The Stranger (1946)

An investigator for the War Crimes Commission (Edward G. Robinson) attempts to uncover a notorious Nazi who's doing a stand up job of hiding in plain sight, posing as an American professor in Connecticut. With no pictures to help identify his target, the investigator must use his wits as best he can.
Considering what the studio did to The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), it's understandable that Welles took a more conventional approach to The Stranger than he might have done otherwise. It's still a mostly enjoyable feature, with gorgeous Noir lighting to die for, but the feeling that it could've been much more if he'd been willing to apply himself more determinedly beyond the technical side of things is a difficult feeling to shake off.

3 paper trails out of 5