Starring: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock
Release Date: June 30, 1951
Running Time: 101 min
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Film-Noir
Commentary Strangers on a Train is a highly suspenseful and thrilling Hitchcock film. The acting is very well done, particularly Robert Walker's portrayal of psychopath Bruno Anthony. The plot is ingenious, centering around the idea of having two strangers swap murders so that neither will get caught with incriminating evidence.
Plot Summary Two strangers, Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) meet one day on a train. Bruno recognizes Guy, who's a tennis player with some media coverage regarding his bad marriage and additional love interest Anne Morton (Ruth Roman). Meanwhile, Bruno can't stand his father, who is determined to have him committed. Bruno comes up with the idea of having the two of them swap murders, i.e. have Guy kill Bruno's father while Bruno kills Guy's wife. Guy thinks Bruno is insane but plays along with him, saying that he thinks his idea will work. Bruno takes Guy seriously and kills his wife, whence he expects Guy to kill Bruno's father. Guy wants nothing more to do with Bruno and tries to assist in getting him committed. Now Bruno becomes furious with Guy and tries to plant incriminating evidence on him. The movie culminates with an incredible chase scene at a merry-go-round in an amusement park.
Cultural Significance Strangers on a Train is one of many Hitchcock films involving an innocent man wrongfully accused of a serious crime, some others being Spellbound,To Catch a Thief, and North by Northwest. In this case, the crime is unique in its ingenuity. The same plot is used in the 1987 comedy Throw Momma from the Train, starring Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito.
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Title: Strangers on a Train 
