The Stranger’s Hand [La mano dello straniero] *** (1954, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli, Richard Basehart, Richard O’Sullivan) – Classic Movie Review 13,272

The 1954 British-Italian thriller film The Stranger’s Hand is based on Graham Greene’s novel, and stars Trevor Howard as a MI5 agent kidnapped in Venice, and Richard O’Sullivan as his son caught in a web of terror.

The Suspense and High Tension Excitement That Made The Third Man Unforgettable, Catches You By the Throat – And Never Lets Go.’

‘…and introducing RICHARD O’SULLIVAN, a boy caught in a web of terror.’

Director Mario Soldati’s 1954 British-Italian thriller film The Stranger’s Hand [La mano dello straniero] is based on Graham Greene’s draft novel, and stars Trevor Howard, Alida Valli, Richard Basehart, and Richard O’Sullivan.

Yugoslavian spies kidnap little Roger Court (Richard O’Sullivan)’s British MI5 agent father Major Roger Court (Trevor Howard) in Venice. What’s a boy to do? Italian hotel worker Roberta Gleukovitch (Alida Valli) helps him out as he searches for his father with aid from her American chum Joe Hamstringer (Richard Basehart). Joe Hamstringer!

The Stranger’s Hand is a minor but good little suspenser from Graham Greene’s yarn, nicely played and attractively filmed in Italy, shot in black and white by Enzo Serafin. The taut mood of tension is heightened by Nino Rota’s effective score. It reunites Howard and Valli from Greene’s The Third Man.

Greene entered the first two chapters of The Stranger’s Hand under a pseudonym in a competition in the New Statesman British political and cultural news magazine to write a book in the style of Graham Greene. Greene was amused to win second prize. Mario Soldati saw it and persuaded Greene to complete the novella to make the basis for a film. Greene expanded it to 30 pages of a film story for the screenplay.

Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, the New Statesman astonishingly survives.

The cast are Trevor Howard as Major Roger Court, Alida Valli as Roberta Gleukovitch, Richard Basehart as Joe Hamstringer, Richard O’Sullivan as Roger Court, Eduardo Ciannelli as Dr Vivaldi, Arnoldo Foà as Commissioner, Stephen Murray as British Consul in Venice, Guido Celano as Chief Constable Nerio Bernardi as Vincenzo, Giorgio Costantini as Pescovitch, Angelo Cecchelin as Luza, Nino Vechina as First Killer, Armando Papette as Second Killer, Giovanni Karuz as Third Killer, Joan Butterfield as Mrs Harrington, Alessandro Paulon as Morgan, and Remington Olmsted as Ramondo.

The Stranger’s Hand [La Mano dello Straniero] is directed by Mario Soldati, runs 87 minutes, is made by Independent Film Producers, Milo Film and Rizzoli Film, is released by British Lion Films, is written by Guy Elmes and Giorgio Bassani, is shot in black and white by Enzo Serafin, is produced by John Stafford, Peter Moore, Angelo Rizzoli and Graham Greene, is scored by Nino Rota, and is designed by Luigi Scaccianoce.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,272

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