| The Tattooed Stranger | |
| Director: | Edward Montagne |
| Producer: | Jay Bonafield |
| Screenplay: | Philip H. Reisman Jr. |
| Starring: |
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| Music: | Alan Shulman |
| Cinematography: | William O. Steiner |
| Editing: | David Cooper |
| Studio: | RKO Pictures |
| Distributor: | RKO Pictures |
| Runtime: | 64 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $100,000[1] |
The Tattooed Stranger, originally titled Backtrail, is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Edward Montagne and starring John Miles, Patricia Barry (billed as Patricia White), Walter Kinsella, Frank Tweddell.
Rookie police detective Tobin leads the investigation into a series of brutal murders, starting with that of an unidentified woman with a tattoo on her wrist. He seeks the help of botanist Dr. Mahan to identify blades of grass in the car in which the corpse was found, and is surprised to learn that Mahan is a woman.
This was Miles' final film appearance and one of the first film roles for Lord, the future star of Hawaii Five-O.
The film features many New York location shots, many showing areas and structures that no longer exist, including elevated railroads, the Bowery when it was a derelict district and the dockside sections near the lower Manhattan bridges. Tobin and Mahan visit Fort Tryon Park with the George Washington Bridge visible in the background. Their investigation also leads them to Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx).
The New York Times wrote: "The thrills are few and far between in this manhunt but its authenticity is obvious."[2]