kevin olzak 1955's "Not As a Stranger" was producer Stanley Kramer's first of 15 films as a director, and he spent nearly a year getting it off the ground before it was even published as a novel, fortunately a best seller (author Morton Thompson dead well before its release). Robert Mitchum may at first seem an odd choice for Lucas Marsh, ambitious medical student turned country doctor, but he actually comes off better than Olivia de Havilland, a fine actress but miscast, saddled with a Swedish accent that tends to grate after a while. Cast with some of Hollywood's most notorious drunks, Kramer does surprisingly well in several cases: Broderick Crawford is steady as a rock as Dr. Aarons, Frank Sinatra solidifies his dramatic chops as Mitchum's intern buddy, and the often underused, always underrated Lon Chaney turns in the most powerful scene only 10 minutes in, playing Mitchum's alcoholic father, whose diagnosis of his own son proves to be right on the mark. A bit overlong, with Gloria Grahame in a stock seductress role that could have been excised without a hitch, the ending almost too pat to be believable.

clanciai Like all Stanley Kramer's films, it is of lasting interest for any generation, in this case the story of a perfect doctor who by his sheer perfection finds himself totally imperfect. It's an interesting study in the limitations of human nature, no matter how accomplished and perfect it is, but the more brilliant the man, the more likely he is to fall, and the weaker he will prove. This tendency is marked already in the beginning of the film with the introductory episode of the alcoholic father, which sets the theme - Robert Mitchum can't cope with this case of extreme human sensitivity, he just isn't human enough, and this flaw will persecute him throughout his career to ultimately hound him down, when he at last has to realize that even he can make mistakes, and his mistake is the worst and most fatal of all, of not quite being human. The acting is splendid throughout, especially Frank Sinatra as his best friend, who from the beginning sees Robert Mitchum's foibles but only becomes the more loyal for that - he is less brilliant of the two, but by being more human, he is actually a better doctor. Olivia De Havilland plays a part almost typical of her, as the sore tried and patient wife, who bears it all with pain but only grows a warmer heart in the process, while Gloria Grahame as always is superb as the opposite. Broderick Crawford is impressing as the experienced mentor who has a clear view of both human nature and the medical profession and spots the flaws of both Sinatra and Mitchum from the beginning - to help them right. In brief, it's a wonderful and almost documentary melodrama of the pitfalls of the medical profession, which especially medical students will find profoundly interesting and even educating.Add to this the always interestingly haunting music by George Antheil, and you have magic all the way.

T Y 40 minutes into this movie I'm thinking, "this dud has got to be over soon." I look down and check the running time and I am horrified to see that somehow it's 2 hours and 20 minutes long. 40 mins and I'm thinking omg, where is this obvious, interminable melodrama going? 40 mins in, and I'm thinking this might be a good time to settle on a genre. And I'm wondering, why on earth would DeHaviland take this degrading, 1-dimensional ethnic role? Why do they tease this out so laboriously? How did so much star power sign on to this undeveloped, inept movie? It must be this padded and pointless, to provide each of 5 or 6 major egos their own moment; all of them are wildly unrelated to the general flow of Mitchum's "big conflict" storyline, which is of no dramatic interest. What is the point? The only possible angle I can imagine for this movie is that it was a women's movie about men; and that female viewers in 1955 might imagine this oddity spoke to them, about their situations. Along with the unusually low quality of the script, a viewer will spend all his/her time picking the corn kernels out of the ham. And every frame of this looks like it was filmed on the cheap. Completely squandered, expensive cast.

MarieGabrielle Some excellent performances here. Olivia De Havilland is also surprisingly believable in the role of Kris, the nurse whom Robert Mitchum decides will help him through medical school (she has the money) Frank Sinatra is also worth mentioning. I did not always like some of his performances but he is a stand out here. As a kind of conscience for Mitchum. He actually becomes enraged when Mitchum cynically decides he will marry Kris, so that he can pay his tuition for medical school. There is a cameo role with Lon Chaney, Jr. as Mitchum's father, who is a hopeless alcoholic. The scene is very effective as Mitchum conveys disgust and hatred for his father, and his father with dark sad eyes says; you are missing something, you don't have the soul to help people.One amusing note is when Mitchum asks his professor of surgery for financial aid. The man does help him- his salary is $9,000.00. This was a princely sum in 1955, apparently. Wow, how things have changed.The story continues as Mitchum graduates medical school and interns in the small fictional town of Greenville. All is well until he meets femme fatal Gloria Grahame who is wealthy and widowed. The type of woman a doctor should have (according to 1955 stereotypes) At any rate Charles Bickford is Dr. Runcklemann, who is a country doctor and takes Mitchum under his wing. He runs the county hospital in Greenville with a big heart, and concern for the community. Mitchum is affected by him, and when Runcklemann dies on the table during surgery, he suddenly realizes how he lost sight of what matters in life. Will Kris take him back?.This film is unusual and has several stand-out performances. Highly recommended. 9/10