SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

MartinHafer Completed in 1948 but not released until 1950. This would seem to be the kiss of death for a film as usually this means a film is a mess and the studio doesn't know what to do with it. Sometimes they redo parts of the story and sometimes they just cut their losses and release it--either way, a film that's pulled off the shelf is NOT a sure sign of a successful film! Sure, there are a few exceptions (such as the recent "Tucker and Dale Versus Evil"), but most such films are duds. Is "Walk Softly Stranger" a dud? Read on...This is a confusing film. Now this is NOT meant as a criticism but more a reflection on the sort of character Joseph Cotten plays in this movie. You just aren't sure what sort of man he really is. The film begins with Cotten arriving in a small town. He announces that he'd lived there as a kid and has now returned but you can't get past the idea that this is a con. You doubt his motives even more when you see he's living two lives--one as an employee at the local show factory and the other as a professional gambler and thief! And, while he definitely has a hard side, he also begins dating a lady in a wheelchair (Alida Valli) who thinks no man could even want her. What gives?! A 'nice' crook with a heart of gold?! And, is he really Chris Hale? Ultimately, it turns out even he doesn't know! All this story leads to one of the best finales I've seen in a film of this era. Just stay tuned to the exciting car scene--it is simply brilliant and I don't know how they managed to make it look so real. Gripping--that's for sure.An excellent sleeper--why did these idiots hold on to this excellent movie so long?!

The_Void Walk Softly, Stranger may not be the most memorable slice of classic cinema of all time, but even so; Robert Stevenson's film offers an interesting tale of redemption and retribution, despite not being at all innovative. The film stars Joseph Cotten as a man who travels to a town called Ashton. He quickly becomes friendly with the locals, and tells them that he once lived there as a boy. His friendship with a young wheelchair-bound lady named Elaine Corelli, daughter of a successful factory owner, proves his most fruitful. But people's pasts have a habit of catching up them, and the man's gambling exploits are his weakness. The fact that this film stars Joseph Cotten was my main reason for seeing it. The man has a great screen presence that blends excellently with film noir. His performance here isn't one of his best, but he does well at hinting at a sinister side to his character just below the surface. He is joined by classic actress Alida Valli, who is most notable to me for the fact that she was one of the leads of Dario Argento's masterpiece 'Suspiria'. The plot flows well throughout, and while it's never too full of surprises; and the ending doesn't live up to the beginning, the film still offers 80 minutes of decent entertainment.

David (Handlinghandel) I gave this a six because it is sort of a film noir. It's not really very good, though.Joseph Cotten was a superb actor. He did fine work for Orson Welles and is unforgettable in "Shadow of A Doubt." He was a low-keyed performer. However, he seems to be walking through this movie half-asleep. It's hard to get a fix on the character he plays and when we do, we don't really buy it.Alidda Valli was attractive but not much of an actress. She is implausible as a heavily accented local in a small city -- despite the explanation that she had been away till she was 18. The whole thing with her in a wheelchair and Cotten's being redeemed by dealing with a disabled person: Please! (That is giving nothing away. It's clear this is where the plot if going as soon as he meets her.) I saw a commercial video and sequences seemed to have been cut. If not, the editing is sloppy: There is a brief sequence in which Cotten's character is playing cards with an older woman whom we are apparently meant to know. I didn't recall having seen her before. Maybe I had dozed off. (But I don't think so.)

whpratt1 Joseph Cotton (Chris Hale) is a gambler and has a hidden past which is going to catch up with him, he stole a great deal of money from the Mob in Vegas and his days are numbered along with Paul Stewart(Whitey)(who appeared with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton in the Old Radio Days) Whitey tries to get his share of the dough and causes a great deal of problems. In the meantime Hale falls in love with Alida Valli (Elaine Corelli, Valli) who is a a disabled rich woman. Even the famous Jack Paar appears in this picture as (Roy Healey) and performed a lot better on TV than his role in this pic. There is a high speed chase, 1950's style, and a very romantic scene where Cotton's sweetheart (Valli) tells him, "no matter where you go, You Belong to Me, we are made for each other, either in this world or another". Joseph Cotton was a great actor, he appeared in "Niagara" with Marilyn Monroe and many famous leading ladies. If you love Joe Cotton, you just have to view this well made 1950's film. It is way beyond criticism!