Share
Clip description
A mysterious Stranger (Ron Haddrick) collapses on the doorstep of the Walsh family home. The opening titles for The Stranger feature a satellite dish searching the skies, strange particles moving in space and a moonscape. Inside the Walsh home, teenager Peter (Michael Thomas) is beaten at chess by Jean Walsh (Janice Dinnen). Jean’s father, Mr Walsh (John Faassen), is distracted by a knock at the door.
Curator’s notes
Ominous music accompanies the shadowy night-time arrival of an enigmatic stranger. Walking with purpose in the rain to the headmaster’s door, he is clearly up to no good. This set-up is in stark contrast to the warm normality of the scene of domestic bliss going on inside as the audience is introduced to the Walsh family.
This sequence, taken from the very beginning of episode one, demonstrates an unsettling sense of foreboding and potential threat. The introduction of an 'alien’ intruder reflects a science-fiction tradition dating from the 1950s Cold War period. The threat posed by invaders to the American – or in this case, Australian – way of life was often an allegory for the perceived danger of Communism.
