"Talk About a Stranger" (1952) is a film noir / mystery / coming of age tale starring: George Murphy, Nancy Davis (Reagan), Billy Gray and Kurt Kasznar.
Robert Jr ("Bud") is a young boy living with his parents on their citrus farm in California. Next to the farm is an imposing old house that the local children treat like a haunted house. One day while throwing rocks into the windows, they discover that someone has moved in. That man is named Matlock and he is a recluse that doesn't want to get to know his neighbors. Bud takes an instant disliking to him.
One day Bud finds his dog poisoned near Matlock's house. Of course Bud blames Matlock who claims to know nothing about it when confronted by the father. Bud will not let it go. He starts talking to people in town, asking questions about him and stirring the pot. Soon the entire town is gossiping about Matlock and trying to figure out why he has to keep to himself and imagining all kinds of sinister things about him.
This is a great movie to catch someday on TV. It's a slice of small town America during the 50s and shows under the polished and civil surface of society is the part of humanity that attributes darkness to those that we see as different from us.
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