Never Love a Stranger
Encyclopedia
Never Love A Stranger is a 1958 crime and gangster film shot in black and white starring John Drew Barrymore
, Lita Milan, and Robert Bray
, and featuring a young Steve McQueen
.
The noir film
is about Frankie Kane (Barrymore) who is brought up in a Catholic orphanage
. He befriends a Jewish law student named Martin Cabell (McQueen) and becomes romantically involved with Cabell's sister Julie (Milan). Kane learns later that he is also Jewish, and when told he will be removed from the orphanage and moved to a Jewish home he runs away and turns to a life of crime. Later, after joining a major crime syndicate, he reconnects with Julie, finally deciding to join Martin, now a District Attorney
in shutting down the syndicate.
John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore was a member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel...
, Lita Milan, and Robert Bray
Robert Bray
Robert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
, and featuring a young Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
.
The noir film
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
is about Frankie Kane (Barrymore) who is brought up in a Catholic orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. He befriends a Jewish law student named Martin Cabell (McQueen) and becomes romantically involved with Cabell's sister Julie (Milan). Kane learns later that he is also Jewish, and when told he will be removed from the orphanage and moved to a Jewish home he runs away and turns to a life of crime. Later, after joining a major crime syndicate, he reconnects with Julie, finally deciding to join Martin, now a District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in shutting down the syndicate.
Main cast
- John Drew BarrymoreJohn Drew BarrymoreJohn Drew Barrymore was a member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel...
as Frankie Kane - Lita Milan as Julie Cabell
- Steve McQueenSteve McQueenTerrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
as Martin Cabell - Robert BrayRobert BrayRobert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
as "Silk" Fennelli - Salem LudwigSalem LudwigSalem Ludwig was an American character actor and acting instructor.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ludwig was blacklisted in 1957 and could only find minimal stage work. He had many film and television credits and remained active, even after his 90th birthday, until his death at age 91...
as Moishe Moscowitz - R.G. Armstrong as Flix
- Douglas Rodgers as Brother Bernard
- Felice Orlandi as Bert
- Augusta Merighi as Mrs. Cozzolina
- Abe Simon as "Fats" Crown
- Vitina MarcusVitina MarcusVitina Marcus is an American actress of Sicilian and Hungarian descent. Her parents were Rose and Frank Marcus, and her Sicilian grandmother was named Vitina.-Career:...
as Frances Kane