There's a profound sadness that runs through "Walk Softly, Stranger" as it features a con man who is trying to escape his past, whilst also targeting two women who are both vulnerable in different ways. The result is a drama in which the atmosphere is mostly downbeat and never gets lifted much by its action sequences, its romantic interludes or its relatively few moments of humour. It's probably for this reason that the movie flopped so badly at the time of its initial release and has only gained a limited amount of appreciation in the years since.
Armed with a new identity, gambler, thief and con man Chris Hale (Joseph Cotten) chooses the small town of Ashton, Ohio as the place where he feels he can make a new life for himself. After driving up to a suburban house and checking the information in his notes, he introduces himself to Mrs Brentman (Spring Byington) who he knows is a widow and the owner of the property. He asks to see inside the house which he claims he used to live in as a boy and the trusting Mrs Brentman readily shows him what she feels certain, must have been his room years earlier. He plays along with this and agrees to the old lady's suggestion that he should become her lodger. As Chris is unemployed, Mrs Brentman puts in a good word for him with her friend Mr Morgan (John McIntire) who's a foreman at the Corelli Shoe Factory which is the town's biggest employer.
That night at the Ashton Country Club, Chris encounters the rich and beautiful Elaine Corelli (Alida Valli), who's sitting on her own away from the partying club members and tells her how, years earlier as a newspaper delivery boy, he'd had a crush on her but hadn't felt able to approach her because of her social status. He also shows some knowledge of her life in the years that followed which Elaine recognises must have been gleaned from reports of her activities in the society columns. It's only after they've been talking for a little while that Chris sees that she's in a wheelchair and she tells him that she'd become paralysed as a result of a skiing accident.
Next day, when Chris reports for work at the shoe factory, he's immediately asked to report to the owner, A.J. (Frank Puglia) who's ready to offer him a higher status job in sales or advertising because his daughter had asked him to but also because he was so grateful that someone had brought some interest into her life for the first time in ages. Chris respectfully declines the offer but continues to call on Elaine who enjoys his visits.
When the weekend comes around, Chris tells Mrs Brentman that he's going to see a friend in another city and flies off to reunite with his old criminal associate Whitey Lake (Paul Stewart) and together they steal a large sum of money from the owner of a gambling joint and afterwards share the cash between them. Chris then heads back to Ashton, intent on leaving his criminal life behind and pursuing his relationship with Elaine. Things suddenly get complicated, however, when Whitey arrives at Chris' new home after having spent all his share of the money and going on the run from the gambling joint owner and his heavies who are on his trail and out for revenge.
Joseph Cotten, as Hale, is tremendously unassuming and it's this quality that makes his character seem so plausible to the residents of Ashton. He's also skillful in the way that he ingratiates himself to others. Examples of this are seen in the way that he deals with a young woman who is furious about the way that he stood her up on a date and also how he deliberately loses a game of poker against Mr Morgan. Probably his most skillful move is seen when he doesn't take one of the higher paid jobs offered by A.J. This enables him to keep his profile low, demonstrate clearly that he's not acquisitive and also, by telling the caring father that he'd explain his reasons for doing so to Elaine, reassures A.J. that his daughter will know the he'd done all he could to fulfil her wish.
Cotten's performance makes the different sides of Hale's character understandable and Alida Valli is terrific as the depressed heiress who knows more than she lets on. Similarly, the members of the supporting cast are all consistently good.
Armed with a new identity, gambler, thief and con man Chris Hale (Joseph Cotten) chooses the small town of Ashton, Ohio as the place where he feels he can make a new life for himself. After driving up to a suburban house and checking the information in his notes, he introduces himself to Mrs Brentman (Spring Byington) who he knows is a widow and the owner of the property. He asks to see inside the house which he claims he used to live in as a boy and the trusting Mrs Brentman readily shows him what she feels certain, must have been his room years earlier. He plays along with this and agrees to the old lady's suggestion that he should become her lodger. As Chris is unemployed, Mrs Brentman puts in a good word for him with her friend Mr Morgan (John McIntire) who's a foreman at the Corelli Shoe Factory which is the town's biggest employer.
That night at the Ashton Country Club, Chris encounters the rich and beautiful Elaine Corelli (Alida Valli), who's sitting on her own away from the partying club members and tells her how, years earlier as a newspaper delivery boy, he'd had a crush on her but hadn't felt able to approach her because of her social status. He also shows some knowledge of her life in the years that followed which Elaine recognises must have been gleaned from reports of her activities in the society columns. It's only after they've been talking for a little while that Chris sees that she's in a wheelchair and she tells him that she'd become paralysed as a result of a skiing accident.
Next day, when Chris reports for work at the shoe factory, he's immediately asked to report to the owner, A.J. (Frank Puglia) who's ready to offer him a higher status job in sales or advertising because his daughter had asked him to but also because he was so grateful that someone had brought some interest into her life for the first time in ages. Chris respectfully declines the offer but continues to call on Elaine who enjoys his visits.
When the weekend comes around, Chris tells Mrs Brentman that he's going to see a friend in another city and flies off to reunite with his old criminal associate Whitey Lake (Paul Stewart) and together they steal a large sum of money from the owner of a gambling joint and afterwards share the cash between them. Chris then heads back to Ashton, intent on leaving his criminal life behind and pursuing his relationship with Elaine. Things suddenly get complicated, however, when Whitey arrives at Chris' new home after having spent all his share of the money and going on the run from the gambling joint owner and his heavies who are on his trail and out for revenge.
Joseph Cotten, as Hale, is tremendously unassuming and it's this quality that makes his character seem so plausible to the residents of Ashton. He's also skillful in the way that he ingratiates himself to others. Examples of this are seen in the way that he deals with a young woman who is furious about the way that he stood her up on a date and also how he deliberately loses a game of poker against Mr Morgan. Probably his most skillful move is seen when he doesn't take one of the higher paid jobs offered by A.J. This enables him to keep his profile low, demonstrate clearly that he's not acquisitive and also, by telling the caring father that he'd explain his reasons for doing so to Elaine, reassures A.J. that his daughter will know the he'd done all he could to fulfil her wish.
Cotten's performance makes the different sides of Hale's character understandable and Alida Valli is terrific as the depressed heiress who knows more than she lets on. Similarly, the members of the supporting cast are all consistently good.