Three Strangers (1946)
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44% of users liked it
(108 ratings)
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, three strangers make a pact before a small statue of the Chinese goddess of Destiny. The strangers are Crystal Shackleford (Geraldine Fitzgerald), married to a wealthy philanderer; Jerome Artbutny (Sidney Greenstreet), an outwardly respectable judge; and Johnny… More On the eve of the Chinese New Year, three strangers make a pact before a small statue of the Chinese goddess of Destiny. The strangers are Crystal Shackleford (Geraldine Fitzgerald), married to a wealthy philanderer; Jerome Artbutny (Sidney Greenstreet), an outwardly respectable judge; and Johnny West (Peter Lorre), a seedy sneak thief. The threesome agree to purchase a sweepstakes ticket and share whatever winnings might accrue. Alas, the pact brings little more than misfortune for all concerned. Jerome steals funds from a client, then kills Crystal (with the goddess statue!) when she refuses to hand over her sweepstakes winnings. Johnny and his girlfriend Icy (Joan Lorring) decide to abandon their life of crime, but when it is revealed that the ticket is a winner, he sets fire to it to avoid having his name tied to the crime. If it seems strange that Peter Lorre ends up the romantic lead in Three Strangers, remember that the film's director, Jean Negulesco, thought Lorre was the finest actor who ever lived--and as a result, he fought tooth and nail with Warner Bros. to cast Lorre in this film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jean Negulesco
- Written By
- John Huston, Howard Koch
- Genres
- Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 28, 1946 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The intricately plotted messy film becomes enjoyable mainly because of the spirited performances.
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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Sydney Greenstreet
as Jerome K. Arbutny
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Peter Lorre
as Johnny West
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Geraldine Fitzgerald
as Crystal Shackleford
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Joan Lorring
as Icy
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Robert Shayne
as Fallon
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Marjorie Riordan
as Janet
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Arthur Shields
as Prosecutor
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Rosalind Ivan
as Rhea Beladon
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John Alvin
as Junior Clerk
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Peter Whitney
as Gabby
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Alan Napier
as David Shackleford
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Clifford Brooke
as Senior Clerk
- Benny Burt
- Alec Craig
- Leslie Denison
- Holmes Herbert
- Leyland Hodgson
- Olaf Hytten
- Colin Kenny
- Connie Leon
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Doris Lloyd
as Mrs. Proctor
- Reginald Sheffield
- Eric Wilton
- Ian Wolfe
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Stanley Logan
as Maj. Beach
- Keith Hitchcock
