That is saying a fair bit actually because the Sylvia Sidney version was dramatically underwhelming and not easy to get into. This film does take its time to get going, with the beginning moving rather slowly, and Bruce Seton is wooden. But there is so much to like about Love from a Stranger. The production values, from the period detail to the photography, is very pleasing to look at, and Benjamin Britten's(only 23/24 at the time) score has a haunting undercurrent as well as stylistically distinctive. The dialogue is snappy and adds intensity rather than falling too much into stodgy melodrama. And the storytelling is far more convincing, the middle is suspenseful, helped by a far more convincing exploration of the psychological and psychopathic aspects of the characters and story, and the somewhat ironic ending is very tense. In the later version, the ending was ridiculously done and what was suspenseful here was undermined by overwrought melodrama and real stodginess. Director Ronald V. Lee sets things up with a smooth and neat approach, and the cast are top notch, Joan Hickson and Binnie Hale stand out in support. But it's the leads who carry with a classy and dignified Ann Harding and a genuinely menacing Basil Rathbone. Overall, a very good film that starts slowly but rewarding once you stay with it. Comparing this with the later version with Sylvia Sidney and John Hodiak, there is no doubt that it's this one that is the far superior film version. 8/10 Bethany
