Stranger in the House

1967

1h 44m

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

1 Video

11 Images

Crime

Drama

John Sawyer, once an eminent barrister, has slid into a life of cynicism and drunkenness since his wife left him. When his daughter's boyfriend is accused of murder, Sawyer decides to try to pull himself together and defend him in court.

Directors

Pierre Rouve

Writers

Pierre Rouve(screenplay by)

Georges Simenon(novel by)

Stars

James Mason

Geraldine Chaplin

Bobby Darin

See production, box office & company info

Videos1

Trailer
Watch Cop-Out (1967) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

Photos11

Top cast

John Sawyer

Angela Sawyer

Barney Teale

Jo Christoforides

Desmond Flower

Peter Hawkins

Sue Phillips

Col. Flower

Mrs. Flower

Harry Hawkins

Mrs. Christoforides

Diana Sawyer

Brenda

Michael Danvers-Walker

Chelham

Insp. Colder

Shooting Range Girl

Old Clerk

Doorwoman

Directors

Pierre Rouve

Writers

Pierre Rouve(screenplay by)

Georges Simenon(novel by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

This is an odd choice of Simenon novel to adapt into a film. It provides for a good role for James Mason as the drunkard solicitor "Sawyer" - a bright, intelligent operator who has hits the skids somewhat after his wife abandoned him, and he became oddly estranged from his daughter "Angela" (an effective, almost aloof Geradine Chaplin), with whom he shares a home. Otherwise, the rest of the roles are weak, wet even. When her boyfriend "Jo" (Paul Bertoya) is accused of a murder, "Sawyer" determines to raise his game and defend the young man. To be fair, this is a small tour de force for the star, who does deliver well. The rest of the story borders on the facile. The collective surrounding "Angela" - a bunch of wealthy no-hope wasters with Bobby Darin and a very dapper looking Ian Ogilvy, are thoroughly disengaging and but for a suitably grumpy performance from James Hayter as chief magistrate "Hawkins" one could reasonably be forgiven for reaching for the fast forward button. The ending, doubtless a superlative piece of deduction from Mason is almost irrelevant - by this point I really couldn't care less about any of the characters and, indeed, may well have reached for a glass myself (it's not yet 10am, so perhaps not!). At best it's a mediocre short story that has little enough to sustain it for the viewer, sorry.

Geronimo196728 Aug, 2023