Stranger on the Third Floor 1940 Ages 15+

Production still from Stranger on the Third Floor 1940 / Dir: Boris Inger / Image courtesy: Potential Films

Production still from Stranger on the Third Floor 1940 / Dir: Boris Inger / Image courtesy: Potential Films / View full image

When

6.00 pm, Wed 11 Mar 2026 (67 mins)

Where

Gallery of Modern Art, Cinema A

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair Accessible

Admission

Free

About

After being a key-witness in a murder trial, Journalist Robert Ward becomes a suspect in another killing that is eerily similar to the one he witnessed. Recognised as one of the first film noirs, Stranger on the Third Floor adopts many of the qualities of German expressionist filmmaking: high contrast photography, dark shadows and a theatrical stylization. The story deals with paranoia and distrust of a legal system depicted as vicious and cruel.

Ages 15+

Production Credits

  • Director: Boris Ingster
  • Script: Frank Partos, Nathanael West (uncredited)
  • Based on: a story by Frank Partos
  • Cinematographer: Nicholas Musuraca
  • Editor: Harry Marker
  • Cast: Peter Lorre, John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet
  • Print Source: Library of Congress, Washington DC
  • Rights: Potential Films
  • Year: 1940
  • Runtime: 67 minutes
  • Country: United States
  • Language: English
  • Sound: Mono
  • Colour: Black & White
  • Shooting Format: 35mm
  • Screening Format: 35mm