IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
Three strangers, each dealing with a serious problem, share a sweepstakes ticket which they wished upon together before a Chinese idol.Three strangers, each dealing with a serious problem, share a sweepstakes ticket which they wished upon together before a Chinese idol.Three strangers, each dealing with a serious problem, share a sweepstakes ticket which they wished upon together before a Chinese idol.
Norman Ainsley
- Mr. Giesing
- (uncredited)
Edward Biby
- Man on the Street
- (uncredited)
Benny Burt
- Drunken Stranger
- (uncredited)
John Burton
- Narrator
- (uncredited)
Woodrow Chambliss
- Man in Pub
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Robert Osborne of TCM, this film was at one point intended to be a sequel to The Maltese Falcon (1941). Following the success of that film, Warner Bros. wanted to make a sequel. "Falcon" writer/director John Huston said he'd previously written an un-filmed script for Warner Bros. that would be appropriate and would only require the character names to be changed to the Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Mary Astor characters. However, Warner Bros. discovered they did not own the rights to the characters except for their appearance in "The Maltese Falcon."
- GoofsWhen David is in Crystal's apartment - she kisses him, he turns away, and she burns the back of his right hand with her cigarette. He yanks it away and yells in pain while holding it, yet later that day when he's sitting at a table with his girlfriend Janet, the back of his right hand can briefly be seen a few times and there is no burn or mark of any kind on it at all.
- Quotes
Johnny West: Don't ever get mixed up with a Chinese goddess. That's the worst thing that can happen, the very worst.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in a computer colorized version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Frances Farmer Presents: Three Strangers (1959)
- SoundtracksWaltz No. 15 in A-flat major Op. 39
(uncredited)
Music by Johannes Brahms
Played on the piano by Johnny
Featured review
Interesting for unusual reasons
One of the most unusual facets of the movie that struck me was the gowns/dresses designed for the lead actress--they stood out in this black and white movie making a not-so-tall Geraldine Fitzgerald look tall and elegant. Very few films have costume designs that out-do the performances--this film is one that achieves this unusual distinction.
Equally unusual was the written prologue for the film on the statue. It wreaked of populist myths of the Orient and then ended with the statement that the film's location was London. One expected British mannerisms and accents and its distinctive transport--but the only reasons for the choice of the locations seemed to be the legal system, the law on Trusts, the pubs, the mention of Canada being far away, the South African mines, and the solicitor's office. The rest was distinctly American. Curious stuff.
The film was equally curious for another factor: two women Icey and Janet look disturbingly similar, two men look considerably alike Mr Shackleford and Mr Fallon, save for their difference in height. Was there some reason for this or was this a coincidence.
Apart from these details, the film provided much of the fare that "The Maltese Falcon" made cinema history--John Huston's screenplay and the enigmatic performances of Greenstreet and Lorre. Greenstreet did not have the brilliant lines of "Falcon" to aid him but his chortling performance is nevertheless fascinating. Lorre on the other hand provides the best performance because the grey cocktail of good and bad touches the viewer. Similarly the lead character of Fitzgerald leaves the viewer wondering whether the character deserves our sympathy or not.
At the end, the viewer is forced to see ourselves in the mirror--we are but pawns of a mightier force, and none of us is either a villain or a saint. The film quite unwittingly makes the viewer think about life. That is probably why this film ought to rate better than "The Maltese Falcon" which no doubt has more catchy dialogues but less substance.
Equally unusual was the written prologue for the film on the statue. It wreaked of populist myths of the Orient and then ended with the statement that the film's location was London. One expected British mannerisms and accents and its distinctive transport--but the only reasons for the choice of the locations seemed to be the legal system, the law on Trusts, the pubs, the mention of Canada being far away, the South African mines, and the solicitor's office. The rest was distinctly American. Curious stuff.
The film was equally curious for another factor: two women Icey and Janet look disturbingly similar, two men look considerably alike Mr Shackleford and Mr Fallon, save for their difference in height. Was there some reason for this or was this a coincidence.
Apart from these details, the film provided much of the fare that "The Maltese Falcon" made cinema history--John Huston's screenplay and the enigmatic performances of Greenstreet and Lorre. Greenstreet did not have the brilliant lines of "Falcon" to aid him but his chortling performance is nevertheless fascinating. Lorre on the other hand provides the best performance because the grey cocktail of good and bad touches the viewer. Similarly the lead character of Fitzgerald leaves the viewer wondering whether the character deserves our sympathy or not.
At the end, the viewer is forced to see ourselves in the mirror--we are but pawns of a mightier force, and none of us is either a villain or a saint. The film quite unwittingly makes the viewer think about life. That is probably why this film ought to rate better than "The Maltese Falcon" which no doubt has more catchy dialogues but less substance.
helpful•292
- JuguAbraham
- Nov 7, 2004
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $457,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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