''The Tattooed Stranger'', originally titled ''Backtrail'', is a 1950 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

directed by

Edward Montagne Edward J. Montagne Jr. (May 20, 1912 – December 15, 2003) was a television series producer and film director who directed the films ''McHale's Navy'' (1964) starring Ernest Borgnine, its sequel ''McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force'' (1965) star ...

and starring John Miles,

Patricia Barry Patricia Barry (born Patricia Allen White, November 16, 1921 – October 11, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Although Barry has numerous credits performing in stage productions and in films, the majority of her work wa ...

(billed as Patricia White), Walter Kinsella, Frank Tweddell.

Plot

Rookie police detective Tobin leads the investigation into a series of brutal murders, starting with that of an unidentified woman with a tattoo on her wrist. He seeks the help of

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Dr. Mahan to identify blades of grass in the car in which the corpse was found, and is surprised to learn that Mahan is a woman.

Cast

* John Miles as Detective Tobin *

as Dr. Mary Mahan * Walter Kinsella as Lieutenant Corrigan * Frank Tweddell as Captain Lundquist * Rod McLennan as Captain Gavin * Henry Lasko as Joe Canko *

Arthur L. Jarrett Arthur L. Jarrett (February 5, 1884 – June 12, 1960) was an American screenwriter and film actor. He wrote for 70 films between 1932 and 1947. He also appeared in 12 films between 1914 and 1950. He was born in Marysville, California, firs ...

as Johnny Marseille *

Jim Boles Jim Boles (February 28, 1914 – May 26, 1977) was an American actor. He appeared in the films ''The Tattooed Stranger'', '' The Man with My Face'', ''Naked in the Sun'', '' Fluffy'', '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'', '' The Trouble with Angels'', ...

as Fisher * William Gibberson as Aberfoyle *

Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...

as Det. Deke Del Vecchio This was Miles' final film appearance and one of the first film roles for Lord, the future star of ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

''.

Production

The film features many New York location shots, many showing areas and structures that no longer exist, including

elevated railroad An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bric ...

s, the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. "B ...

when it was a derelict district and the dockside sections near the lower Manhattan bridges. Tobin and Mahan visit

Fort Tryon Park Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Hudson Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The park is situated on a ridge in Upper Manhattan, close to the Hudson River to the west. It extends most ...

with the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United St ...

visible in the background. Their investigation also leads them to

Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx) Saint Raymond's Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 2600 Lafayette Avenue in the Throggs Neck and Schuylerville sections of the Bronx, New York City, United States. The cemetery is composed of two separate locations: the older section (main e ...

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote: "The thrills are few and far between in this manhunt but its authenticity is obvious."

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tattooed Stranger, The 1950 films 1950s crime thriller films American crime thriller films American black-and-white films American detective films Film noir RKO Pictures films Films set in New York City Films directed by Edward Montagne 1950s English-language films 1950s American films