“It starts with the shriek of a train whistle… And ends with shrieking excitement!”

The Rio Theatre is continuing its dive into the incredible canon of one of the true icons of cinema: Alfred Hitchcock. The supremely suspenseful 1951 thriller STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (co-adapted by Raymond Chandler from a novel by Patricia Highsmith) perfectly exemplifies Hitchcock’s favourite theme… The evil that lurks just below the surface of everyday life, and ordinary men.

Tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Having read all about Guy, Bruno is aware that the tennis player is trapped in an unhappy marriage to to wife Miriam (Laura Elliott) and has been seen in the company of senator’s daughter Ann Morton (Ruth Roman). Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father (Jonathan Hale). As Guy listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of “exchange murders.” Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy’s wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno’s father? With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? When he reaches his destination, Guy bids goodbye to Bruno, thinking nothing more of the affable but rather curious young man’s homicidal theories. But then, Guy’s wife turns up… Strangled to death.

“Winds up with a scene in which a merry-go-round goes wild, spins like a pin wheel, and crashes in a gaudy blaze of explosions that no earthly carrousel could touch off. The movie itself is the same way: implausible but intriguing and great fun to ride.” (TIME Magazine)

“An admirable demonstration of Alfred Hitchcock’s virtuosity in the area of suspense dramas.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

Wednesday, September 9
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.
**Minors permitted. (Language warning.) Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service

PLEASE NOTE: All of the Rio Theatre’s screenings are operating at a sharply reduced capacity. We can’t guarantee availability of tickets at the door, so advance tickets for all screening events are strongly recommended. Our online box office can be found at www.riotheatretickets.ca. Online sales for every screening automatically end 1 hour before any given showtime.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (Alfred Hitchcock, 1951 / 101 mins / PG) A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder—a theory that he plans to implement.