Nathaniel West, Frank Partos (screenwriters) STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940) Set of 5 photos

[Los Angeles]: RKO, 1940. Set of five (5) vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm.) black-and-white print still photos. Two have stamps on verso of a contemporary poster exchange, one is date stamped. Overall very good+ or better.

Stranger on the Third Floor  is one of the earliest examples of American film noir (a number of films precede it, but historians most often refer to those as “proto-noir”). It was shot quickly on a low budget by director Boris Ingster, from a screenplay by Nathaniel West and Frank Partos. Original photos from this film are very scarce.

John McGuire plays the role of a reporter who finds himself accused of cutting a man’s throat. The actual murderer is played by Peter Lorre (who is present in two of the five photos). Silver, Ward. Ursini, Porfiro, p. 283: “The first true film noir.” Grant, p. 613.