The Intruder (1962)

 Legendary B movie producer Roger Corman is famous for always turning a profit. The only exception I've heard him acknowledge was 1962's 'The Intruder', a movie he said he made because he wanted to make it more then he wanted to make money off it. Though in a 21st century interview Corman was proud that between a British re release and home video sales the movie had finally made money, though it took 40 years.

'The Intruder' is based on the 1959 Charles Beaumont novel of the same name, though the film has also been shown under the titles 'The Stranger', 'Shame', and 'I Hate Your Guts!'. A pre Star Trek William Shatner (The only "name" in the cast) plays a professional race baiter come to a small Missouri town as it prepares to integrate the local high school for the first time. Shatner riles up the towns folk, starts dating a teenage girl (very Roy Moore), has an affair with a married woman, and inspires a church burning and at least one death, all before being reveled as the unscrupulous liar he is in the final reel. This causes the townsfolk to abandon him, though I worry the lies, adulty and death might not have been cause enough for many in real life.

A number of people do stand up to Shatner's character throughout the film, including a noble school principle, and a traveling salesman who can just smell the deceit coming off him. His primary foil is the local newspaper editor, who while sharing the cultural discomfort of his fellows with the prospect of intigration, believes in obeying the law and dosen't like the meanness that Shatner's intruder brings out in his neighbours. In fact the whole experience makes the editor realize he actually supports integration, which he confesses to his wife was a surprise to himself. The wife, in a litely touching scene, proclaims that while she doesn't understand his view herself, knows that he is a good man and must have good reasons. The poor editor is severely beaten and loses an eye for his trouble.

The film has been criticized for not doing much with its black characters, though they like most people in this film where played not by professional actors but by locals. One black character, a teenager falsely accused of the attempted rape of a white girl, shows real courage in trying to turn himself over to an angry mob to keep them from hurting others.

'The Intruder' is a limited film in a number of ways, in budget, acting, the extent to which it is willing to challenge it's white audiance. But is also a brave film for tackling what it does even with these constraints, and all of this while on location in a rural part of the country not known for its hospitality on the integration issue. The film still works despite its flaws and has a number of very effective scenes. ***