The Tattooed Stranger | |
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Directed by | Edward Montagne |
Screenplay by | Philip H. Reisman Jr. |
Produced by | Jay Bonafield |
Starring |
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Cinematography | William O. Steiner |
Edited by | David Cooper |
Music by | Alan Shulman |
Production company | |
Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release dates | |
Running time | 64 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $100,000 [2] |
The Tattooed Stranger, originally titled Backtrail, is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Edward Montagne and starring John Miles, Patricia Barry (billed as Patricia White), Walter Kinsella, Frank Tweddell.
Rookie police detective Tobin leads the investigation into a series of brutal murders, starting with that of an unidentified woman with a tattoo on her wrist. He seeks the help of botanist Dr. Mahan to identify blades of grass in the car in which the corpse was found, and is surprised to learn that Mahan is a woman.
This was Miles' final film appearance and one of the first film roles for Lord, the future star of Hawaii Five-O .
The film features many New York location shots, many showing areas and structures that no longer exist, including elevated railroads, the Bowery when it was a derelict district and the dockside sections near the lower Manhattan bridges. Tobin and Mahan visit Fort Tryon Park with the George Washington Bridge visible in the background. Their investigation also leads them to Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx).
The New York Times wrote: "The thrills are few and far between in this manhunt but its authenticity is obvious." [3]
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, including the actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges. He started his career as a contract performer for Columbia Pictures, appearing in films such as Sahara (1943), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Little Big Horn (1951) and High Noon (1952). On television, he starred in Sea Hunt 1958 to 1961. By the end of his career, he had re-invented himself and demonstrated a comedic talent in such parody films as Airplane! (1980), Hot Shots! (1991), and Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998). Among other honors, Bridges was a two-time Emmy Award nominee. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 1, 1994.
Charles John Holt, Jr. was an American motion picture actor who was prominent in both silent and sound movies, particularly Westerns.
Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City (1952) and The War of the Worlds (1953) and for his portrayal of the title characters in the TV series Bat Masterson and Burke's Law, among many roles.
The Naked City is a 1948 American crime procedural produced by Mark Hellinger, directed by Jules Dassin, written by Albert Maltz and Malvin Wald. Starring Barry Fitzgerald, with Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor in support, the film depicts the police investigation that follows the murder of a young model. It was shot almost entirely on location in New York City.
Douglas Fowley was an American movie and television actor in more than 240 films and dozens of television programs, He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated movie director Roscoe Dexter in Singin' in the Rain (1952), and for his regular supporting role as Doc Fabrique and Doc Holiday in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. He was the father of rock and roll musician and record producer Kim Fowley.
Edward Barry Kelley was an American actor on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s and in films during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The heavy-set actor created the role of Ike in Oklahoma! on Broadway. His large size and acting range had him playing primarily judges, detectives, and police officers.
The Corpse Vanishes is a 1942 American mystery horror film starring Bela Lugosi, directed by Wallace Fox, and written by Harvey Gates. Lugosi portrays a mad scientist who injects his aging wife with fluids from virginal young brides in order to preserve her beauty. Luana Walters as a journalist and Tristram Coffin as a small-town doctor investigate and solve the disappearances of the brides. The film was produced and distributed by Monogram Pictures, and was reissued in 1949 by Favorite Films Corporation.
The Undercover Man is a 1949 American crime film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Glenn Ford, Nina Foch and James Whitmore.
Walter Lawrence Burke was an American character actor of stage, film, and television whose career in entertainment spanned over a half century. Although he was a native of New York, Burke's Irish ancestry often led to his being cast in roles as an Irishman or Englishman. His small stature and distinctive voice and face also made him easily recognizable to audiences even when he was performing in minor supporting roles.
Martin Kane, Private Eye is an American crime drama radio and television series sponsored by United States Tobacco Company. It aired via radio from 1949 to 1952 and was simultaneously a television series on NBC from 1949 to 1954. It was the "earliest of successful cops-and-robbers series" on television.
The Alphabet Murders is a 1965 British detective film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Tony Randall, Anita Ekberg and Robert Morley. It is based on the 1936 novel The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie.
John Crawford was an American actor. He appeared in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone, called "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim", and in several Gunsmoke episodes. He had a key role in the 1975 film Night Moves, a crime thriller starring Gene Hackman. He also played the mayor of San Francisco in 1976's The Enforcer, the third Dirty Harry film featuring Clint Eastwood, as well as the Chief Engineer in Irwin Allen's classic 1972 box-office smash and disaster-film epic The Poseidon Adventure.
Guy Edward Hearn was an American actor who, in a forty-year film career, starting in 1915, played hundreds of roles, starting with juvenile leads, then, briefly, as leading man, all during the silent era.
John Miljan was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1924 and 1958.
The Case of the Lucky Legs is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer.
Francis Lumsden Hare was an Irish-born American film and theatre actor. He was also a theatre director and theatrical producer.
Sealed Verdict is a 1948 American mystery drama war film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Florence Marly and starring Broderick Crawford. The film was based on the novel The Sealed Verdict by Lionel Shapiro. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Extensive location shooting took place in Strasbourg, which had been occupied by the Germans from 1940 to 1944.
Noel Drayton was an actor who remains perhaps best known for playing supporting roles in Hollywood films like Elephant Walk, The Court Jester, Plymouth Adventure and Botany Bay during the 1950s. He also appeared as a guest actor on television shows like You Are There, Perry Mason and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He is also known for the role of Mr. Hardcastle in nine episodes of the popular television show Family Affair.
The Amazing Mr. Williams is a 1939 American screwball comedy film produced by Everett Riskin for Columbia Pictures and directed by Alexander Hall. The film stars Melvyn Douglas, Joan Blondell and Clarence Kolb. It was written by Dwight Taylor, Sy Bartlett and Richard Maibaum. The film is about a police lieutenant who is too busy solving crimes to marry his longtime fiancée, who decides to take action and get him to marry her and settle down. The film was released on November 22, 1939.