Three Strangers (1946)

44% of users liked it
(107 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

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Jean Negulesco
Written By: John Huston, Howard Koch
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 28, 1946 Wide

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The intricately plotted messy film becomes enjoyable mainly because of the spirited performances.

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Cast

            Sydney Greenstreet as Jerome K. Arbutny

            Peter Lorre as Johnny West

            Geraldine Fitzgerald as Crystal Shackleford

            Joan Lorring as Icy

            Robert Shayne as Fallon

            Marjorie Riordan as Janet

            Arthur Shields as Prosecutor

            Rosalind Ivan as Rhea Beladon

            John Alvin as Junior Clerk

            Peter Whitney as Gabby

            Alan Napier as David Shackleford

            Clifford Brooke as Senior Clerk

            Benny Burt
            
            Alec Craig
            
            Leslie Denison
            
            Holmes Herbert
            
            Leyland Hodgson
            
            Olaf Hytten
            
            Colin Kenny
            
            Connie Leon
            
            Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Proctor

            Reginald Sheffield
            
            Eric Wilton
            
            Ian Wolfe
            
            Stanley Logan as Maj. Beach

            Keith Hitchcock
            
See full cast

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