NYBG in Film: “The Tattooed Stranger”
Stephen Sinon is the William B. O’Connor Curator of Special Collections, Research & Archives.

This 1950 film noir crime drama The Tattooed Stranger, which appears to have been the very first feature film shot on location at the New York Botanical Garden, revolves around the discovery of a murder victim who turns up in an abandoned car. The only clue to her identity is a tattoo found on her arm. Detective Frank Tobin, played by actor John Miles, comes to NYBG while following a lead, where he meets with botanist Dr. Mary Maher, played by actress Patricia Barry, to examine grass samples. Frank chases the killer around the New York City area, passing through many seedy locations which have now been gentrified—including the Bowery, Houston Street, and Tremont Avenue.
Although he has a bit part in the film, playing a detective by the name of Deke del Vecchio, actor Jack Lord is best known for his role in the later television series Hawaii 5-0. The lead actor, John Mills, filmed several noir crime films from 1944 to ’50 and appeared in a number of films as uncredited. Following his role in this film, he left Hollywood altogether. Patricia Barry had a very long career in Hollywood, appearing in dozens of film and television roles between 1946 through 2014. She made appearances in the soaps Guiding Light, Days of Our Lives, and All My Children, along with numerous television shows such as Law & Order, Dallas, and Murder She Wrote.
This may have been the first feature film shot at our 250 acres, but it would be far from the last. Stay tuned for more to come in future posts!
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