Synopsis

A wanted convict runs through a stark black-and-white landscape after fleeing a murder scene. Exhausted and hungry, he hides from the police and finds temporary refuge with a group of children, who mistake him for Jesus. Their innocent belief gives him a brief chance at peace, but the authorities eventually track him down. The video turns Toto's suspenseful song into a compact short film about fear, faith, persecution, and the uneasy contrast between adult judgment and childhood innocence.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video's storyline was inspired by the 1961 British film "Whistle Down the Wind," in which children mistake an escaped convict for Jesus.

• Actor Brad Dourif plays the fugitive. He was already known for intense character work and later became widely associated with the voice of Chucky in the "Child's Play" series.

• Toto's then-new vocalist Fergie Frederiksen appears as the murder victim.

• Toto makes only a brief appearance, with the band seen as the convict hides in an alley.

• The video was filmed in black and white, giving the narrative a stark, film-noir atmosphere rather than presenting the band in a conventional performance setting.

• Brad Dourif and Toto were also connected through "Dune," released in 1984. Dourif appeared in the film, while Toto composed its soundtrack.

• The video received a nomination for Best Direction at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards.

• "Stranger in Town" was the first single from Toto's 1984 album "Isolation." The song reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.