| The Gaunt Stranger | |
|---|---|
 British poster forThe Gaunt Stranger | |
| Directed by | Walter Forde |
| Screenplay by | Sidney Gilliat |
| Based on | The Ringer[2] byEdgar Wallace |
| Produced by | Michael Balcon |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ronald Neame |
| Edited by | Charles Saunders |
| Music by | Ernest Irving |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | ABFD (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 74 minutes[3] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £18,022[4] |
The Gaunt Stranger (released asThe Phantom Strikes in the US) is a 1938Britishmysterythriller film directed byWalter Forde. It starsSonnie Hale,Wilfrid Lawson andAlexander Knox.
A notorious killer, long believed to have died inAustralia, returns to England seeking revenge for the death of his sister. The "Ringer" threatens to murder the criminal mastermind Maurice Meister. Detective Inspector Alan Wembury is assigned to the case and, despite his strong dislike for Meister, attempts to protect him with the reluctant assistance of another criminal, Sam Hackett, who has been released from prison as he is the only man able to identify the "Ringer". Even with his help, Wembury struggles to unmask their target before the time at which Meister is due to be killed.
Michael Balcon had left his position as head of MGM-British and decided to go into independent production in association with director Walter Forde.[5] For their first film the decided to make a movie based on the 1925 novelThe Gaunt Stranger byEdgar Wallace, which had been renamedThe Ringer in 1926, and which Forde had previously adapted asThe Ringer in 1931. (The 1939 film used the original novel title, although the opening credits state that it is based on Wallace's novelThe Ringer.[2]) Balcon said they chose the novel "because Forde was as good at thrillers as comedy (he had madeThe Ghost Train andRome Express) and, in any case, there were always comedy opportunities in Edgar Wallace stories."[6] Reg Baker of Ealing Studios suggested Balcon come over to replace Basil Dean as head of production, and madeThe Gaunt Stranger there - thus it became the first movie made at Ealing under Balcon as head of production.[7]
The film was screened by the censors on 4 October 1938,[3] but didn't premier until 10 January 1939, when it opened atGaumont Haymarket as second film in adouble bill withThe Cowboy and the Lady.[1] It was, however, popular enough for a British re-release in 1945.
Balcon claims the film was profitable.[8]
IMDB give John Longden as Inspector Wembury, in fact Patrick Barr played this part.
