WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER is an offbeat film noir with some unusual elements and a rather pedestrian execution. It sees Joseph Cotten playing a character similar to his one in Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT, a too-good-to-be-true sort of guy who comes into a small town and begins to romance a beautiful young disabled woman.
The film deserves kudos for having one of the main characters disabled, something virtually unheard of in those days, and Alida Valli is very good and sympathetic in the role. I'm of the personal inclination that Cotten can do no wrong, so it was a welcome delight to have him on board too.
Unfortunately, the film's narrative is slow-paced and rather lacking in decent incident. Inevitably Cotten's character brings a lot of baggage with him, leading to some sub-thriller and gangster-style moments. However, this works better as a romance than it does a thriller, and only lovers of the era will truly enjoy it.
The film deserves kudos for having one of the main characters disabled, something virtually unheard of in those days, and Alida Valli is very good and sympathetic in the role. I'm of the personal inclination that Cotten can do no wrong, so it was a welcome delight to have him on board too.
Unfortunately, the film's narrative is slow-paced and rather lacking in decent incident. Inevitably Cotten's character brings a lot of baggage with him, leading to some sub-thriller and gangster-style moments. However, this works better as a romance than it does a thriller, and only lovers of the era will truly enjoy it.