Customer Reviews

Love from a Stranger [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm reviewing the Alpha DVD Edition of this film, the three stars I gave the product are due to the bad quality of the transfer, because I'd given the film alone, four and half stars. With Alpha's DVD Editions, you either have the luck of getting decent copies (sometimes even very good ones like "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers") or awful ones, like this one in particular.

The film is based upon a Play of an Agatha Christie Story and is superbly directed by Rowland V.Lee, with an almost complete English Cast, except for Ms. Harding. The plot is quite simple and suspenseful: a working girl wins a huge amount of money in the Lottery and meets a mysterious, attractive man.

It was filmed in 1937, when the leading actress' stardom (Ann Harding) had already waned in the United States (after being one of the Top Stars during the Early Sound Era). Nonetheless, her acting ability and talent are obvious as well as her charm and grace. Basil Rathbone is excellent too as the mysterious man who arrives into her life, giving a skilled performance.

The rest of the supporting cast is very good too and the sets and the film's atmosphere give the proper background to this entertaining story. In spite of the bad quality of the transfer, I could enjoy the film's plot completely, because it's so absorbing and well paced, that you forget about the "technical flaws" of the copy.

If you liked Robert Montgomery's "Night Must Fall", this one's for you. 'Til now Alpha's is the only DVD Edition available of this film.

LOVE FROM A STRANGER is based on the Frank Vosper play of Agatha Christie's short story "Philomel Cottage." Indeed, it feels a little stage bound and static. The plot is simple enough. Working girl Ann Harding wins the lottery, throws her fiance over for Basil Rathbone, and they move to a secluded cottage in the country, where....
But that would be telling, and one doesn't do that with Agatha Christie. It's enough to say that young Ann might have been better off if she had patched things up with her intended before marrying stranger Rathbone.
There are a few items you'll have to endure before you get to the rewarding ending. The transfer print this dvd was taken from was in pretty rough shape, and I couldn't say for sure that it contains one unblemished frame. There's also a lot of background noise on the soundtrack. Rathbone's character travels the steepest arc I recall ever seeing. If you don't buy into it (I did) I can imagine his acting would be enough for someone to turn this one off.
LOVE FROM A STRANGER is worth sticking with to the end. I thought I'd figured it out and the movie still managed to throw in a surprise or two that caught me unawares. A perfect movie for a rainy, Sunday afternoon.
LOVE FROM A STRANGER is based on the Frank Vosper play of Agatha Christie's short story "Philomel Cottage." Indeed, it feels a little stage bound and static. The plot is simple enough. Working girl Ann Harding wins the lottery, throws her fiance over for Basil Rathbone, and they move to a secluded cottage in the country, where....
But that would be telling, and one doesn't do that with Agatha Christie. It's enough to say that young Ann might have been better off if she had patched things up with her intended before marrying stranger Rathbone.
There are a few items you'll have to endure before you get to the rewarding ending. The transfer print this dvd was taken from was in pretty rough shape, and I couldn't say for sure that it contains one unblemished frame. There's also a lot of background noise on the soundtrack. Rathbone's character travels the steepest arc I recall ever seeing. If you don't buy into it (I did) I can imagine his acting would be enough for someone to turn this one off.
LOVE FROM A STRANGER is worth sticking with to the end. I thought I'd figured it out and the movie still managed to throw in a surprise or two that caught me unawares. A perfect movie for a rainy, Sunday afternoon.

Based upon the novel PHILOMEL COTTAGE by the great Agatha Christie, this film proves to be a top-notch thriller with brilliant acting between Harding and Rathbone. The plot has Harding justly suspecting Rathbone of wanting to murder her for her money and a clever cat and mouse game ensues, which is thrilling to watch. When Harding (who had just won the lottery) sits down to dinner, knowing the servant has been sent off, the doors are locked and she's all alone with Rathbone in their remote country cottage, it's very scary: she realises what she's married. Ann Harding, all but forgotten today, was a beautifully genteel actress who could really act as well; it's a shame more of her old movies aren't yet on video (I caught THE LIFE OF VERGIE WINTERS one night on TV and she was magnificent!) The direction by Rowland V. Lee is excellent and the script by Frances Marion is fine.

This is a great Basil Rathbone performance. The DVD by Alpha leaves much to be desired. The print shows its wear, but is acceptable and at least the print is complete. It will have to do until something better comes along.

Made in Britian in the '30s, this little movie starts out slow and stilted (and prints are often muddy, with scratchy soundtracks). However. These considerations don't matter when you're watching Basil Rathbone's greatest performance: he is quite hair-raising as he goes right out to the edge of hysteria, and then a little farther than that. The final 15 minutes or so will blow you away. Highly recommended...

Upon being released in the US some critics relished the idea of Ann Harding being tortured by her maniacal husband (Basil Rathbone). According to her biographer, Scott O'Brien (Ann Harding - Cinema's Gallant Lady)Ann felt the same way. She was tired of the noble women she had been playing on screen and wanted something different. Love From a Stranger is a complete change of pace for those familiar with Harding. Here she refuses to play the victim, refuses to suffer and turns the tables on Rathbone's schemes. Based on an Agatha Christie story (Philomel Cottage) the film's suspense is nicely complimented by British composer Benjamin Britten. Harding and Rathbone do an amazing job of creating a chilling tale. The DVD quality is only fair, but 5 stars for the acting and direction by Rowland Lee.

"Love From a Stranger" is a seldom seen 1930's thriller based On Agatha Christie' short story "Philomel Cottage". A young woman (Ann Harding) wins a lottery and impulsively marries a suave, mysterious stranger (Basil Rathbone). As time passes she becomes convinced that he married her for her money and is planning to kill her.

One interesting aspect of the movie is the presence of a very young Joan Hickson, who went on to play Miss Marple decades later in the series on PBS. In this one she plays a simpleminded maid.

Somewhat reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's later film "Suspicion", this is a fairly entertaining movie. The acting ranges from stilted (Harding and most of the rest of the cast) to outrageously over the top (Rathbone). The picture quality is very poor, with everything washed out. Perhaps this is due to the age of the movie or a poor transfer to DVD. The writing is okay. The film does achieve a certain amount of suspense toward the end, although it is somewhat lessened by Rathbone's hammy performance.

This is a film I have wanted to see for a long time. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. Still, it's worth a viewing for Agatha Christie fans.

Buy at your own discretion Alpha Video's version of "Love From a Stranger". What would be a great movie and probably Ann Harding's best performance - at least that I've so far seen - is such a bad transfer that I looked at the back of the box thinking, "Well, I guess it was a very early movie", only to find that the movie was released in 1937.

If there isn't another version to choose from yet, unless you just must have it, I'd wait in the hope that some other studio will release a version worth paying for.

No need to purchase this movie separately and for so much money. This movie is included in the Dark Crimes DVD collection. (50 movie collection)

Psychological thriller at its melodramatic best, with two top actors of their day. That thing with the wine glass was f-ing brilliant. I haven't so thorougly enjoyed a film this way in a long time. The current streaming version seems to be ok, by the way, made it all the way through.