1951 Strangers on a Train Alfred Hitchcock Lobby Cards with Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert
Walker AKA 1951 Nieznajomi z Pociągu Strangers on a Train by Alfred Hitchkock
Many critics today read the character Bruno (Robert Walker) as gay. Hitchcock even cut different versions of the movie for Britain and the U.S., toning
down the implied homosexuality in the American version — proof positive that he was fully aware of the gay implications in his movies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_on_a_Train_(film)
Strangers on a Train is a 1951 American psychological thriller film noir produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel Strangers
on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951, starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,
and Robert Walker.
The story concerns two strangers who meet on a train, one of whom is a psychopath who suggests that they "exchange" murders so that neither will be
caught. The film initially received mixed reviews but has since been regarded as one of Hitchcock's finest films.
Amateur tennis star Guy Haines wants to divorce his promiscuous wife Miriam so he can marry Anne Morton, the daughter of a US Senator. On a train,
wealthy smooth-talking psychopath Bruno Antony recognizes Haines and reveals his idea for a murder scheme: two perfect strangers meet and "swap
murders" — Bruno suggests he kill Miriam and Guy kill Bruno's hated father. Each will murder a total stranger, with no apparent motive, so neither will be
suspected. Guy humors Bruno by pretending to find his idea amusing, but is so eager to get away from Bruno that he carelessly leaves behind his engraved
cigarette lighter, which Bruno keeps.
That evening, Bruno follows Miriam to an amusement park and strangles her to death while Guy is traveling on the train back to Washington. When Guy
arrives home, Bruno informs him Miriam is dead and insists that he must now honor their deal, by killing Bruno's father.
Guy goes to the Mortons' home, where Anne's father informs Guy that his wife has been murdered. Anne's sister Barbara says that the police will think
that Guy is the murderer since he has a motive. The police question Guy, but are unable to confirm his alibi: a professor Guy met on the train was so drunk
that he cannot remember their encounter. Instead of arresting Guy, the police assign an around-the-clock escort to watch him.
To pressure Guy, Bruno follows him around Washington, introduces himself to Anne, and appears at a party at Senator Morton's house. To amuse another
guest, Bruno playfully demonstrates how to strangle someone, by putting his hands around her neck. His gaze falls upon Barbara, whose glasses and
physical appearance resemble Miriam's. This triggers a flashback; Bruno compulsively squeezes the woman's neck, and other guests intervene to stop him
from strangling the woman to death. Barbara tells Anne that Bruno was looking at her while strangling the other woman, and Anne realizes Barbara's
resemblance to Miriam. Her suspicions aroused, Anne confronts Guy, who tells her the truth about Bruno's crazy scheme.
Bruno sends Guy a package containing a pistol, a house key, and a map showing the location of his father's bedroom. Guy creeps into Bruno's father's
room to warn him of his son's murderous intentions, but instead he finds the suspicious Bruno there waiting for him; the father is not at home. Guy tries
to persuade Bruno to seek psychiatric help; Bruno threatens to punish Guy for breaking their deal.
Anne visits Bruno's home and unsuccessfully tries to explain to his befuddled mother that her son is a murderer. Bruno mentions Guy's missing cigarette
lighter to Anne and claims that Guy asked him to search the murder site for it. Guy correctly infers that Bruno intends to plant it at the scene of the
murder, and incriminate him. After winning a tennis match, Guy evades the police-escort, and heads for the amusement park to stop Bruno.
Bruno is delayed when he accidentally drops Guy's lighter down a storm drain and must retrieve it. When Bruno arrives at the amusement park, a carnival
worker recognizes him from the night of the murder; he informs the police, who mistakenly think he has recognized Guy. After Guy arrives, he and Bruno
fight on the park's carousel. Believing that Guy is trying to escape, a police officer shoots at him, but the shot misses, and instead kills the carousel
operator, causing the carousel to spin out of control. In a final train scene, another stranger attempts to strike up conversation with Guy in the same way
as had Bruno. Guy and Anne coldly walk away from him.