Sure, some of the guys wear trenchcoats and the film does have a few scenes that use shadows and perspective ala the 'german expressionist influence' that's acknowledged as a hallmark of 'noir'. But the lead characters lack the complex personality quirks that make it difficult to differentiate between "good" and "bad" in some of my favorite movies.
There isn't much to like about the intended 'protaganist' here. Michael Ward is a conventional, attractive man with a job and an adoring girlfriend.
He's introduced in the film as a star witness; testifying in court against a man who hysterically proclaims his innocence... as he's hauled away to jail.
while Michael is free to, in a bashful, roundabout way, propose to his girlfriend;
seemingly as an excuse to get away from an annoying boarding room neighbor whom he has professed to wanting to kill for, among other things, SNORING TOO LOUD.
When Michael returns home one night and hears no snoring in the room next to his he reaches the conclusion that his noisy neighbor might be... dead???
After an unnerving nightmare where he is suspected of murdering his neighbor and subjected to a trial which exaggerates flaws similar to those of the trial that he participated in earlier...
The body of the neighbor is found and Michael's nightmare begins to come true. He's taken into custody but lucky him; his lovely wife hits the streets, frantically looking for evidence that would exonerate him.
The ending of the film is no less antagonizing to me but two things in its favor make "Stranger on the Third Floor" recommendable: it's brevity (65 minutes) and the amazing and understated performance of Peter Lorre as a homeless neurotic.
"they put you in a shirt with long sleeves and poor ice water on you"
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