The Gaunt Stranger

Adaptation of Edgar Wallace's "The Ringer" is a nifty little thriller. Boasting not only a neat little mystery it also has a game cast that sells the story.

The plot has a well known criminal lawyer is threatened by a master criminal known as the Ringer. The lawyer is not worried since the Ringer is believed to have died in Sydney Australia. However he begins to worry when he finds out that the flowers bearing the threat were ordered from a ship coming from Sydney. The Ringer it seems wants to exact revenge for the death of his sister who committed suicide because of the attorney. Add to the mix the police, Scotland yard, the wife of the Ringer, and several crooks who had dealing with the attorney's fencing operation and you have a movie where anyone could be the killer.

I really liked this thriller. An Ealing film, this film is clearly a kin to the later series of comedies that starred Alec Guinness. While most definitely not a comedy, it does have some very witty lines, solid performances and sharpness of construction of the sort that made the later films classics. I liked that every character, no matter how inconsequential makes an impression on you. Every cop, every passerby, every speaking part major and minor is a real person. When someone walks on screen you have a sense that this could be happening.

The script is filled with great exchanges between characters. The police surgeon has a wonderful way of putting people down or inferring he may know more than he is letting on. The jailbird, sprung because he knows what the Ringer looks like turns in some hysterical remarks in his vein attempt just to be sent back to prison where its safe.

The construction of the plot is better than most mysteries of the time. Its understandable why the source novel was used at least five times for movies. Its nice that the film is done in such a way that even though you may guess or suspect who the killer is, you will still harbor doubts until the final denouncement. There are enough plot-lines running through this story (all adequately explained) that its not easy to piece together everything thats going on at first glance. Better still its done in such away that you're engaged waiting for the next clue to pop up, there are no dead spots as the detectives wait to be moved to the next piece, things are always happening.

One of the better mysteries I've seen, this is heartily recommended for anyone who wants a good mystery with character.

Though I have to ask, if anyone figures out what the title means could you please let me know. since it seems to have been chosen at random to cover the source novel.

Whilst the murderer is still fairly obvious it is at least less certain,as Donald Wolfitt overplays the part.Also well played is the crook turned butler by Sonnie Hale.Not the greatest Edgar Wallace thriller.

Wilfrid Lawson is a lawyer and reputedly the biggest fence in London. One day he gets a horseshoe of flowers and a threat that he will die the next day. It's signed by a dead master criminal called 'the Ringer' who used to be his partner. The police gather around, and so do the suspects. In fact, they may be the same person.

It's the third of four film versions of the Edgar Wallace story 'The Ringer', and under the direction of Walter Forde, it's a lot of fun to watch everyone run around in circles. Still, it has a fairly stagey quality to it. With Sonnie Hale, Louise Henry, Alexander Knox, Patrick Barr, John Longden, and Patricia Roc in her first credited screen appearance.

As a suspense mystery this was alright but the side characters - especially Mary (Victoria Roc) has been extremely weak in depiction. In the original novel itself it was too weak - she was ready to hop in the bed of Meister despite being well aware of the things - but there a bit of black-mail was involved - though that wasn't probably enough to warrant her 'sacrifice'. Here even that didn't exist. In addition, it wasn't known how the hidden pathway to his home was known to every one, except the cops of course. Probably a better adaptation was called for. Converting a full novel into a movie is a difficult proposition, a lot of nuances have to be brought in, to justify the actions of every one.

I found the other famous work "The Forger" was better adapted - in German version, Der Fälscher von London - except a minor modifications - one in relationship - John Leith was uncle rather than father of the heroine - and of course the end was slightly changed. But that didn't change much of the 'sense' of the novel and its characters. That aspect was missing here. Of course two main characters can't be faulted on this count - the shrewd doctor-detective Lamont and the 'Weasel' after the rabbits, 'Meister' .

That is, a good mystery that is old-fashioned. Made before WW II, it has the obligatory comic relief that was so prevalent in movies of that era, the worst example being "The Cat And The Canary". To me, mystery and humor are like oil and water.

The British cast was good and the plot, taken from an Edgar Wallace novel, was very good. The premise, a deceased notorious killer who returns to kill again, was plausible, allowing for a few plot holes which can be overlooked. The best part is that it is difficult to guess who the murderer is, as there are so many suspects. Sonny Hale plays the annoying comic in the story and it is too bad he, too, didn't become a victim.

"The Gaunt Stranger" is a British production and woven into the plot are some uniquely pre-war English touches of an interpersonal nature that we Yanks might find off-putting, or at least peculiar, customs and attitudes from another era, but just go with them and try to figure out who the murderer is. That is where this picture earns my rating....and there is no 'gaunt stranger' as the title suggests.