Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (February 23, 2026)
According to a blurb on the back cover for this Blu-ray’s case, 1940’s Stranger on the Third Floor exists as “the first true film noir”. That certainly makes it a must-watch effort.
When someone murders café owner Nick Narbajan (Charles Judels), Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook) finds himself accused of the crime. He winds up convicted largely thanks to circumstantial evidence provided by young journalist Michael Ward (John McGuire).
Joe protests his innocence and Michael’s fiancée Jane (Margaret Tallichet)’s sympathy for the convict triggers questions in Michael’s mind. Along the way, another killing occurs, and this seems to connect to a mysterious stranger (Peter Lorre) who resides in Michael’s apartment building.
I’ll leave it to more knowledgeable folks to determine if Floor really does deserve billing as the first film noir effort. However, I can decide whether or not the movie merits attention beyond its historical significance.
In my opinion, the film’s alleged status as the start of noir exists as the only legit claim to fame for Floor. While not a bad movie, it doesn’t stand out as memorable for any other reason.
On the positive side, Lorre brings his usual oily charm to the lead role. While nothing about the part forces him to break a sweat, he lends the character complexity not found in the screenplay.
Floor also comes with a tight story that lacks much padding. With a running time of barely an hour, we can’t find much fat.
However, this comes with a price, as Floor seems rushed and without much depth. In particular, Michael never becomes a deep or compelling participant.
This turns into an issue since so much of the narrative revolves around Michael. Unfortunately, he remains a flat character who fails to turn into an effective protagonist.
Some of the blame stems from McGuire’s wholly lackluster performance. Not only does he seem dishwater dull, but also the movie uses him as its voiceover narrator and his lack of personality renders those lines inert.
Despite his top billing, Lorre really doesn’t show up much here. We get sporadic glimpses of his character but these fill much less running time than one would anticipate.
If we got more of Lorre and less of McGuire, Stranger would prosper. Given the story’s concentration on pancake-flat Michael, though, it gets stuck in neutral too much of the time.
None of this makes Floor a bad movie but it just seems like an ordinary one. It simply doesn’t pursue its core mystery well enough to become anything better than mediocre.
