Billy House, born in 1889, transitioned from vaudeville and Broadway to Hollywood, where he became a notable supporting actor in the 1940s and 1950s. In The Stranger (1946), he delivers a memorable performance that highlights his unique background in live theater, bringing a distinct flair to the film's narrative. House's work reflects the era's shift towards integrating theatrical talent into the burgeoning world of cult cinema, making him a fascinating figure in the landscape of exploitation and genre films.
The Stranger
Mr. Wilson is an agent of the United Nations War Crimes Commission who is hunting for Nazi fugitive Franz Kindler, a war criminal who has erased all evidence which might identify him. He has left no clue to his identity except "a hobby that almost amounts to a mania—clocks." Wilson releases Kindler's former associate Meinike, hoping the man will lead him to Kindler. Wilson follows Meinike to a small town in Connecticut, but loses him before he meets with Kindler. Kindler has assumed a new identity as "Charles Rankin," and has become a teacher at a local prep school. He is about to marry Mary Longstreet, daughter of Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Justice Adam Longstreet, and is involved in repairing the town's 400-year-old Habrecht-style clock mechanism with religious automata that crowns the belfry of a church in the town square. When Kindler and Meinike do meet, Meinike, who is repentant and has found religion, begs Kindler to confess his crimes. Instead, Kindler strangles Meinike, who might expose him. Eventually, Wilson deduces that Rankin is Kindler, but not having witnessed the meeting with Meinike, he has no proof. Only Mary knows that Meinike came to meet her husband. To get her to admit this, Wilson must convince her that her husband is a criminal—before Kindler decides to eliminate the threat to him by killing her. Kindler's facade begins to unravel when Red, the family dog, discovers Meinike's body. To further protect his secret, Kindler poisons Red. Meanwhile, Mary begins to suspect her husband is not being honest with her. She is torn between her desire to learn the truth concerning her husband as a possible monster and the idea of helping him create his new life. Wilson shows her graphic footage of Nazi concentration camps and explains how Kindler developed the idea of genocide. Not until Mary discovers Kindler's plot to kill her does she finally accept the truth. She dares her husband to kill her. Kindler tries, but he is prevented by the arrival of Wilson and his brother-in-law Noah, and escapes from the house. Kindler then flees into the church belfry. Shortly afterwards Mary confronts him and a gun appears as a struggle between the two ensues; as the clock bell begins to chime most of the town arrives at the foot of the building. Wilson climbs up to the top of the tower where he too confronts Kindler. They fight and Mary ends up holding the gun and shoots Kindler. He staggers outside to the belfry's clock face, and is impaled by the sword of one of the moving clock figures. Weakened by the bullets and the impaling, he falls to his death.
