Not as a Stranger ** (1955, Olivia de Havilland, Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum, Gloria Grahame,Charles Bickford, Broderick Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 7898

Producer-director Stanley Kramer’s strongly cast but little known 1955 film noir-style romantic drama Not as a Stranger stars Robert Mitchum as ego-driven aspiring physician Lucas Marsh, who marries Swedish nurse Kristina Hedvigson (Olivia de Havilland) to pay for his medical tuition and leaves her for rich Harriet Lang (Gloria Grahame) when he becomes Dr Dave Runkleman (Charles Bickford)’s helper in an American small town. Frank Sinatra plays Mitchum’s medical school buddy Alfred Boone and Broderick Crawford also stars as Dr Aarons.

The film is perhaps deservedly little known because, unfortunately, Kramer fumbles his first operation as director. But the patient survives to tell the tale thanks to the smooth and attractive performances of the remarkable Fifties cast. It runs 135 minutes so there is time for a lot of plot and hospital information for the morbidly minded in Edna Anhalt and Edward Anhalt’s screenplay based on Morton Thompson’s novel.

If the six stars are not tempting enough, and they are, there are also Lon Chaney Jr, Jesse White, Harry Morgan, Lee Marvin, Virginia Christine, Myron McCormick, Whit Bissell, Jack Raine and Mae Clark in the house.

It was nominated for one Oscar: Best Sound, Recording (Watson Jones).

Not as a Stranger is directed by Stanley Kramer, runs 135 minutes, is made by Stanley Kramer Productions, released by United Artists, is written by Edna Anhalt and Edward Anhalt, based on Morton Thompson’s book, is shot in black and white by Franz Planer, is produced by Stanley Kramer, is scored by George Antheil and designed by Rudolph Sternad.

It was a huge hit in America, though much less elsewhere. Costing $2,000,000, it grossed $7,100,000 in America, but the worldwide cumulative gross was only $8,000,000.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7898

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