Marnie

Title: Marnie
Year: 1964
Studio: Universal Pictures
Screenplay: Jay Presson Allen & Evan Hunter
Source Material: The novel by Winston Graham
Running Time: 125 minutes

Monday 18th July, 2:00pm
It has been over a fortnight since the last update, but I knew I was going to have one weekend off before the end of my project so that I could neatly time the final film to coincide with Hitchcock's birthday. To be frank, I wish I had chosen this weekend to skip as I was hung-over throughout Sunday and had to postpone the viewing until today - but I'm having a long weekend anyway, so it's not too much trouble.

Tomorrow, it's my birthday (bless) and this is why I am having an extra long weekend. I always like to take the day off work when it's my birthday - I recall one year when I could not because I was away on a work conference. My, I was a bit stroppy that year I can tell you! Ah, the foibles of a mardy-pants...

I have been a fan of Marnie for many years. Maybe it's because I am a frigid thief with repressed childhood memories in denial of my own past. Or maybe it's because it's a damn fine film. You decide.

Cast
Marnie Edgar - Tippi Hedren
Mark Rutland - Sean Connery
Lil mainwaring - Dianne Baker
Sidney Strutt - Martin Gabel
Bernice Edgar - Louise Latham
Cousin Bob - Bob Sweeney
Man at racetrack - Milton Selzer
Susan Clabon - Mariette Hartley
Mr Rutland - Alan Napier
Sailor - Bruce Dern
Detective - Henry Beckman
Sam Ward - S John Lautner
Rita - Edith Evanson
Mrs Turpin - Meg Wyllie

Synopsis
A woman with jet-black hair is at a train station carrying a suitcase in one hand and with a smaller yellow handbag tucked under her other arm.
Meanwhile, Mr Strutt is describing the woman who has stolen money from him to a pair of detectives.
"Five foot five, a hundred and ten pounds, size eight dress, blue eyes, black wavy hair... even features... good teeth..."
He admits he had given her the secretarial job knowing she had no references. Mark Rutland arrives and surveys the scene, he knows the woman Mr Strutt speaks of as he's met her before on a previous visit.
At a hotel, the black-haired woman is filling one suitcase with old clothes and filling another one with new clothes. She transfers a heap of money from the yellow handbag to another. She changes the Social Security account number card from her wallet stating her name to be 'Marion Holland' and replaces it with one for 'Mary Taylor' - then she washes the black dye out of her hair. She is blonde.
She travels to the train station, leaves the old cases in a locker and throws away the key.
She returns to a guest house where she is known as 'Miss Edgar' and then heads out to Garrod's where she keeps her beloved horse, Forio.

Later, Marnie visits her semi-invalid mother who is babysitting for a young girl names Jessie Cotton of whom Marnie is unashamedly jealous due to her own mother's affections towards her. She hates the red gladiolas in the front room and removes them, replacing them with the chrysanthemums she has brought. In an emotional confrontation, Marnie asks why her mother doesn't seem to love her and for this she is slapped hard across the face.

A few days later, Marnie has now applied a brown dye to her hair. She applies for a job at Rutland's & Co, a publishing firm. Whilst interviewed by a Mr Ward, Mark Rutland watches and indicates that he would like Mr Ward to give the job to 'Mary Taylor' rather than a more qualified applicant - but fails to give his reasons.
Here we also meet Lil Mainwaring, Mark's sister-in-law. He is widowed, but had remained firm friends with his dead wife's sister who seems to have feelings for him herself.
During her early days working at Rutland's, 'Mary Taylor' notices that Mr Ward always opens a small locked drawer before going to the safe. She learns that Mr Ward keeps the safe combination in there as he can never remember it. She also accidentally spills some red ink on her white blouse and has a hysterical reaction to the colour emblazoned on her sleeve.
One night, during some overtime working directly with Mark Rutland, there is a terrible storm. 'Mary' is distraught and terrified. Mark goes to her aid and they both narrowly miss being hurt when a branch from a tree crashes through the window.

Over the next few weeks, Mark and 'Mary' begin to spend more time together. He takes her to the races, where a man approaches 'Mary' saying he knows her as Peggy Nicholson, but she denies it flatly. At one point, they are going to place money on a horse named 'Telepathy' but when 'Mary' sees the red dots on the silks of the jockey, she changes her mind and insists that Mark does not bet on that horse. Unfortunately, it goes on to win...

Mark even takes 'Mary' to meet his father one weekend at the family home where she meets Lil once again. Mark's father takes to 'Mary' quite quickly as he too is extremely fond of horses.

Then, the day comes when 'Mary' is to do what she came to the job to do. One Friday evening, she waits in the ladies' powder room until everyone has gone home. She takes a stolen key to open the small drawer and reads the safe combination:

4 turns left to 36
4 turns right to 20
2 turns left to 16
2 turns right to 8
1 turn left to 5

The safe opens, as she fills her bag with money, she is unaware of a cleaner mopping the corridor floor just feet away. Removing her shoes to remain unheard, she slips them into her coat pockets and tiptoes past the cleaner who is intensely mopping away. One shoe slips from Marnie's pocket and clatters to the ground... the woman remains mopping, unfazed by the noise. The woman is mostly deaf, thankfully.

The next day, Marnie is blonde again and out galloping on Forio. She is shocked to see Mark waiting for her upon her return.
He confronts her and explains how he'd already had suspicions about her from the day he saw her at the interview. He tracked her to the stables having been lead by clues she had dropped whilst out at the races with him. She continues to fob him off with lie after lie, but he is having none of it. Eventually, he drags the truth out of her but, instead of turning her over to the police, uses emotional blackmail and proposes to her. He thinks she should stay with him at the family home.
She has little choice.

They are married and they take their honeymoon on a cruise. Both Lil and Mark's cousin Bob are curious about this sudden romance and Lil in particular is keen to find out more...
Whilst on the cruise, Mark learns of Marnie's frigidity and is perplexed by her terror of sexual advances. He promises to keep his distance and for days they enjoy reasonably civil mutual conversations, but eventually the façade falls apart. He becomes tense with sexual frustration and tears her night dress from her. He apologises and covers her with his own gown. She is stunned into a state of shock and in this almost comatose state, she "allows" him to make love to her. The next morning, he wakes to find her gone - he dashes out in the early morning air and searches the deck - he finds her face down in the ship's swimming pool but manages to resuscitate her.

They return home. Lil overhears Mark and Marnie discussing Strutt and the possibility of jail. She does some investigating of her own and also eavesdrops on a phone conversation Marnie has with her mother, whom she had told everyone was dead.

Mark, as a sort of peace offering, brings Forio home from the stables for Marnie to ride. Whilst she is out, Lil tells Mark about what she knows and also about Marnie's mother. She says she wants to help, but mark asks her to merely be a friend to Marnie.

Mark gets a private detective to look into Marnie's mother's life and discovers some interesting facts about a court case.
Later at night, Marnie has her recurring nightmare about a tapping and her mother being hurt. Mark comes in and wakes her to try and get her to tell what the dream is about. They argue once more and he tricks her into exposing something from deep within through free-association with words. Her reactions to 'sex', 'death' and 'red' are telling...

Days later, a party is being thrown at their home. Lil has gone and invited Strutt. He recognises Marnie as the girl who stole money from his business, but is not entirely sure. Marnie panics and realises she has to bolt.
Mark tells her not to, saying her can persuade Strutt not to press charges if they repay the money - this is when she admits to other crimes and Mark believes with the right circumstances, things can be smoothed over - he can afford to pay off her 'debts' if necessary.

The next day, Mark is trying to persuade Strutt and whilst he does that, Marnie is joining the others on a fox hunt. Once she spies the red of one of the jackets, she flees, racing on Forio over the fields. Lil chases after her. One final jump over a wall is too much. Forio trips and falls, throwing Marnie off and crippling himself. Marnie, in tears bangs on the door of a nearby house where she forces the owner, Mrs Turpin, to give her a gun. Lil tries to assist, but Marnie is determined to do this herself. She takes the gun and shoots Forio in the head.

Still in shock, she wanders back to the house, still holding the gun. She goes upstairs, takes the keys from Mark's study and heads back to the Rutland company offices. She heads straight for the safe, opens it and struggles with her urges and impulses. Mark arrives in time and gets the gun off her and tells her they are going to take a trip to see her mother.

Arriving in Baltimore as a storm begins, Mark confronts Mrs Edgar, insisting she tells the truth about Marnie's past - force her to explain the missing memories that have been tormenting her all these years. Mrs Edgar won't and she goes to attack Mark, but as they struggle, Marnie's memory clicks into place and she begins to remember...

In flashback, we see the young Mrs Edgar. She provides young sailors with entertainment for a small sum but sue to the small abode, she has to wake up her daughter with a knock on the door in order to get her to move to the settee so she and the gentlemen callers can use her bed.
This particular evening, young Marnie is too distressed and cries. The sailor comes out to tell her to keep quiet, he brushes her hair and begins to kiss her neck. Mrs Edgar throws herself at him, telling him to take his hands off her daughter. In a fight, they fall, damaging Mrs Edgar's leg - she cries out in pain. Little Marnie grabs the fire poker and beats the sailor over the head until he dies.

The truth is revealed. Mrs Edgar told the police she killed the sailor in self defence. She also tells of how she had slept with Marnie's biological father just the once but he had run off when she became pregnant. She had them spent her life inflicting this dangerous image of men upon her daughter, trying to protect her.

Marnie now knows that her mum had always loved her and had simply wanted to protect her and keep her decent, but instead, it had turned Marnie into a liar, a cheat and a thief.
Mark takes Marnie in his arms and takes her away, promising to take care of her.

THE END

Great Lines
Marnie sees a picture of an animal in Mark's office:

Mark: "...that's Sophie. She's a jaguarundi. South American. I trained her."

Marnie: "Oh, what did you train her to do?"

Mark: "Trust me."

Marnie: "Is that all?"

Mark: "That's a great deal.. for a jaguarundi."

***

Mark has an odd slant on romance:

Mark: "It seems to be misfortune to have fallen in love with a thief and a liar."

and

Mark: "I've tracked you and caught you, and by God, I'm gonna keep you!"

***

When Mark asks Marnie why she threw herself in the ship's pool rather than overboard, she tells him frankly: "The idea was to kill myself, not feed the damn fish."

***

Finally, my favourite line, which is delivered twice at different moments...

Marnie: "There. There now..."

(brilliant!)

Comments
There are three key scenes which I think are simply fantastic. Firstly, the safe-breaking scene in which Marnie steals the money whilst the cleaner silently mops just feet away and Marnie has to escape unheard. It's terrific direction and has edge-of-your-seat tension. You genuinely want her to get away with it.
Secondly, the accident involving Forio and Marnie - the wall, the crippling and then the shooting - it's heartbreaking and so difficult to watch. Brilliant.
Thirdly, the revelatory finale shown in flashback where we learn the truth about Marnie's psychosis. Superbly shot, terrifyingly intimate and deeply shocking. Bruce Dern's cameo in this movie is brief but intrinsic to the plot and just unnerving enough to warrant the audience's compliance with the ultimate justice he is served.

Other scenes of note are the 'rape' scene and the brilliant 'free-association' scene where she first answers blithely until she cracks and words of meaning and distress pour from her lips. That scene always gives me goose-bumps.

There are stories told about Hitchcock's darker side overpowering some of the elements in this film - particularly over Tippi Hedren and the uncredited Evan Hunter. I find it uncomfortable to imagine the negative aspects of Alfred's personality and when the final product is so utterly bewildering, one wonders if he had the right to exert such power "willy-nilly". Had his success gone to his head by this point? that's open for debate.

Bernard Herrmann's final score for Hitchcock and, once again, it is superb. The themes within are haunting and they live on in your mind long after the film is over.
People will forever connect Herrmann with Psycho and Vertigo particularly, but this is just as emotive and effective.

Oh, and let's mention Sean Connery, shall we? This man is one of the biggest male sex symbols in cinema history. Here he is a saviour, a hunter, a leader, an emotional blackmailer and a sexual predator who, in no uncertain terms, rapes his own wife. Both Mark and Marnie are, basically, despicable people but they show the inhumanity that is possible within all of us to a degree. Humanity's flaws embodied in male and female roles.
It may be hard for some to watch Sean in this role having known him for so long as the suave and debonair James Bond (who may be a womaniser, but never to the extent of forcing himself upon an unwilling victim) but it's a performance worth savouring.

My Verdict
The film owes much to Tippi Hedren's performance as without such a powerful portrayal of the anti-heroine, the film may have been less of a success. 9/10


(Only four films to go!!)

The Birds

Title: The Birds
Year: 1963
Studio: Universal Pictures
Screenplay: Evan Hunter
Source Material: A short story by Daphne Du Maurier.
Running Time: 119 minutes

Sunday 3rd July, 10:00am
Ah, 1963. What a superb year. Two of my favourite films were released (The Haunting and The Birds) and Doctor Who began on BBC television. If I could travel back in time and experience it all first hand, I would. Oh, and perhaps give a bit of warning to the U.S. president. i.e. "Duck!"
Despite political assassinations, 1963 was not half bad.

In 2008, I visited San Francisco and found the city itself to be reasonable pleasant and entertaining, but I had the best time when I visited Bodega Bay - I felt at home there. I ended up spending a fortune on Bodega Bay/"The Birds" merchandise. I have no regrets about that!

I am attempting to remain fairly upbeat and chipper as I type this, but I am suffering from rather nasty cramps in my intestines which are subsequently leading to dashes to the old 'W.C.' - I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary, so I can't really explain it. Maybe this is the start of a new form of terror coming to a theatre near you... "The Bowels".

Enough about my infernal internal problems, let's crack on with one of the best films ever made (God, I sounded a bit like Alan Partridge there. Ooh - 'Partridge'! Birds everywhere.)

Cast
Mitchell Brenner - Rod Taylor
Lydia Brenner - Jessica Tandy
Annie Hayworth - Suzanne Pleshette
Melanie Daniels - 'Tippi' Hedren
Cathy Brenner - Veronica Cartwright
Mrs Bundy - Ethel Griffies
Sebastian Sholes - Charles McGraw
Mrs McGruder - Ruth McDevitt
Deke Carter - Lonny Chapman
Salesman - Joe Mantell
Fisherman - Doodles Weaver
Al Malone - Malcolm Atterbury
Post Office Clerk - John McGovern
Drunk - Karl Swenson
Mitch's Neighbour - Richard Deacon
Helen Carter - Elizabeth Wilson
Farm Hand - Bill Quinn
Hysterical Mother - Doreen lang
Schoolkid - Morgan Brittany

Synopsis
Friday
Melanie Daniels, socialite and a daughter of a newspaper editor, heads to Davidson's Pet Shop in San Francisco in order to pick up a mynah bird as a gift for her Aunt Tessa who is soon to return from overseas.
Mrs McGruder tells Miss Daniels that the bird has not yet been delivered but she will telephone to find out when it is due.
While Melanie waits, a man named Mitchell Brenner enters the shop. He recognises Miss Daniels and pretends to not know her and addresses her as though she were a salesperson. Melanie, always game for a bit of role play, enjoys the scenario until he asks too many leading questions. She accidentally lets a canary free and she and Mrs McGruder struggle to catch it. When it comes to rest on a table, Mitch catches it and returns it to its cage, referencing Melanie's name as he does so. This makes are angry and he explains that he knew her by sight. He had come into the store initially to buy some love birds for his sister's eleventh birthday. He leaves Melanie fuming but she chases after him and notes his licence plate - WJH 003 - she then calls Charlie at City Desk and asks him to trace it for her. Then, she gets Mrs McGruder's help to purchase some love birds.

Saturday
Melanie has the information she needs and she heads to Mitch's apartment with the two love birds in a cage. She leaves them outside his door with a note, but his neighbour alerts her to the fact that Mitch is away in bodega Bay for the weekend. This infuriates Melanie, so she decides to drive up to Bodega Bay and deliver them personally.
When she arrives, she visits the local Post Office and General Store to find out Mitch's address and the name of his sister. They tell her where to find his home and say that his sister is either called Lois or Alice. They suggest she ask Miss Hayworth, the schoolteacher.
When Melanie meets Annie she learns that the girl is called Cathy. Annie Hayworth is suspicious of Melanie and slightly resents her classy looks and obvious wealth.
Melanie then takes a boat across the bay to deposit the love birds. She waits until Mitch is out in the barn, enters the house, leaves the birds and a note for Cathy, but tears up the original note she wrote for Mitch.
Back in the boat, she watches from the security of the bay as Mitch discovers the birds. He comes out of the house and spies her. He gets in the car and drives around the bay, getting to the wharf before she does.
Just as she approaches, a seagull swoops down and hits her on the head, making her bleed.
Mitch is appalled and helps her out of the boat. he takes her to the Tides Restaurant to help fix her up.
Lydia, Mitch's mother, comes in and Mitch tells her he has invited Melanie to dinner. Lydia seems to take an instant dislike to Melanie but accepts the guest into her home.
Melanie asks Annie Hayworth if she can rent her spare room for the night and Annie agrees.

That evening at the Brenners', Lydia is concerned about her chickens as they don't seem to be wanting to eat. She calls her chicken-feed supplier and he tells her that a local farmer is having the same problem, even though he uses different feed. She worries there might be a sickness affecting the birds.

Cathy likes Melanie and asks her to come to her birthday party the following day. Melanie says it's unlikely she'll attend as she has to return to San Francisco.
Whilst Cathy and Melanie are talking, Mitch and Lydia are in the kitchen talking about Melanie. Lydia tells of how she'd read about Melanie's antics in Rome where she allegedly jumped into a fountain naked. Later on, as Melanie is about to head back to Annie's, Mitch questions her about this. She denies it and is indignant, stating that the report was in a rival paper to her father's and they just made it up to discredit her. Fuming, she drives back to Annie's where the two woman begin to bond whilst discussing Mitch and Lydia. Just before Melanie heads to bed, there's a thud at the door - they open it to discover a seagull dead on the veranda...

Sunday
It's Cathy's birthday and the party is in full swing. Melanie has decided to attend all along. She has a deep conversation with Mitch out on the dunes and opens up about her mother who left her when she was eleven years old.
They return to the party where Cathy is playing Blind Man's Buff with her friends. Suddenly, the seagulls start attacking, swooping from the sky and hitting the children. Panic breaks out and the adults struggle to get the kids indoors.
Mitch insists that Melanie stays for dinner as he would like to know she is safe.

That evening, as Lydia, Cathy, Mitch and Melanie relax, a swarm of small birds fly into the living room via the chimney. It's like a blizzard indoors. The women manage to beat their way out and Mitch tries to fend them off. Much later, when the birds have left, the sheriff is round and is perplexed by the whole thing and reluctant to take any serious action.

Monday
Cathy is at school and Lydia drives around to Dan Fawcett's home to ask about the chicken problem. She lets herself into the house and discovers the place a mess. Crockery is broken in the kitchen and the windows are smashed. She makes her way through the house looking for Dan. She finds him in his bedroom - dead with his eyes pecked out. She flees the scene in terror and heads straight home.
Mitch puts her to bed and heads off to the farm with the Sheriff.
Melanie makes tea for Lydia and they talk. Lydia opens up about her life and how she feels about losing Mitch. After losing her husband Frank four years ago, she is so scared of being alone. She panics about Cathy and Melanie offers to pick her up from the school.

Melanie drives around to the school and waits on a bench outside smoking a cigarette whilst the children finish their singing lesson. Unbeknownst to her, the climbing frame behind her is slowly filling with a murder of crows. Eventually, one crow in the sky catches Melanie's attention, she follows its flight until it lands on the frame. She is horrified and heads straight into the school to alert Annie.
Annie makes the children do a fire drill and they exit the building and run off down the road. The crows attack. One of Cathy's friends falls and Cathy and Melanie help her up amongst the flurry of wings and beaks. They hide in a car until it's over.

Back at the Tides restaurant, Melanie telephones her father to explain what has been happening. Other locals start sharing their stories but one woman, Mrs Bundy, implies it's all nonsense as she is an ornithological expert. A mother of two small children asks everyone to be quiet as the talk is scaring her children, although, admittedly, it is she who appears more scared. She persuades a travelling salesman to show her the best way to the free-way. They leave the restaurant. It isn't long before they fly back in again as another attack is happening outside.

The man at the petrol station is hit, he drops the pump nozzle and it leaks across the forecourt. A man oblivious to events around him lights a cigar and drops the match. His life is over as the fire ignites and his car explodes. The flames shoot back to the pump and that too explodes. Chaos ensues and the birds watch callously from above before swooping again. Melanie rushes outside but tries to find shelter in a phone booth. The birds still attack, trying to smash the glass. She escapes and heads back to the diner. Everyone is huddled in a corner. The hysterical mother accuses Melanie of bringing the trouble to Bodega Bay and calls her 'Evil'.
Mitch takes Melanie away once the birds have moved on. They go to fetch Cathy from Annie's home only to find the schoolteacher's corpse on the steps. Cathy is safe inside but visibly distressed. Mitch is fuming and attempts to seek revenge by throwing a stone at one of the birds, but Melanie stops him just in time. They take Cathy away, back to the Brenners' home.

The bay is teeming with birds and Mitch quickly sets about boarding up the windows to the best of his ability. Once all inside, they sit and wait. Lydia is verging on hysteria and Cathy is concerned about her own love birds, knowing they haven't done anything wrong.
An attack on the house is heard from inside. One gull tries to break through the boards in the kitchen, but Mitch fends it off. The back door is being shredded by ravaging beaks. Mitch drags the hall stand/dresser and covers the door, nailing it in place. The power goes out, but Mitch has a torch and they wait for it to be over...

Eventually, everything is quiet again. Hours pass and all are asleep apart from Melanie. She hears noises upstairs. She takes the torch and ascends the stairs. In a room at the top of the house, she finds a hole in the roof. The birds are everywhere. They attack her and she falls back against the door, desperately flailing her arms around to protect herself. They are beginning to overcome her but Mitch has woken and drags her from the room.
Downstairs, they all tend to Melanie's wounds, but she has gone into severe shock.
Mitch insists they take her to hospital. He sneaks outside to retrieve Melanie's car from the garage. The birds are still around, swamping the area, but they are not attacking. Once the car is out of the garage, he goes back into the house to fetch Melanie and his family. With trepidation, they leave the house, Cathy insisting she brings the love birds. They carefully drive off through the masses of birds waiting patiently for their next attack...

Great Lines

Cathy: (on her brother's job) "He has a client now who shot his wife in the head six times. Six times! Can you imagine it? I mean, even twice would be overdoing it, don't you think?"

***

Annie: "...probably lost his way in the dark."

Melanie:: "But it isn't dark Annie, it's a full moon."

***

Melanie: (on how she fills her days) "On Tuesdays, I take a course in General Semantics at Berkeley, finding new four-letter words."

(She embellishes)

"I have an Aunt Tessa... I'm giving her a mynah bird when she comes back from Europe. Mynah birds talk, you know. Can you see my Aunt Tessa's face when this one tells us one or two of the words I've picked up at Berkeley?"

***

Child in restaurant: "Are the birds gonna eat us Mommy?"

Comments
Even Hunter's script is wonderful. It plays with you as it builds up the relationships of the characters and making them flawed yet real.

There are number of moments where I still get chills when watching this film, most particularly when the beaks are pecking through the door.

Hitch has done an amazing job building up the tension slowly and the terrifying his audience with horrific and unwarranted attacks on the humans but still maintaining his edge of black humour.
My favourite shot in this film is towards the end when the trapped family hear that the birds are leaving the house. We silently see their faces looking upwards with hope and fear, then we slowly pan out from Lydia, to incorporate Melanie and then Mitch's face. It's subtle but incredibly effective.

The cast is stunning. Everyone is perfect in their roles from the young Veronica Cartwright as Cathy Brenner to Ethel Griffies as the cantankerous and self-righteous Mrs Bundy. 'Tippi' is beautiful and classy throughout and Jessica Tandy is wonderful as the icy mother who slowly shows signs of thawing.

There is no musical score to the film which makes the whole thing just uncomfortable enough to creep you out. Bernard Herrmann did, however, supervise the sound effects of the birds. The song the children sing was actually penned by the screenwriter, Even Hunter.

My Verdict
Sure, some of the special effects look dated now, but it is still very high on my list of 'favourite films of all-time'. 10/10

Psycho

Title: Psycho
Year: 1960
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Screenplay: Joseph Stefano
Source Material: The novel by Robert Bloch
Running Time: 108 minutes
A black & white picture

Sunday 26th June, 12 noon
Ah, so we come to one of the most famous films of all time! I recall seeing this for the first time many moons ago. I had set the video for it and I remember switching on the TV late at night, just to see if it had finished and I caught the final few seconds. That irritated me somewhat. Ah, well.

I wasn't sure if I was going to make it this weekend as I had a rather busy social day yesterday and a bit too much wine last night. I was a tad hung-over this morning, but I managed to get through the movie unscathed as I think my body needed to just crash out a bit.

It's hard to believe I am so close to the end of this project and that I have been doing it for over a year. I'd feel better if I knew more than a handful of people were bothering to read it, but as I've said before, I'm really only writing it for my own amusement.

Cast
Norman Bates - Anthony Perkins
Lila Crane - Vera Miles
Sam Loomis - John Gavin
Milton Arbogast - Martin Balsam
Sheriff Chambers - John McIntire
Dr Richmond - Simon Oakland
George Lowery - Vaughn Taylor
Tom Cassidy - Frank Albertson
Mrs Chambers - Lurene Tuttle
Caroline - Pat Hitchcock
California Charlie - John Anderson
Cop - Mort Mills
Marion Crane - Janet Leigh

Synopsis
PHOENIX, ARIZONA

FRIDAY, DECEMBER THE ELEVENTH

TWO FORTY-THREE P.M.

Sam Loomis and Marion Crane are entwined in some post-coital canoodling in a hotel room. Their love affair feels illicit due to the stresses Sam is under. They want to get married but he is concerned as he is still paying off his father's debts and also paying alimony to his ex-wife. If they had some money, he'd be more than happy to start a new life with Marion.
Marion's late lunch is over and she heads back to work.
Her boss, Mr Lowery, is still out with a client, Mr Cassidy, but they soon return. Mr Cassidy wants to pay $40,000 cash on a house for his daughter's wedding gift. Mr Lowery advises Marion to take the cash to the safe at the bank for over the weekend.
She places it carefully in her handbag and heads off early as she has a headache.

She does not go to the bank. Instead she heads straight home and packs her bags. She decides to drive to see Sam. On the way out of town, her boss sees her as she stops at a pedestrian crossing. She is plagued by thoughts of how people are going to react. The drive is weary and she soon tires. She pulls over to sleep for a while. However, it is dawn when she is awoken by a highway patrolman who is concerned by her rather suspicious nature. He lets her go but later, when she decides she needs to swap cars at California Charlie's car yard, he follows. She pressures California Charlie into helping her swap her old car for a new one and she gives him $700 on top. She is irked by the presence of the policeman and panics, nearly leaving without her luggage which has yet to be transferred from her old car.

She continues on with her drive, now concerned about the discussion Charlie will be having with the cop.
The rain is heavy and she is forced to pull over at the Bates Motel.
No one is around initially, so she honks her horn and a young man comes down from the big house to greet her. He says his name is Norman Bates. He lets her have a room - cabin 1 - but she signs in as Marie Samuels from Los Angeles. Norman invites her to have a bite to eat up at the house. She goes to unpack while he goes to prepare. While she sorts herself, the rain stops and she is able to hear voices coming from the big house. Norman is being berated by an older woman who is chastising him for flirting with the new guest.
Eventually, Norman comes down with a tray holding some sandwiches and a jug. He thinks it's better than taking her up to the house.
They eat in the parlour behind the office. Norman talks of his taxidermy hobby and also his mother. As they talk about human nature amongst other things, Marion begins to realise the error of her ways. She makes her excuses and leaves to get an early night. She plans to return to Phoenix the following day. She even tries to work out how to pay back the money she has since spent.

She takes a shower - as she undresses, she is unaware that Norman is watching through a spy hole connecting the parlour with her cabin - and Norman does not watch for long - he retreats back to the house.

Marion steps into the shower and feels relaxed with a weight off her shoulders knowing she has planned to do the right thing.

However, her plan will never be executed as a tall feminine figure enters the bathroom, draws back the shower curtain and plunges a kitchen knife into Marion's vulnerable body. Stabbing repeatedly at the naked victim, Marion's cries do nothing to prevent her demise.

The woman darts out of the crime scene and back up to the house. Norman is horrified when he sees the blood. He heads down to cabin 1 and discovers Marion's corpse. He wraps it in the shower curtain and mops up the mess in the bathroom. He puts Marion's body along with her belongings (and the $40,000) in the trunk of her car. He takes it to the nearby swamp and sinks it.

The next week, Lila Crane, Marion's sister, goes to visit Sam Loomis in Fairvale at his hardware store. She is severely worried about Marion's whereabouts and considers that Sam might know - but he doesn't. A private detective named Arbogast arrives and starts asking questions. He spends a few days searching hotels and motels around the district. Eventually, after a long search, he comes across the Bates Motel.
He interviews Norman who seems edgy and reluctant to pass on information. Arbogast figures that Marion used Marie Samuels as an alias and goes to phone Lila to tell of his suspicions. He says he is going to return to the house to speak to Norman's mother and will return to Fairvale within an hour.

Back at the motel, Arbogast finds the place deserted. He walks up to the house and lets himself in. He ascends the stairs but as he reaches the top, a woman leaps out of one of the bedrooms and plunges a knife into his chest. Blood splatters on his face and he topples backwards down the stairs. The woman follows him down and throws herself on top of him and finishes him off.

Sam and Lila are very concerned three hours later when Arbogast has not returned. Sam intends to follow him. When he arrives, no one is there. Norman is at the swamp disposing of more evidence for his mother.

Sam heads back to Fairvale and he and Lila go to see the Sheriff. They tell of the whole story - including the stolen money - and the Sheriff is perplexed by the statements about the old woman at the house.
He says Mrs Bates died ten years ago.

The nest day, having met the Sheriff and his wife outside church, Sam and Lila decide to do their own investigating. They head out to the motel and pose as a married couple. Norman gives them cabin 10 but they snoop around cabin 1. They find a shower with no curtain and a piece of paper indicating sums regarding $40,000!
Sam goes to keep Norman occupied whilst Lila heads up to the house. Sam talks with Norman and Lila finds Mrs Bates' room - it is full of antiques and there's an indentation on the bed where she sleeps. Lila also finds Norman's room - full of childhood toys. As she heads back downstairs, Norman has grown suspicious. He hits Sam on the head and heads to the house. Lila sees him coming and hides down the stairs toward the cellar. Norman rushes in and heads immediately up to his mother's room.
Lila, out of curiosity, descends to the cellar. There she sees the old woman sitting with her back towards the door. Lila steps forward and touches the old woman's shoulder. The woman's body swivels in the chair and Lila sees the face of a woman - one that has long been dead, No eyes in the socket, no flesh around the mouth. She screams and then she hears someone coming down the stairs. In strides Norman, dressed in a wig and dress, clutching a knife. As he races forward, Sam appears from behind, grabbing Norman and restraining him. The wig falls off and Norman collapses.

At the county court house, Lila and Sam are recovering from their ordeal. A psychiatrist explains the nature of Norman's mind and about how he had murdered his mother ten years ago and then, through guilt, kept the idea of her alive, ultimately integrating her personality into his own.

Norman is alone in a cell with a blanket. His mother has taken over, perhaps permanently... she knows she had to confess Norman's sins. It was what she had to do, but she knows they'll look at her and know that she is innocent as she would never even harm a fly...

THE END

Great Lines

Norman: "12 cabins, 12 vacancies!"

***

Norman: "A hobby's supposed to pass the time, not fill it"

***

Norman: "A boy's best friend is his mother."

***

Marion: "Wouldn't it be better if you put her... some place?"

Norman: "You mean an institution? A madhouse? People always call a madhouse 'some place', don't they?"

***

Norman: "We all go a little mad sometimes."

***

Norman: "Mother, oh God, mother! Blood... blood!!"

***

Norman: "She might have fooled me, but she didn't fool my mother."

***

Sheriff Chambers: "If the woman up there is Mrs Bates, who's that woman buried out in Greenlawn Cemetary?"

***

Norma Bates (on how others will view her): "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."

Commnents
Anthony Perkins gives (in my opinion) one of cinema's finest and nuanced performances. Every line he delivers, every stutter, every twitch, is perfection.

Martin Balsam gives a confident and naturalistic performance as Arbogast and both Janet Leigh and Vera Miles are beautifully cast as sisters.

I have an enormous fondness for Patricia Hitchcock; partly because of her comic timing, her understated beauty and (mainly) because of her wonderful role in Strangers on a Train. Here she has a smaller role as Caroline, Marion's work colleague and although she does not get a huge amount of screen-time, she delivers every line brilliantly.

John Gavin is hot. enough said.

A lot of trivia about the film has been discussed for the past 50 years so I shan't spend time on noting that the blood was chocolate sauce or talk about the sequels and the bizarre remake. (I really admire Psycho II by the way!)

What I will mention though is the frequent use of crane shots throughout. These longer takes are so utterly fantastic to watch - they draw you in completely. The two best are the one immediately following the murder and the other when Norman is talking to his mother prior to taking her downstairs to the cellar. Fantastic.

My Verdict
Sometimes the film is better than the book. Psycho is proof of this.
It almost loses a mark for the rather long-winded explanation from the psychiatrist at the end, but the rest of the film is sublime, so I shall be forgiving.
10/10

North by Northwest

Title: North by Northwest
Year: 1959
Studio: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Screenplay: Ernest Lehman
Source Material: This is an original screenplay.
Running Time: 130 minutes

Sunday 19th June, 8:30am
It seems I am forever doing laundry. How can one person, living alone, manage to accrue so many dirty clothes in the space of one week. Am I leading a double life? Do I have multiple Personality Syndrome? Who can say? Suffice to say that I have been getting up and down off the couch to reload the washing machine during the length of the movie - and a rather long movie at that. I think it's his longest movie to date (I could go back and check, but frankly, I cannot be arsed). This film is renowned for many reasons and it is also considered one of the top 100 American films ever made. Let's roll!

Cast
Roger Thornhill - Cary Grant
Eve Kendall - Eva Marie Saint
Phillip Vandamm - James Mason
Clara Thornhill - Jessie Royce Landis
The Professor - Leo G Carroll
Handsome Woman - Josephine Hutchinson
Lester Townsend - Philip Ober
Leonard - Martin Landau
Valerian - Adam Williams
Victor Larrabee - Edward Platt
Licht - Robert Ellenstein
Auctioneer - Les Tremayne
Dr Cross - Philip Coolidge

Synopsis
Roger Thornhill is an advertising executive working in New York. He leaves his office with his secretary and heads to the Plaza hotel for a meeting with some other gentlemen. Through a misunderstanding, two heavies assume he is a secret agent named George Kaplan and bundle him off in a car and take him to a country house - despite his protestations.
Here he meets an enigmatic man who calls himself Lester Townsend and he threatens 'Kaplan' in order to get him to cooperate. Roger refuses, continually insisting he knows nothing about what 'Townsend' is talking about. 'Townsend' leaves to attend to his dinner guests whilst the heavies pour bourbon into Roger and take him out to set up his demise. They place the steaming Thornhill into a car and set him off driving down the road, hoping he'll steer himself off the cliff. However, Roger commands the car better than they expect but are soon dissuaded from pursuing further when Roger is stopped by the police.
At the station, Roger has little luck making anyone believe his mother. In court the next day, the judge and even his own mother fail to believe his mad story. He, his mother and the detectives head back out to the country house, only to find no scene of any crime and the mistress of the house lies through her bare teeth, saying Roger was there for a party and drove off drunk later in the night. She also says her husband is at the General Assembly Building for the United Nations.

Let out on bail, he returns to the Plaza with his mother. They search the supposed room of George Kaplan and discover that the clothes there would not fit Roger.
Roger finds a photo of the man he knows as 'Townsend' and
The phone rings and Roger answers. This unfortunately does not help prove he is not Kaplan to his kidnappers who then come up to get him. They meet them in the lift and evade capture. Roger escapes in a taxi and heads to the general Assembly Rooms. There he introduces himself as Kaplan to the receptionist and he gets them to page Townsend. Townsend appears, but it is not the man he met the night before. He tries to get answers from this new man but before he gets any further one of the heavies has thrown a knife which sticks in the poor man's back and kills him. Roger is discovered lifting the knife from the fatal wound and caught on camera - he is now wanted for murder.

Meanwhile, in a private office, a man known as the Professor discusses the recent events with his cohorts. They are a government agency and their 'George Kaplan' never existed. He was invented as a decoy to keep their enemy unaware of a real double agent within their midst. They are happy for this Roger Thornhill to play the role whilst they sit back.

Roger escapes to Grand Central Station where he passes by the guards without a ticket and boards the train to Chicago having learned that this is where Mr Kaplan was supposed to have headed since checking out of the Plaza.
On board, he evades capture with the help of a beautiful young woman named Eve Kendall. He dines with her and they have instant chemistry. She comments on the initials on his personalised match-book as she is curious about his three initials R.O.T. She hides him within her compartment when the police board and search the train.

During the journey, Eve sends a note to her employer, Phillip Vandamm (the man Roger knows as the fake Townsend) simply asking What do I do with him in the morning? Eve.

When they arrive in Chicago, he leaves wearing a porter's uniform and whilst he changes in the restrooms, Eve speaks to one of the heavies. She tells Roger she has telephoned the hotel at which George Kaplan is supposedly staying and she has got some specific instructions of where he wants to meet. She says goodbye but seems regretful of her actions.

Arriving in the middle of nowhere by bus, Roger waits patiently at the proposed co-ordinates. Cars pass by without stopping. A man arrives and waits for a bus. Initially, Roger thinks this must be Mr Kaplan, but it's merely an innocent bystander who is curious when he spies the crop-duster plane dusting where there are no crops. As the bystander leaves on his bus, the plane turns and heads toward Roger.
He tries to hide in the nearby corn, but they force him out with the dusting of chemicals. He rushes out into the road to stop a truck, but the small plane than crashes right into the truck and explodes. Roger escapes as he steals the car of a passer-by whose curiosity got the better of him.

Roger returns to Chicago and to Kaplan's supposed hotel. He sees Eve there. He goes up to her room - he is now suspicious of her after she seemingly gave him instructions to his would-be death. He flirts with her to make her believe he isn't suspicious but when she leaves as he fakes showering, he follows her to an auction house.
Here he discovers her with Vandamm and his heavies. Vandamm is purchasing a statuette. During the auction, Vandamm drags Eve away, realising she has feelings for Roger and leaves the heavies to finish Roger off. Roger causes a commotion at the auction and is arrested by the cops who have consequently just saved Roger from imminent doom.

When calling in to the station to report the capture of Roger Thornhill, they are given instructions to take him to the airport instead. They do as they are told and it as at the airport Roger meets the Professor. The Professor explains the situation - the decoy, the fact Eve is their double agent etc - and persuades Roger to maintain the façade for another 24 hours, for Eve's sake. They head to South Dakota...

A meeting is arranged at a public venue in a café at Mount Rushmore National Park. Here, Roger tells Vandamm that he will allow him to leave the country only if he gets to keep Eve. Vandamm refuses, but Roger grabs Eve but she pulls out a gun and shoots him. She runs away and the Professor confirms the wounding of Roger. Vandamm leaves.
Roger's wounded body is taken to hospital, but on the way, they stop at a rendezvous point in the woods where they meet up with Eve. The gun had blanks and Roger is fine. It was all part of a plan to fool Vandamm. It is then revealed by the Professor that the new plan is for Eve to continue as her role as a double agent and she is to go with Vandamm on the plane out of America. Thornhill is furious, but is knocked out by the Professor's driver before he can retaliate.

Roger is then being kept at the hospital in a locked room. The Professor brings him clean clothes and at the earliest opportunity, Roger climbs out of the window and makes his escape.
He takes a taxi to Mount Rushmore. On the mountainside is a lodge where Vandamm is hiding out with his henchmen and Eve. Roger listens in at the window and overhears a great deal - including the whereabouts of the microfilm within the belly of the statuette. He also learns that one of Vandamm's henchmen has figured that Eve is a double agent so they plan to dispose of her. Roger climbs up into her bedroom but he is too late, she has already gone downstairs. He writes on the inside of his personalised match-book a quick note:

"They're onto you - I'm in your room."

He creeps out of the bedroom and tosses it down to the lounge area hoping she'll see it. She does. Eve reads the note, makes an excuse about a lost earring and retreats to her room. Roger tells her that she is in danger and tells her she has to get away from them.
She returns to Vandamm and starts to move out to the plane that is awaiting them.
Thinking he is alone in the lodge, Roger tries to follow but is surprised to find himself held at gunpoint by the maid. He realises in time that the gun is the same one that Eve used - full of blanks - and escapes to the car outside. Eve makes a break for the car away from her captors and they drive down to the gate - however, it is locked, so they dash off through the woods.
They find themselves on top of the monument of Mount Rushmore and attempt to climb down to get away from their pursuers. The two heavies try to follow but in the ensuing fight, both fall to their demise. One is thrown by Roger, the other is shot by the Professor who has made it in time. Eve is struggling to hold on from the precipice from which she is dangling. Roger reaches out and pulls her up. We cut to the two of them in the compartment of a train as newly-weds and as they embrace, the train enters a tunnel.

THE END.

Great Lines
The screenplay has witty and clever lines in abundance. Here are a few:

Thornhill: "In the world of advertising there's no such thing as a lie. There's only 'expedient exaggeration'."

***

Clara Thornhill: "I think I'd like to meet these killers!"
leading to the moment in the lift when she asks; "You gentlemen aren't really trying to kill my son, are you?"

***

Eve sees the initials 'R.O.T.' on Roger's match-book.

Eve: "What does the 'O' stand for?"

Thornhill: "Nothing."

***

This nest line is delivered so curiously and innocently by the bystander, but it signposts something much more ominous:

Man: "That plane's dusting crops where there ain't no crops!"

***

When the valet tells Roger his suit will be cleaned, pressed and returned within 20 minutes, Roger says to Eve: "Now, what could a man do with his clothes off for 20 minutes? Couldn't he have taken an hour?"

To which Eve responds coolly: "You could always take a cold shower."

***

At the auction house, Roger meets with Vandamm again.

Vandamm: "What possessed you to come blundering in here liek this? Could it be an overpowering interest in art?"

Thornhill: "Yes, the art of survival."

***

When Eve asks why his previous two wives divorced him, Roger has a deeply ironic reply.

Thornhill: "I think they said I lead too dull a life..."

Comments
Cary Grant - a man who can do no wrong. Yes, he may be too old for the role and yes, he is only seven years younger than the woman playing his mother, but they are both brilliant in their respective roles with an utterly believable mother/son rapport.

Eve Marie Saint is a stunner and can play the cool blonde as well as the next actress, but I do feel there's an uncomfortable distance between her and Hitchcock. Maybe I'm wrong, but given his track record, I may be on the nail here.

James Mason is incapable of delivering a line badly. Every word he utters is magnificently menacing in a suave and charismatic way. Lawd bless 'im, guvnor.

In the scene where Eve 'shoots' Roger, a kid in the background sticks his fingers in his ears, obviously aware of what's about to happen. Bah! Hitch should have sacked him.

Bernard Herrmann's score is fantastic. In fact, he is in the middle of a brilliant hat-trick. The scores for Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho are all magnificent pieces of work.

One of the most notable things about North by Northwest is the many* unusual and occasionally unnatural camera angles used by Hitchcock throughout. They certainly lend an air of uncomfortable voyeurism in many shots. My absolute favourite is when Roger flees from the Assembly Building and we see his tiny figure sprint down a path to a taxi from so high above, it almost looks cartoon-like. It's a striking image highlighting his remoteness from everything safe.

*I nearly wrote 'myriad' at this point, but isn't that term just becoming so pretentiously ubiquitous these days - and often incorrectly used. Grrr!

My Verdict
Genuinely entertaining. All the hallmarks of classic Hitchcock; Innocent man on the run, icy blonde, lots of suspense. A few plot-holes here and there, but you fly past them so fast, you probably won't notice. Despite being so revered, I still only give it 9/10 - like Vertigo previously, I admire it greatly but still do not love it. (And, frankly, that's what this blog is about, right?)

Vertigo

Title: Vertigo
Year: 1958
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Screenplay: Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor
Source Material: The novel D'Entre Les Morts ('From Among the Dead') by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
Running Time: 124 minutes

Monday 13th June, 9:00am
Here in Australia, it is 'Queen's Birthday' long weekend. I decided to take the Friday off as well so I could have four days of peace. I have to admit, now it's almost lunchtime on the final day, I have succumbed to some sort of cabin fever. I'm still in my PJs and feeling rather apathetic about most things.
However, I had to continue with the blog. My original intention was to get it out of the way on Friday... then Saturday.. then Sunday. Oh bugger. Well, it's done now and here I am typing it up.

Cast
John 'Scottie' Ferguson - James Stewart
Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton - Kim Novak
Marjorie Wood - Barbara Bel Geddes
Gavin Elster - Tom Helmore
Coroner - Henry Jones
Doctor - Raymond Bailey
McKittrick Hotel Manager - Ellen Corby
Pop Leibel - Konstantin Shayne
Car Owner - Lee Patrick

Synopsis
John Ferguson is a detective in San Francisco. After the death of a colleague during a rooftop chase, for which he feels responsible, John decides to retire and continues to battle with acrophobia and the subsequent vertigo. He is known to his friends as 'Scottie' and he hangs out with an ex-fiancée of his named Marjorie "Midge" Wood who designs lingerie.
He has a call from an old friend called Gavin Elster who works in the ship-building industry. Gavin wants Scottie to follow his wife - not for the usual reasons, but because he is curious to know where she has been. He seems to think she is being possessed by the spirit of another woman.
Scottie thinks it's all nonsense but is curious enough to agree to rendezvous at Ernie's restaurant that evening.
At Ernie's, he sees the beautiful Madeleine and there is something bewitching about her which makes him decide taht he will follow her as Gavin requested.

The next day, he follows her to a florist where she buys a bouquet; she visits the grave of a 'Carlotta Valdes' (Born December 3rd 1831 - Died March 5th 1857); then a gallery where she sits before a portrait of Carlotta - he notices the similar styled hair Madeleine has. Eventuially, he follows her to the McKittrick Hotel - he sees her enter and then spies her in the upstairs window. He goes to investigate but the manageress says that the woman who rents that room was not currently visiting.
He has lost her trail...

Scottie does some more investigating with the help of Midge and they visit the Argosy book store where Midge's friend gives some information about the late Carlotta Valdes who apparently killed herself after her life fell apart. Carlotta was also Madeleine's great grandmother.

Another day, Scottie follows Madeleine again - this to to Old Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. He watches as she dismantles the floral bouquet and tosses it into the bay before throwing herself in after. He leaps in to save her and takes her back to his apartment to recover. She doesn't seem to remember much about what happened during her trance. She leaves without saying goodbye and he Scottie speaks to Gavin on the phone about the connection between Madeleine and Carlotta. Gavin is concerned;

"She's 26. Carlotta Valdes committed suicide at 26!"

Madeleine returns the next day to Scottie's apartment apologising for her sudden departure. He takes her for a drive and they talk about the recurring dreams she has which feel like premonitions. She wonders if she's mad. He takes her in his arms and kisses her.

Meanwhile, Midge has taken up painting again and, for a joke, paints a version of Carlotta's portrait but with her own face in place of the original. Scottie is less than impressed and Midge chastises herself for her foolishness.

Madeleine later tells Scottie about the Spanish villa she sees in her dreams - he realises it's not in Spain, but a Mission just south of San Francisco called San Juan Bautista. They go to see the museum and he confesses her love for her. She pulls away and races to the church - He follows, but then she dashes up the tower and due to his acrophobia, he cannot follow. He is appalled when he hears a scream and sees her body fall past the window. Her body is broken on the roof below.

A hearing is held and the jury conclude it was a suicide and Scottie is not to blame. Gavin is sympathetic to Scottie's plight and tells him that he is going to leave for Europe to start a new life.
Scottie starts having nightmares with visions of bouquets, Carlotta's necklace, her grave and the feeling of falling from great heights.
These dreams tip him over the edge and he is sent to an institution where Midge visits on a regular basis - but she feels he is lost for good. His doctor knows he is suffering from a severe guilt complex, but Midge knows it is worse because Scottie was in love with Madeleine.

Eventually, months later. Scottie returns to normal society, but he is still plagued by images. He obsesses over things that remind him of Madeleine and then, one day, he sees a brunette woman in the street who looks almost identical to Madeleine.
He follows her back to the Empire Hotel. He introduces himself to her, but she is a little scared. She tells him she is Judy Barton from Salina, Kansas. He convinces her that he is harmless and that he'd like to take her for a meal. She is reluctant at first, but then concedes. He says he'll return in an hour to pick her up.
This is when she panics.
In flashback we witness the truth...

When she ran up the steps of the tower as 'Madeleine', she went through the trapdoor where Gavin was waiting for her. He had the real Madeleine in his arms with a broken neck. He tossed her body out of the window. They waited for everything to die down before leaving again...

Back in the present moment, Judy starts to pack her bags, but then stops. She begins to write a note to Scottie...

"Dearest Scottie,
And so you found me.
This is the moment I dreaded and hoped for; wondering what I'd say and do if I ever saw you again. I wanted so to see you again, just once. Now I'll go and you can give up your search. I want you to have peace of mind. You've nothing to blame yourself for. You were the victim. I was the tool and you the victim of Gavin Elster's plan to murder his wife. He chose me to play the part because I looked like her. He dressed me up like her. He was quite safe because she lived in the country and rarely came to town. He chose you to be the witness to a suicide. The Carlotta story was part real, part invented to make you testify that Madeleine wanted to kill herself.
He knew of your illness. He knew you'd never make it up the stairs to the tower. He planned it so well. He made no mistakes.
I made the mistake. I fell in love. That wasn't part of the plan.
I'm still in love with you and I want you so to love me. If I had the nerve, I'd stay and lie, hoping that I could make you love me again, as I am, for myself... and so forget the other and forget the past. But... I don't know whether I have the nerve to try..."

With this final word, she stops and tears the letter up. She unpacks her case and decides to go on that dinner date after all.

Over a few days, Judy and Scottie spend a lot of time together. He pampers her and treats her well... until he starts buying clothes for her. He is insistent that she has the exact clothes that Madeleine used to wear. He makes her dye her hair blonde and forces her to pin it in the same way. She is disturbed by all this, but does as he asks. Then, one night, when she feels all is well, they plan to go out for dinner.
As he waits for her to finish making herself up, she puts on a necklace - it catches his eye. It's the same necklace Carlotta wore in the portrait.
He changes the plans for the evening and drives back down to San Juan Bautista. He has pieced it all together. He is fuming - almost deranged - he forces Judy to climb the steps within the tower, recreating the fatal night. He manages to make it all the way up to the crime scene. Judy, distressed and worn down, confesses to the truth and admits she was paid by Gavin to impersonate his wife - she was paid with money... and the necklace.
She also confesses how she had truly fallen in love with Scottie and that was why she was still there. They embrace in the tower, but the looming shadow of a nun (who had been concerned when she had heard voices) terrifies Judy and she screams, staggers backwards and falls from the tower to her death.
Scottie steps out onto the sill of the window and looks down...

THE END

Great Lines
During one of Madeleine's trances, she talks to the tree whose inner circles record a passage of time, touching the rings as she does so;

"Somewhere in here I was born... and there I died. It was only a moment for you. You took no notice."

***

Midge is distressed at Scottie's collapse and fears music therapy is not the answer;

"I don't think Mozart's going to help at all..."

***

Scottie points out Judy's downfall;

"You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing - you shouldn't have been that sentimental."

Comments
The final shot of Scottie standing at the top of the tower looking down is a clear sign that he has overcome his acrophobia - but at what cost.

There are a couple of unanswered questions. Firstly, does Gavin ever get caught for the crime? Secondly, why did the manageress at the McKittrick Hotel say Carlotta/Madeleine/Judy had not been in the hotel that day, when clearly she had? Was she on Gavin's payroll too?

Scottie's entropy into an obsessive and slightly deranged man is fascinating and a little disturbing. He becomes a modern-day Pygmalion, creating the perfect woman for his needs.

It would be folly to write about Vertigo and not mention the camera technique made famous by this film. Created by Irmin Roberts and used to great effect in this movie is the superb vision of the depth perspective zooming away from the point of view of Scottie when he is having his spells of vertigo. This is created by zooming in whilst pulling back (or vice versa) and is uncomfortable yet effective to watch. It has since been used many, many times in cinema, but it will be Vertigo for which it is best remembered.

The cast is relatively small and everyone plays their role beautifully. The two female leads are fantastic. Kim Novak is utterly convincing in her dual role and for first time viewers who aren't familiar with her work, they may be asking themselves if Judy Barton is indeed played by someone else - for at least a few minutes.
Barabara Bel geddes also does a superb job for she is in the role of the gooseberry. "Midge" is the character who shares our perspective. She is an outsider looking in and unable to help. She is both charming and endearing but also flawed, just as you or I would be. The last we see of her is a slow walk down a corridor at the institution where we can feel her despair as it echoes across the walls.

James Stewart is wonderful, as always. Enough said.

My Verdict
All other guides give Vertigo full marks and I feel like I am cheating Hitchcock if I do otherwise. It is an amazing film, but I just don't love it like I love some of his others (which is my issue more than anyone else's!)
Maybe one day I will figure out why, but until I do, I will do something I have not yet done in this blog. I will go decimal!
9.5/10

The Wrong Man

Title: The Wrong Man
Year: 1956
Studio: Warner Brothers
Screenplay: Maxwell Anderson and Angus MacPhail
Source Material: Based on a true story
Running Time: 101 minutes
A black & white picture

Sunday 5th June, 8:30am
I cannot believe it is June already, time has flown by. It is hard to believe I have been doing this blog for over a year now. Although I have loved doing it, I will be pleased to be free of the commitment when it's over. just a couple of months to go.

Oddly, I had a bit of a lie in this morning. I didn't get up until 7! That is quite a lie in for me as I usually awake around 5 or 6. It seems I had about nine hours sleep. Heavens to Betsy.

I wasn't really in the mood for this film today as I have seen it a couple of times before and have always felt it was a little dry, however, I ploughed through and found myself enjoying it more than before.

Cast
Christopher Emanuel 'Manny' Balestrero - Henry Fonda
Rose Balestrero - Vera Miles
Frank O'Connor - Anthony Quayle
Lt Bowers - Harold Stone
Tomasini - John Heldabrand
Ann James - Doreen Lang
Olga Conforti - Lola D'Annunzio
Gregory Balestrero - Robert Esson
Judge Groat - Dayton Lummis
Detective Matthews - Charles Cooper
Betty Todd - Norma Connolly
Mama Balestrero - Esther Minciotti
Constance Willis - Lauinda Barrett
Gene Conforti - Nahamiah Persoff
Robert Balestrero - Kippy Campbell
Daniell - Richard Robbins
Miss Dennerly - Peggy Webber

Synopsis
The early morning hours of January the fourteenth, nineteen hundred and fifty-three, a day in the life of Christopher Emanuel Balestrero that he will never forget...

'Manny' works as a Bass Fiddle player at the Stork Club, a late-night venue for the well-to-do. He has a small two-bedroom home where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two sons Bob and Greg.
In the early hours of January 14th, he leaves work and does his usual routine. Takes the underground train from Fifth avenue, reads the paper, checks the horse odds on the racing pages, gets some toast and coffee at his usual haunt and then returns home. He checks in on the sleeping children and then goes in to his own room to see Rose. This particular morning, she is still awake due to the pain of her wisdom teeth coming through. Apparently, the cost at the dentist will be $300 and Manny says he will try and borrow some money.

The next day he heads to the insurance office and asks about a loan on his wife's policy. The teller behind the counter is obviously a little disturbed by something. She goes to talk to her colleagues. She believes that Manny is the man who held up the office with a gun a few weeks ago. When he leaves, he visits his mother briefly before heading home. In the mean time, the police have been called and they are waiting for him when he gets home.

Without allowing him to speak to Rose or the kids, they whisk him off to the 110th precinct where he is interrogated - they take him for a drive and ask him to enter a couple of locations so that witnesses can recognise him. The majority seem to think he is the man who held up their stores. One girl is not entirely convinced.
Back at the precinct, they ask Manny to write a note that is dictated to him - it's the note the hold-up man had given to the teller at the insurance company...

"THIS IS A GUN I HAVE POINTED AT YOU.
BE QUIET AND YOU WILL NOT BE HURT.
GIVE ME THE MONEY FROM THE CASH DRAW." (sic)

The detectives get Manny to write it out twice and on one occasion, he misspells the final word, just like the hold-up man. 'Draw' instead of 'Drawer'.

Meanwhile, Rose is at home panicking about where Manny could be.

The detectives take Manny's fingerprints after witnesses from the insurance office identify him as the criminal. They take his belongings (but allow him to keep his Roasary beads) and lock him up for the night. Manny's brother-in-law, Gene, has been making enquiries trying to find out information as to Manny's whereabouts and soon learns of the arrest.

The next morning, after a brief court appearance, Manny is taken to Long Island City prison but he is not there for long as Gene and Olga manage to provide the $7,500 for bail.
Rose arranges to meet Frank O'Connor, a solicitor. He says he will represent them but says that they will have to find evidence of their location during the dates on which the crimes were committed. One such date was July 9th the previous year, so Manny and Rose head to the hotel at which they were staying that month. They recall playing a card game with some other guests, but when they seek out these other holiday makers at their respective homes, it is discovered that they have both since died.
Rose begins to lose her mind at the fragility of their case. She begins to blame herself for the mess. She believes if she had been better with their economics, Manny would never have needed to ask about borrowing money on her life insurance. She thinks they should lock themselves in at home and hide from the outside world.
At one point, it gets all too much for her and she lashes out at Manny with her hairbrush. It strikes his head and then smashes the mirror on the dressing table.

Manny sends her to a psychiatrist who diagnoses her with mental problems caused by severe guilt complex. He advises putting her in an institution until she gets better.

The trial begins and the prosecution, Mr Tomasini, tries to paint Manny as a gambler trying hard to pay off debts.
O'connor forces the issue of mistaken identity.
Frustratingly, one of the jurors causes a scene and they have to call it a mistrial which means they have to start all over again but with a new jury.
The stress is getting to Manny who has been clutching his Rosary beads day-in, day-out. He prays for some sort of assistance from God...
That night, the real culprit tries to hold-up another store. He is apprehended and taken to the 110th precinct. Here one of the detectives sees the previous error and brings in the life insurance witnesses once more - again, they are convinced that they have picked the right man, but this time it is the right man.

The charges against Manny are dropped and he can return home. He visits Rose in the sanitarium, but she is still lost and distant. He hopes she will return to him some day soon...

Two years later, Rose Balestrero walked out of the sanitarium - - completely cured.
Today she lives happily in Florida with Manny and the two boys.. and what happened seems like a nightmare to them - - but it did happen.

The End.

Great Lines
The film dialogue tends to steer clear of witty dialogue, for obvious reasons, but Manny's children do add a realistic touch of light relief toward the beginning of the film whilst discussing Mozart at the piano:

Bob: "It says here that Mozart wrote it when he was 5. So I should be able to play it. I'm 8."

Greg: "I'm 5, so I should be able to write it!"

Later on, there's one line which is delivered perfectly by Manny to the 'right' man:

Manny: "Do you realise what you've done to my wife?"

It's so real and true. A lesser writer may have had Manny simply ask 'why?' or say something similarly selfish, but true to Manny's character, he thinks of others first, in this case, his wife.

Comments
The night Manny spends in the cell at the 110th precinct is shot beautifully, causing a very claustrophobic atmosphere within the cell. Also, when he is transferred to Long Island City Prison, we are subjected to the terrifying journey prisoners make as they adapt to their future, being lead through the barred corridors. The camera following Manny into his cell through the small oblong opening takes us deep within the psychological nightmare that jail provides.

My favourite shot is when Manny is praying before a painting of Jesus in the hope that divine intervention will take place, then we see the real villain heading to his next victim's store. For a few seconds, their faces overlap on the screen and we see the similarities... but also their differences.

What I find most interesting about this story is how the real victim here is Rose. Although Manny is the innocent man accused of a crime he did not commit, it is Rose whose life is torn apart the most - her beliefs are torn down, exposing her mind to the ravages of guilt and paranoia.

The final screenshot depicts the family reunited and walking down a street in Florida. A caption that tells us that Rose recovered is actually lying to us. According to sources, Rose never fully recovered and that, with hindsight, gives one a shiver down the spine.

My Verdict
A sombre film lacking in Hitchcock's trademark black humour, but one can expect that coming from a true story. Henry Fonda does a great job as Manny, but it is Vera Miles who steals the show as Rose. 7/10

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Title: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Year: 1956
Studio: Universal Pictures
Screenplay: John Michael Hayes
Source Material: The story by Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis
Running Time: 115 minutes

Sunday 29th May, 6:30am
I had every intention of doing this one yesterday, but I was in a very grumpy mood - one of those in which one finds oneself tiresomely pitying all aspects of one's own life. It's pathetic, it's true. Let's just say my biorhythms were all down or something. So, instead, I climbed into bed mid-afternoon and read for a bit, slept and cuddled the cat.
Waking early this morning, I felt much better and threw myself into it. For some reason, I always seem to forget how entertaining this film is until I watch it again...

Cast
Dr Ben McKenna - James Stewart
Jo McKenna - Doris Day
Lucy Drayton - Brenda De Banzie
Edward Drayton - Bernard Miles
Buchanan - Ralph Truman
Louis Bernard - Daniel Gélin
Ambassador - Mogens Wieth
Val Parnell - Alan Mowbray
Jan Peterson - Hillary Brooke
Hank McKenna - Christopher Olsen
Assassin - Reggie Nalder
Assistant manager - Richard Wattis
Woburn - Noel Willman
Helen Parnell - Alix Talton
Police Inspector - Yves Brainville
Cindy Fontaine - Carolyn Jones
Edna - Betty Bascomb
Chauffeur - Leo Gordon
Handyman - Patrick Aherne
Detective - Lewis Martin
Ambrose Chappell Jr -Richard Wordsworth
Ambrose Chappell Snr - George Howe

Synopsis
On a bus heading to Marrakech, an American couple are travelling with their son. They are Ben and Jo McKenna and their son is named Hank. Ben is a doctor and his wife used to be a singer whose career has been cut short due to the nature of Ben's work. Their marriage shows signs of strain frequently, but this holiday could help them out.
They are befriended by a Frenchman named Louis Bernard but Jo is suspicious of him as he asks too many questions.
That evening, at the hotel, they have Bernard for drinks in their suite before heading off for dinner. At one point a man arrives at the door. he has a scar on his right cheek. He asks for 'Montgomery' but soon passes on his way when informed he has the wrong room. Louis Bernard asks to make a call and then he asks for forgiveness as he has to cancel his plans with them for dinner, so they go off alone.

In a local restaurant, Jo and Ben meet an English couple - Edward and Lucy Drayton. Lucy recognised Jo from her singing years and the foursome enjoy a meal together. Jo notices Louis turn up at the restaurant with a female companion. Ben is outraged and is willing to give him an earful, but Jo stops him from making a scene.

The next day, the two couples visit the marketplace along with Hank (who is enthralled by it all). Jo confides to Ben that she'd like another child.
They are interrupted by havoc amongst the crowds. There is a big chase on foot and one man is stabbed in the back. The injured man staggers toward Ben and collapses in his arms. His dark skin smudges on Ben's fingers proving it is mere make up and he recognises Louis Bernard. As the Frenchman dies, he whispers in Ben's ear...

"A man, a statesman, he is to be killed... assassinated... in London. Soon. Very soon. Tell them in London. Ambrose Chappell..."

Ben and Jo have to go to the police station to give a statement - meanwhile Lucy Drayton takes Hank back to the hotel. Ben and Jo learn that Bernard worked for the Deuxieme Bureau, similar to MI5 or the FBI, and the cops are curious as to Ben's relationship with him. Whilst there, Ben is called to the phone - someone tells him not to repeat anything that Bernard told him or his son will be hurt.
Ben takes Jo back to the hotel only to find that both Edward and Lucy Drayton have gone and taken Hank with them. He sedates Jo and tries to figure what to do next.

The couple return to London where they speak to Inspector Buchanan from CID. They receive a call from the kidnappers and they get to speak to Hank, albeit briefly. Ben insists they handle this alone for fear of Hank's life. Buchanan advises against that, but understands their predicament.
At their hotel in London, they are bombarded with some local friends of Jo's and they try and put on a brave face.
After looking up 'Abrose Chappell' in the phone book, Ben goes off to meet him on his own. It turns out to be a false lead when he discovers a family run taxidermist shop. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, it occurs to Jo that it may have been a place, not a person - Ambrose chapel! She hurries off, leaving her friends and takes taxi to the chapel. From this location, she calls back to her hotel room from a phone booth - Ben has returned by this time and she tells him to join her.

Upstairs at the chapel, Edward is instructing the scarred man exactly when he is to assassinate the foreign Prime Minister - when the cymbals crash during Arthur Benjamin's Cantata 'Storm Cloud'. The assassin is armed and ready. He will have a box at the Albert hall in direct line of the intended victim.

Once Ben arrives at the chapel, they enter the chapel and join the congregation. Hank is being held upstairs by one of the Drayton's accomplices, Edna. Lucy spots Ben and Jo in the crowd and Jo slips out to call for the police. In his guise as a priest, Edward Drayton tells the congregation to leave for their homes for some private meditation - they do so quickly and obediently, leaving Ben behind. In a struggle, Ben gets clobbered and becomes unconscious.

Jo returns with some police officers only to find the chapel still, quiet and locked up - she does not understand where everyone has gone. She asks for the police to take her to the Albert Hall as that is where Buchanan is that evening.
Ben eventually wakes up, but not until the gang have fled with Hank.
He climbs up the rope into the bell tower and escapes through the roof, alerting everyone in the district with the cacophony.

Jo is at Albert Hall as the place begins to fill - she is looking for Buchanan but cannot find him. She sees the foreign prime Minister and also the scarred man she had seen at the hotel in Morocco. Piecing it together, she panics. As the orchestra play she watches helplessly as the assassin prepares. Ben, having called Buchanan's office, arrives at the Albert hall and desperately searches for the assassin. At the moment the gun is about to be fired, Jo screams her heart out, ruining the perfect shot and the Prime Minister is merely wounded in the arm. Ben crashes into the box with the assassin who flees only to fall to his death.

The Prime Minister is grateful to Jo and Ben, but they cannot bear to take the plaudits of heroism whilst their son is still missing.

Meanwhile, the Drayton's are being scolded by their 'employer', an ambassador at the foreign embassy. he tells them to dispose of young Hank so he can't talk. Lucy is horrified.

Ben and Jo get themselves invited to the embassy and she is asked to sing for the guests in attendance. As she plays at the piano and sings, she can hear Hank whistling back from somewhere upstairs. He is encouraged by a repentant Lucy Drayton.
Ben follows the sound of the whistle and breaks down the door. Lucy tells them to run but Edward is behind them with a gun, he takes them at gunpoint in order to use them to escape, but as they descend the stairs, Ben pushes Edward down the flight and his gun goes off, killing him. Jo, Ben and Hank are reunited and can return to the safety of their hotel at last.

THE END

Great Lines
Oh, Hank, you may be able to spell haemoglobin, but your knowledge of other cultures is less than satisfactory... but then, you are only a child.

Hank: "Do you eat snails?"
Louis: "When I'm lucky enough to get them."
Hank: "If you ever get hungry, our garden back home is full of snails."
Louis: "Thank you for the invitation."
Hank: "That's all right. We tried everything to get rid of them. We never thought of a Frenchman!"

As for Jo's friends, it's hard to know who should be more insulted when one remarks about Hank: "I hope he looks like you and has the doctor's brains!"

And finally, a wonderfully acerbic line from the ambassador to the inept kidnappers:
"Don't you realise that Americans dislike having their children stolen?"

One almost wishes he'd continue with "But the Brits; they LOVE it - they almost BEG for you to steal their kids!"

Comments
Doris Day is superb as Jo 'Conway' McKenna. For anyone who considers her to be saccharine in other forms should give this film a go. Her acting is superb and her rendition of Whatever Will Be, Will be (Que Sera, Sera) toward the end of the film is brilliant.
One does worry about the marriage between Ben and Jo. No wonder it is so strained when he thinks it's OK to liberally hand out pills every time he has an obstacle to cross. "Now, before we row, let me sedate you so I can win..."

The Albert Hall scene has become famous in movie lore - with good reason. It's over ten minutes long with no dialogue and it's utterly gripping. Even though I have seen it a number of times, I still got chills.
Proof indeed that Hitchcock is the master.

One of my favourite Hitchcock touches in this film, however, is when Ben and Jo receive the phone call from Lucy Drayton and they get to speak to their son. The camera looks down upon them and we watch detached as we witness their panic and grief. we feel that lack of control, unable to assist. It's a surreal moment and played perfectly by Day and Stewart.

Another favourite is when Jo is at the Embassy singing, we follow the sound of her voice as it carries throughout the corridors, up the stairs and toward the locked door, behind which Hank is held captive. Even though the music plays, it is eerie in it's sombre tone. As odd as this may sound, you can hear the silence under the music.

My Verdict
I gave the first version 7/10 and I was thinking of giving this 8, but really, it deserves a 9/10.