Orson Welles
Franz Kindler, alias Professor Charles Rankin
Subtitles off by default
YouTube may apply your personal preferences. If needed, select your language under CC / Settings. YouTube controls playback availability, which may vary by region.
Audience rating
Loading ratings…
Synopsis
In a quiet Connecticut town, a respected teacher is preparing for marriage and restoring an old clock. A visiting war-crimes investigator suspects that this comfortable new life conceals a fugitive's past. As the search closes in, a new bride must decide whether to trust her husband or the evidence gathering around him.
Cast
DirectorsOrson Welles
Historical context
Made just after the Second World War, the film brings the pursuit of Nazi war criminals into an apparently ordinary American town. It was an early Hollywood feature to confront audiences with actual footage documenting the Holocaust, turning the investigator's evidence into something more disturbing than a conventional mystery clue.
Behind the scenes
The assignment offered Orson Welles a chance to demonstrate that he could deliver a studio film within a controlled schedule and budget. Producer Sam Spiegel had initially considered John Huston; the finished picture retains personal touches drawn from Welles's school years alongside the demands of a commercial thriller.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Orson Welles — Carl Van Vechten · Public domain
- Loretta Young — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Edward G. Robinson — Elmer Fryer · Public domain
- Philip Merivale — International Pictures, Inc. · Public domain
