WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER

US, 1951, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Joseph Cotten, Valli, Spring Byington, Paul Stewart.
Directed by Robert Stevenson.

Walk Softly, Stranger is an RKO film, an emotional film with an underlying irony on the criminal world. It is an opportunity for Joseph Cotten and Valli to team up again after the success of The Third Man. Joseph Cotten was a strong leading man in the 1940s, especially after his appearance in Citizen Kane. Alida Valli was a significant actress in Italy during the 40s and had an opportunity to be in international films like Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, The White Tower and, especially, The Third Man. However, she had a long career but in Italian films. Spring Byington is always cheerful and appears as a landlady. Paul Stewart always seems sinister and appears here as a robber. Direction is by Robert Stevenson who directed a range of films from the 40s' Jane Eyre to many Disney films including Mary Poppins.

1. Postwar America? People trying to settle down? Jobs, futures?

2. The black and white photography, the middle American town, factories? The contrast with Las Vegas and the gangster world? Casinos? The desert? The musical score?

3. Chris as an ordinary man, war service? Yet his criminal activity? Joseph Cotten trying to embody both charm and the sinister aspect of the character?

4. The title, Chris as a stranger, his finding his path in trying to settle down, especially with the daughter of the factory owner?

5. Chris, his arrival, looking at the ad, going to the house, his story to the landlady, of his having grown up, learning the story about the town? His meeting the daughter, his talking with her, explaining how he was infatuated with her at school? His knowing everything about her? His life at home, the landlady and her looking after him, his charm, gifts? The taking in of the other criminal, the landlady and her being upset? his controlling the criminal? His getting a job, the interview with the owner, the owner and his response to Chris's kindness towards his daughter? His staying with the manager on the floor?

6. With the young woman, her accident, affluence, Italian background? The father and his concern for his daughter? Chris and the meetings, coming into the home through the window, talking to her, bringing her out of herself, her reliance on him, her haughtiness, her acceptance of her fate, changing, her enjoyment of going out? His advances, her fears, her wanting the separation? Her returning at Christmas? The possibility of a future? Her discovering the truth, her standing by him, the visit to the prison?

7. Chris, the criminal background, teaming up with the robbers, the actual robbery, the casino boss, thinking they were getting away with the money and his not following? His wanting revenge?

8. The casino boss, catching up, the other criminal in the house, sending the landlady away? The confrontation, the drive, the crash?

9. The consequences for Chris, his surviving the crash, going to prison, the girl waiting for him? A small-budget film of the 1950s with a top cast?