostly because it's such a well-known classic, but also for the fine performances and that great B&W cinematography..
"Strangers On A Train" is the best of all Alfred Hitchcock's output.This movie is a major improvement over the book from which it was taken.Usually, it is the other way around, but in this case, the movie is a major improvement over the original book.I had seen this wonderful movie at least a dozen times, before I managed to find a copy of the book it was taken from....the book has the same title and was written by Patricia Highsmith.I scoured the used bookstores for years, before I finally found a copy, and because the movie was SO good, I could not wait to begin reading the story in its original version.I was never so disappointed!Not because the book is unreadable...but because Hitchcock made such vast improvements over the book that the book simply does not come close to measuring up to the movie version.That said, let me now comment on Robert Walker's amazing performance as Bruno Antony.This was Robert Walker's last completed performance...he died while shooting his final film, "My Son John," in August, 1951.This role as Bruno was the performance of his career!Perfect in every way.The movie has been around now for nearly half a century.
In Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a train" (1951), Robert Walker gave a remarkable and disturbing performance as Bruno, a spoiled playboy - psychopath who came up with a brilliant idea of committing a perfect murder - find a stranger who hates someone strong enough to wish them dead and swap murders with him - he kills yours, you kill his.
While on a train, Bruno introduces himself to a handsome rising tennis star, Guy (Farley Granger) who is going through a rather nasty public divorce with his unfaithful wife Miriam in order to marry the woman he loves, Anne Morton.
a plan which Guy does not know, he plans to go through with.The film is well acted/written/directed/produced and more, the film is so well written that you can even ignore the scenes that don't really add up (I don't know why a cop would shoot into a merry go round with more public domain on it) but apart from those scenes, it is really a very well executed and great movie.The film as just missed out on a place on the top 100, but is 103rd on the list, and even though I would think it should be higher then that, I am glad it is recognized as one of the best films in cinematic history.Overall, I recommend this to people who are fans of Alfred Hitchcock films or people who like movies and the cinematic experience.
My best recommendation for those of you who just might decide to see it for the first time: It is an engrossing character study, (Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony) but falls somewhat short on many other levels, especially when compared to a number of other Hitchcock works.
Strangers on a Train is one of those compelling films, even though Hitchcock clashed with the script writer several times and was underwhelmed by Farley Granger's lead performance, it is still a gripping movie.
Tennis player Guy Haines (Granger) gets caught in the wrong place when he meets Bruno Anthony (Walker) on a train who tells him about a double cross murder idea and how they should team up to murder those who cause them unhappiness.The master of suspense has caught fire in a net with this sensational picture that creates a dynamic of intrigue through murder, deception and blackmail.Brimming with The Birds tempo vibe, Strangers on a train gets off to an interesting start as we see a car pull up and we follow two pairs of feet walking towards the train station, after which there is a glorious point of view shot as we see the train moving along the track, and then the real fun begins.Farley Granger is trapped in conversation with an over enthusiastic Robert Walker who berates him with stories and ideas about his life.
The man diving under the carousel to stop it was beautifully caught by the director and once more this fits the scripting perfectly and epitomizes the film as a genre, a thrilling sequence to a tense and spectacular thriller and crime.Farley Granger's professional is well perceived but the plaudits should go to Robert Walker whose psychotic murder minded man is deliciously mysterious and almost scarily intelligent and yet the pairing is deliciously necessary for the script.Hitchcock delivers once more and this is definitely worth viewing again and again.
Overshadowed by the rest of his 50s movies, "Strangers on a Train" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, and definitely a landmark not only in his career, but also in history of film.During a small trip on a train from Washington to New York, Bruno Anthony (Roger Walker) meets tennis professional Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and soon a friendly bond is set between them.
Handsome tennis pro Farley Granger (as Guy Haines) meets psychotic Robert Walker (as Bruno Anthony) on a train, and suggests the two men, being strangers, could get away with exchanging murders.
"Strangers on a Train" must be grouped with director Alfred Hitchcock's very best films.
An altogether average Hitchcock movie (which, admittedly, makes it better than almost any thriller made nowadays), notable for two reasons.First, there's Robert Walker's subtle, brilliant performance as Bruno Anthony.
This film has all the black humour and great dialogue you've come to expect from Hitchcock, along with great acting, especially from Robert Walker as the sociopathic Bruno (we learn from his mother that he once plotted to blow up the White House).
Many scenes emphasize the differences and similarities between the two protagonists, which are quite interesting in themselves, besides being important as plot elements.Walker is outstanding as the ominous Bruno - his is one of the most memorable performances in any Hitchcock film.
Tennis star Guy Haines hates his wife Miriam he wants to divorce.She's reluctant to give it to him.He has another dame in his life.Her name is Anne Morton.In a train he meets this stranger called Bruno Anthony.He wants to get rid of his father.He has an idea for a perfect murder.Crisscross.That means Bruno would kill Guy's wife while Guy would do the same to his father.Guy thinks he's only joking, but he's not.Soon Miriam's dead and Guy is the prime suspect.Strangers on a Train (1951) is another masterpiece from one of my favorite directors, Alfred Hitchcock.It's based on Patricia Highsmith's novel and Raymond Chandler was writing the screenplay.The casting is perfect, as usual in Hitch movies.Farley Granger plays Guy.Miriam is played by Kasey Rogers, who had to play her part practically blind because of those thick glasses.Robert Walker, who sadly died that same year, plays Bruno.Jonathan Hale is his father while Marion Lorne (in her film debut) plays his mother.Ruth Roman plays the role of Anne Morton.Leo G.Carroll is Sen.Morton.Alfred's daughter Patricia Hitchcock is delightful in the role of Barbara Morton.The cameo made by the director occurs 10 minutes into the film.He's the man getting onto train carrying a double bass.This is a film of many thrilling scenes.The scenes from the amusement park are such.Who could do something like this today?
It all begins when tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) meet on a train.
Guy Haines (Farley Granger) is a famous tennis player who occasionally meets Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) during a travel by train.
While traveling on a train from Washington, D.C. to Long Island, tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets Bruno Antony(Robert Walker).
Strangers on a Train is one of Hitchcock's best films..