Stranger On the Third Floor

Stranger On The Third Floor has long been dear to hearts of those who gave up sleep to catch it on forlorn late shows. From such midnight rendezvous came underground renown for this cast-off broadcasters wouldn't use in day or prime time. Here was the first film noir, said letters to journals with limited subscriber base, while others of us hoped RKO's 1940 obscurity might turn up within range of our own televisions. I read about it first in Don Miller's B Movies paperback. That came out in 1973 and soon gathered cult following to equal Stranger's. Miller was a New Yorker who must seldom have seen sunlight for so many low-budget films he chased over wee hours, researching them all when that meant real work in libraries and various trade almanacs. Miller wrote a bible for those wanting to know more about shows a larger public long ago forgot. Only trouble was binding fell apart as if one read was all we'd be permitted, B Movies' pages falling out like autumn leaves gone brown. There was thankfully a 1988 reprint of heartier stock (Amazon available from $5.05), and I'd still call Miller's an essential film reference book. The author considered Stranger On The Third Floor to be perhaps Greatest Of All B's. Prints always looked murky though. Whatever there was of a camera negative probably fed fish decades ago. Warner Archive has lately finessed a gorgeous Blu-Ray to rescue this woebegone six-reeler after seventy years of pleasing a small but dedicated following.

Stranger On…