The story has it that Orson Welles never lived up to his astonishing directorial debut, Citizen Kane, but given that it regularly tops 'Greatest Film' polls, who the hell could? What is too often ignored is the adventurous eclecticism of his subsequent feature, which together would have qualified Welles a director worthy of study and admiration even if Kane had never been made. The 1946 The Stranger was his third credited film as director and though not as cinematically innovating as either his debut or some of his subsequent work, it's still a cracking little drama-thriller.

Welles plays Professor Charles Rankin, a prep school teacher in a small Connecticut town leading a seemingly innocuous life. He is newly married to the innocent Mary Longstreet (Loretta Young) and the couple settles down for what could be called a peaceful, settled life. But past has a funny way of catching up with you, especially one as dark and disturbing as the professor's. It transpires that Rankin is a former top Nazi, and Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) of the United Nations War Crimes Commission is hot on his heels...

Made in Hollywood's golden age, featuring a scintillating cast and produced by none other than Sam Spiegel (Lawrence of Arabia, The African Queen), this thrilling drama with a distinctively film noir sensibility is not to be missed.

The Stranger will be released on UK DVD on 12th January 2009 by Network at the budget price of £2.99. A restored print is not expected at that price, not are extra features.