The Man Who Knew Too Much

Title: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Year: 1934
Studio: Gaumont-British Picture corporation Ltd
Screenplay: Charles Bennett, D.B. Wyndham-Lewis, Edwin Greenwood,A.R. Rawlinson & Emlyn Williams.
Source Material: Although an original screenplay, the title was acquired from a collection of stories by G.K. Chesterton.
Running Time: 72 minutes
A black & white picture

Thursday 23rd September, 2:30pm
I thought, seeing as I am taking some annual leave this week and I'll be away for the majority of the weekend visiting friends, I ought to plunge into the next movie whilst I have the time. I spent this morning making a delicious dark fruit cake which is cooling on a wire rack beside me as I type. It smells wonderful, even if I say so myself. It is near impossible to buy decent cakes in stores today - everything tastes so artificial - so it is always best to make one's own.
So, as the cake began its cooling down period, I positioned myself on the settee wearing my new running shoes - gosh, they do look smart, I am sure they'll look even better when I am doing exercise - and watched The Man Who Knew Too Much...
This is where Hitchcock really gets into his stride.

Cast
Bob Lawrence - Leslie Banks
Jill Lawrence - Edna Best
Abott - Peter Lorre
Ramon - Frank Vosper
Clive - Hugh Wakefield
Betty Lawrence - Nova Pilbeam
Louis Bernard - Pierre Fresnay
Nurse Agnes - Cicely Oates
Binstead - D.A. Clarke Smith
Gibson - George Curzon

Synopsis
During a family holiday in St Moritz, Switzerland, The Lawrence family befriend a skier named Louis Bernard. Little do they know he is a member of Special Services. they are all staying at the same hotel where they are enjoying a variety of winter sports. Also at the hotel are some gentlemen - Abbott and Vosper -with whom they get on amiably.
However, one night whilst dancing after dinner, Bernard is shot - with his dying breaths, he tells Jill a cryptic message and the family are plunged into a deadly conspiracy. Louis' message leads Bill to the dead man's hotel room where he finds a note hidden within the handle of a shaving brush. It has a symbol at the top that looks like a rising sun and the note reads:

WAPPING. G. BARBOR MAKE CONTACT A. HALL MARCH 21ST

The police are called in and everyone is being questioned about the events including Jill and Bob Lawrence who later receive an anonymous note which reads:

Say nothing of what you found or you will never see your child again.

Jill faints at this and Bill manages to tear away the note and burns it in the fireplace before the authorities can see it.
They return to England without their daughter and the police are already on the trail, although Bob refuses to admit his daughter, Betty, has been kidnapped.
Bob decides he is going to take matters into his own hands, despite an attempted intervention by a man named Gibson from the consulate.
Bob and his friend Clive follow the clues themselves and come across George Barbor's Dentistry. When inside, Bob manages to overpower the crooked dentist and poses as the professional so he can overhear details from the rest of the gang.
He and Clive then discover the Tabernacle of the Sun whose emblem matches the one on the note found in Louis' shaving brush. Inside the chapel, they are discovered by the gang of crooks and a fight breaks out with chairs being flung.
Clive gets away and is able to telephone Jill and warn her about the assassination at the Royal Albert Hall. Bob, however, is held captive.
The plan is for Ramon to shoot Ropa, the foreign statesman, at a specific point during a concert - at a point where the music is loud enough to cover the sound of a gunshot.
Jill arrives and Ramon palms her the brooch that Betty had been wearing. During the concert, Jill is petrified and she sees Ramon hiding in one of the boxes and when the moment comes, she screams. This is enough for him to miss his target slightly - only he is not aware of the fact until he returns to the gang's hideout and they hear the news on the radio.
Thanks to quick thinking from Jill, the police are hot on the heels of Ramon and soon have the hideout surrounded (with Betty and Bob still held captive inside). There is a phenomenal shoot-out and many lives are lost on both side. Bob helps Betty escape through a window leading to the roof, but he is wounded by one of Ramon's shots. Ramon then follows Betty out onto the rooftop. A crowd has formed below and no one dares to fire in case they hit Betty instead of Ramon - however, Jill grabs a rifle and uses her own skills to perfect use and protects her daughter with one perfect shot. Ramon plunges to the street below.
The police storm the building. Everyone is fatally wounded except for Bob and Abbott who is hiding behind a door. However, his pocket-watch gives his position away and he is killed. The Lawrence family are finally reunited and the drama is over.
The End.

Great Lines
Gibson's reasoning to Bob's unwillingness to co-operate due to his daughter's involvement is perfect:

Bob Lawrence: "...it's her (Betty's) life against this fellow Ropa's. Why should we care if some foreign statesman we've never even heard of were assassinated?"

Gibson: "Tell me, in June 1914, had you ever heard of a place called Sarajevo? Course you hadn't. I doubt you'd even heard of the Arch Duke Ferdinand. But in a months time, because a man you'd never heard of killed another man you'd never heard of in a place you'd never heard of, this country was at war!"

Comments
Hitchcock must have liked jigsaws. He once told of how he came to make this film. He wanted to do a picture that involved winter sports, the East End of London, a chapel and the Albert Hall. All he had to do was build a story with those pieces. Well, it worked. It certainly makes a complete picture.

My main concern about this film is, ironically, a lack of concern - from Leslie Banks' character. Here he is, returning to London after a horrible ending to a family holiday sans child and he broaches the subject with all the dour demeanour of a vaudeville comedian. There doesn't seem to be the slightest ounce of desperation (unlike Jimmy Stewart's portrayal in the remake). Don't get me wrong, I think there are some superb performances here, particularly from Nova Pilbeam, Peter Lorre and Edna Best, but Leslie is too cavalier about the whole thing - and frankly, I blame Hitch - love him as I do. I think his love of black comedy is slightly misplaced when it is concerning the abduction of a child.
Other placements of comedy work well, during the (slightly ludicrous) chair-fight scene (the chairs were made of balsa wood) one of the female members of the gang plays at the organ so no one could hear the noises from outside. That's very Hitchcock!

Two films ago, I mentioned how I liked Hitch's way of blurring the screen when seeing something from the viewpoint of someone crying - he did it in Rich and Strange and he does it again here when Jill is at the Albert Hall anticipating the crescendo and worrying about her daughter. It's a very effective technique.

I do love the threads which weave their way through the narrative and actually pay off at the end. Little things like the brooch Betty receives from her mother at the beginning eventually becomes a symbol of her capture and the hold the captors have over Jill. The chiming of Abbott's watch signals his presence three times, innocently initially, but then ominously midway through the movie and tragically (for him) at the denouement.
Finally, the clay-pigeon shooting match at the start is not merely a scene for witty banter and mock rivalry, it foreshadows the ironic death of Ramon who is shot down from the rooftop by expert-shot Jill.

Although the film is expertly constructed on many levels, I find the big shoot-out scene goes on for just a minute or two too long. Maybe it's my 21st century brain demanding something pacier...

My Verdict
I shan't deny it. I am much more fond of Hitchcock's own remake in 1956, but this has a lot going for it too. I don't think it's as perfect as other critics make out.
7/10

Waltzes From Vienna

Title: Waltzes From Vienna
Year: 1933
Studio: Gaumont-British Picture corporation Ltd
Screenplay: Guy Bolton and Alma Reville
Source Material: Based on the play 'Walzerkrieg' by Heinz Reichhart, Dr AM Wilmer and Ernest Marischka
Running Time: 76 minutes
A black & white picture

Saturday 18th September, 1:45pm
After spending the majority of the week with a ghastly cold, I was hoping to feel better by the weekend. However, it is Saturday and I am still a bit snuffly. Not as bad as I was, for sure, but the Kleenex is still being used for its ultimate purpose. Frustratingly, I have a bit of freelance work to attend to as well, but I'd rather wait until I can focus properly - maybe tomorrow. Watching a Hitchcock film for me is an easy task, so I shifted it to the top of my to-do list, even though it should not be priority.

It is also important that I make note of a film entitled Lord Camber's Ladies which was to be directed by Hitchcock prior to this film - however, he gave up the reins to Benn Levy with whom he soon fell out with. This film is not considered to part of the official Hitchcock Canon.

The Cast
Jessie Matthews
Edmund Gwenn
Fay Compton
Esmond Knight
Frank Vosper
Robert Hale
Charles Heslop
Hindle Edgar
Marcus Barron
Betty Huntley Wright

Synopsis
A fire breaks out at a restaurant in Vienna and the fire brigade are on their way. The patrons and staff seem rather unperturbed by these events and merely take the tables and food outside into the street to continue as if nothing was happening. Upstairs, the restaurant owner's daughter, Rasi (Jessie Matthews), is singing with her beau, Johann Strauss the younger (Esmond Knight). She is rescued by one of her colleagues and the fire is put out with very little damage to the store or building. In the wake of the drama, Countess Helga von Stahl (Fay Compton) meets up with the young Strauss and decides to collaborate with him - her lyrics with his music.
The Countesses husband, the Prince (Frank Vosper), is a rather tense fellow but offers to assist with their collaboration as he is not fond of Johann's father.

The young Strauss gets a job at Rasi's father's bakery and whilst in the cookhouse, he is inspired to complete his composition after hearing the variety of rhythms as the bakers work.
Rasi becomes jealous of Johann's relationship with the countess and is adamant that she will leave him if he attends the music festival - however, it turns out that her father's bakery is providing the catering, so they all have to go anyway.

Strauss senior is not supportive of his son and refuses to believe he has any talent at all. So it is with subterfuge that the Countess and Strauss' manager, Anton Drexter (Marcus Barron), arrange for the younger Strauss to get his moment of glory at the festival.

The grand moment occurs just in time for the crowd to be wowed by this young composer's masterpiece. His father turns up toward the end and is aghast.

Poor Rasi and the Prince are equally distressed but for different reasons. Rasi believes her boyfriend will leave her to pursue his music career and the Prince believes his wife is having an affair with Strauss. The Prince races to the location where he believes Strauss and the Countess are meeting. Luckily, Rasi arrives beforehand, the Countess escapes out of the back window and the Prince merely finds Strauss and Rasi. Realising he was wrong, the Prince is forced to see sense.

The elder Strauss concedes also and is ready to admit his son's talents.

Great Lines
The young Strauss and Rasi are caught kissing by her father, he is not impressed:

Rasi's Father: "Look here, I won't have this. Why, your mother wouldn't allow me to kiss her until six months after we married!"

Rasi: "Now I know why you were over fifty when I was born!"

Comments
A comedic musical biopic, eh? Not the sort of thing one thinks of when the name 'Hitchcock' is bandied about. I say 'biopic', but I would suggest taking events depicted here with a pinch of salt as it's mainly played for entertainment value.
Alfred was curious about the project as he had a fascination with film and its soundtrack, especially in these early years of the talking picture. The process of editing a film is one thing, but to make edits with sound was a thrilling challenge for Hitch.
My favourite scene has to be when the Strauss Jnr is inspired by the rhythms of the work in the bakery and its machinery to complete On the Beautiful Blue Danube.

Although not everybody's cup of tea, I am rather fond of Edmund Gwenn, the Welsh actor with a long and steady career. Hitch would use him again in Foreign Correspondent and The Trouble With Harry and had already used him in The Skin Game.
Jessie Matthews was a big star in Britain during the Thirties. If you ever get the opportunity, check out a glorious little thriller she starred in named Friday the Thirteenth also from 1933. No, nothing to do with Camp Crystal Lake... it's a little gem of a movie in which a bus crashes on that fateful evening and then we turn back the clock to see the events which lead up to it and the lives of the passengers - some of whom won't live to see Saturday the Fourteenth! Anyway, I digress...
Why Esmond Knight doesn't get better billing is beyond me. Sure, he is not as famous as the main three stars, but his role is the central character and the actor played the part in the stage play - I think he deserves more credit!

My Verdict
Quite a cheerful and entertaining film with some lovely, lyrical dialogue. Perfect Saturday afternoon viewing without being too taxing to the little grey cells.
5/10

Rich and Strange

Title: Rich and Strange
Year: 1932 (Although the onscreen date is 1931, it was released in 1932)
Studio: British International Pictures Ltd
Screenplay: Alma Reville, Val Valentine & Alfred Hitchcock
Source Material: A book by Dale Collins
Running Time: 80 minutes
A black & white picture.

Sunday 12th September, 8:30am
It's my cat's birthday today! Sweet little Fizzgig is 10 years old today. Bless her heart! I'm beginning to get a bit worried now, because, through word of mouth, more and more people are hearing that I am doing this blog. I don't see much evidence of anyone actually reading it, but I am growing concerned as people may be expecting some high-calibre literary critique of film technique - oh my, they will be sorely disappointed. It's ironic that I enjoy writing these blogs with the notion that no one is actually reading them. It makes one wonder what the point is. However, I enjoy the task in hand and shall continue for as long as it makes me happy. Why not, eh?

The Cast
Henry Kendall - Fred Hill
Joan Barry - Emily Hill
Percy Marmont - Commander Gordon
Betty Amann - The Princess
Elsie Randolph - The Old Maid

Synopsis
Doth suffer a sea change
Into something rich and strange
The Tempest.

Fred and Emily Hill are a nice young couple who have grown weary of their safe little existence. Luckily, Fred comes into some inheritance early and they set off on an adventure, seeing the world.
On the first leg of their journey, Fred discovers he is susceptible to sea-sickness and spends a lot of time in his bed. This pushes Emily towards other guests and she strikes up a friendship with Commander Gordon who does not believe she is treated properly by her husband.
They also meet an old maid who is quite needy and desperate for attention - her persistence is comical but tiring for everyone else.
Later, after being hit in the face by a flying quoit, Fred makes the acquaintance of a supposed Princess with whom he becomes rather enamoured.
These new friendships begin to tear our protagonists apart. By the time they reach Singapore, they are practically separated. It is only when Emily learns from Gordon how the Princess is actually an adventuress who cons people out of their money, that Emily seeks Fred out and tells him the truth. The Princess absconds with one thousand pounds and the two are back together, albeit penniless. They manage to get passage on cheap steamer in an effort to get home. However, one night, the steamer has an accident and the ship begins to sink. They are resigned to their fate as they are trapped in their cabin - however, they awake the following morning to see that they are still afloat. They clamber out of their porthole and scour the decks for fresh clothes and something to eat and drink. They discover the ship's cat still alive. They see a Chinese Junk ship arrive and the crew loot the sinking ship just moments before it disappears beneath the water for ever. Emily and Fred (and the cat) climb aboard the Junk and are taken back home - Fred realises that he can reclaim the money stolen by the Princess along with the clothes lost on the ship all in one insurance claim. The couple of bemused and bamboozled by the Chinese crew in their rather different ways but eventually they are brought home safely.
Upon their return to wet England, it is not long before Fred and Emily are bickering again. This time about moving house to accommodate the baby they plan to have.


Great Lines
Coming out of the Folie Bergere...
Emily: "Somebody just pinched me!"
Fred: "Where?"
Emily: "You know where!"

Arriving at Port Said...
Emily: "To think that that place has been there all these years - all those strange people having babies, dying, cooking their funny meals - strange - been there all these years..."
Fred: "Well you don't think they built it especially for us overnight, do you?"

On the sinking ship...
Emily: "Do you think it matters if I use the Gentlemen's (toilet)?"
Fred: "Yes, go on, there's no sense in being suburban."

Comments
This was to be Hitch's last project with British International Pictures and it did not fare too well at the box office.
Rumour has it that not only was it based on Dale Collins' novel, but Hitch, in his adaptation, inserted elements of his own honeymoon with Alma, making it slightly autobiographical.
A few things stand out for me:
The opening sequence where Fred is leaving work highlighting the busy nature of our lives and the perils of peak hour on public transport.
The Old Maid and her quest for purchasing a carpet - especially the way she 'tries it out'.
The sinking of the ship at the end - beautifully realised with the sets and the tank.

Although very black comedy (which I tend to like) I still feel perturbed by the fate of the poor cat - saved from a sinking ship, only top end up as dinner. Yeah, I'm a cat lover...

A couple of other nice touches include when Fred is sea-sick, he cannot focus on the food menu and the words swim off the page toward him.
Also, when Emily is reading the 'Dear John' letter from Gordon, her eyes brim with tears and she is unable to see the note properly before her, so we see it blurred.

My Verdict
This is another film of Hitchcock's which is derided by other critics. I don't think it's that bad. There may be very little plot but I do find the whole thing rather endearing, if slightly bonkers. I'll give it a safe 5/10 for fear of academics mocking me.

Number Seventeen

Title: Number Seventeen
Year: 1932
Studio: British International Pictures Ltd
Screenplay: Alma Reville, Alfred Hitchock & Rodney Ackland
Source Material: A novel and play by J. Jefferson Farjeon
Running Time: 61 minutes
A black & white picture.

Sunday 5th September, 1:50pm
Call me a lazy-arsed git if you so please, but I decided to have another long weekend this weekend. I was having a rough day on Friday and I went and asked my boss if I could take Monday off and, happily, she agreed.
Yes, sure, i could be doing something more productive with my days off, but I have thoroughly enjoyed stretching out on the couch under a quilt and watching a number of DVDs - mainly old episodes of Roseanne and The Avengers.
However, I did not want to put my Hitchcock Project to one side and I put on this short little film. I have had a soft spot for it for some years now, but due to the nature of this time-consuming task, I also sought out some other reviews. Well, it appears that I must be a brick-chewing moron as I seem to be alone in the appreciation of this movie. Most reviewers are almost spitting fire over it. What am I missing, I wonder?

The Cast
Leon M. Lion - Ben
Anne Grey - Nora
John Stuart - Detective
Donald Calthrop - Brant
Barry Jones - Henry Doyle
Ann Casson - Rose Ackroyd
Henry Caine - Mr Ackroyd
Garry Marsh - Sheldrake

Synopsis
Number Seventeen is up for sale. As it stands uninhabited, it has become a place for crooks to make their getaway as there is a trapdoor leading to the underground railway. A body lies within the house and a tramp named Ben stumbles upon it.
Slowly, more and more people enter the house, a young gentlemen, a girl looking for her father and a suspicious group of people (including a mute woman) who claim to be prospective buyers. Nobody trusts anyone else and soon chaos begins to break out with a few scenes of fisticuffs. It is apparent that somebody has left a valuable necklace on the premises and the crooks are attempting to take it and leave for the continent. Rose and the detective make an improbable team helped/hindered occasionally by Ben, the clueless tramp. Luckily for them all, Nora is not a deaf mute as the criminals surmise, and its her betrayal to her employees that assists our heroes to escape their bondage and get free.
Toward the end, the criminals are making their getaway on the train heading for the coast and the ferry. During a fight and a showdown, the train loses its drivers and the vehicle is charging out of control. The train smashes into the ferry and tumbles into the water. The Detective dives in to save Nora and Ben had the foresight and audacity to preserve the stolen necklace by wearing it around his neck.

Great Lines
Admittedly, there aren't that many great lines, but Ben the tramp has a few funny moments, usually surrounding the sausage in his pocket (no, this is not a Carry on film).
His curiosity upon finding the gun for the first time highlights the characters utter stupidity when he points it at his own face and says "I wonder if it's loaded!" which puts me in mind of Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd.

I also love the moment when Rose is hanging from the banister. She awakes from her unconscious state, gleefully stating "Ooh, I fainted!" before looking down at the drop below her and immediately fainting again. Cute.

Comments
OK, so it is not the greatest Hitchcock film of all time, but I certainly do not think it is the worst.
The original novel and play were much more in the vein of a standard thriller but Hitch did attempt to lighten it and give it a comical edge. Frankly, I can see why, for it needs comedy to elevate it from the convoluted mire that the plot envelops. The whole thing makes very little sense, but Hitch plays with it like a cat with a semi-conscious vole, purely for our entertainment.
I have often said in the past that great thrillers need staircases, shadows and railways. This film has all three in abundance, but sadly, having all the correct ingredients does not necessarily mean you get the perfect dish. Hitch's love of shadows is taken to a new level. I recall seeing this the first time on a crappy VHS copy and it was so dark, I might as well have been listening to a Radio version. However, the DVD quality has alleviated all unnecessary squinty faces in the audience.
The final chase at the climax is a frantic yet exciting race against time as the train heads towards its doom and the bus, commandeered by the detective, speeds alongside through a 'model' countryside. I loved the incongruous nature of the bus passenger screaming as it belts down the road and they pass a sign saying "STOP HERE FOR DAINTY TEAS!". The actual crash at the end is wonderfully dramatic and should be applauded.

My Verdict
I shan't be as cruel as those academic critics who slate this movie as a turkey. At most it's a peahen. No, I can't explain that metaphor.
It's a short, fun and slightly barmy film and I like its crazy energy. Not a masterpiece but a lark all the same. 4/10 (Others give it 2 or less.)

The Skin Game

Title: The Skin Game
Year: 1931
Studio: British International Pictures Ltd.
Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock & Alma Reville
Source Material: A play by John Glasworthy
Running Time: 79 minutes
A black & white picture

Saturday 28th August, 930am/Sunday 29th August, 3:30pm
Another lazy weekend but despite the lack of things to do, I was unable to settle down to doing one thing at a time - hence the split viewing of this film. I began with great intentions on Saturday morning, but within half an hour (and after a great scene) I just had to postpone the rest of the film until later as I was itching to do something else - I ended up doing laundry.
Sunday afternoon, I threw myself back into the job.
I may be a slob, having not even dressed today, but I'm a content slob. Now that I am not detailing every single minute of each film, I am able to munch down ona jam sandwich whilst watching. Hoorah for afternoon teatime.

The cast
Mr Hillcrist - C.V. France
Mrs Hillcrist - Helen Haye
Jill - Jill Esmond
Mr Hornblower - Edmund Gwenn
Charles - John Longden
Chloe - Phyllis Konstam
Rolf - Frank Lawton
Mr Jackman - Herbert Ross
Mrs Jackman - Dora Gregory
Dawker - Edward Chapman
First Stranger - R.E. Jeffrey
Second Stranger - George Bancroft
Auctioneer - Ronald Frankau

Synopsis
The Hillcrists were once owners of a lot of land and Mr Hillcrist is still considered 'Squire'. However, Mr Hornblower is a forward-thinking industrialist and he has bought a lot of the land to build on. However, it was understood that there were provisos and one of those was that the current tenants would not be evicted. Sadly, Mr Hornblower does not stick to these rules and attempts to evict the poor Jacksons who have lived there for over thirty years.
At an auction for property, there is a fierce battle between Hillcrist and Hornblower, albeit via their agents. Hillcrist does not win, but is pleased that Hornblower did not win - however, he is soon proved wrong when he learns that the winning bid was, indeed, from Hornblower's bidding agent.
Hornblower is a hardworking bully but news comes to the Hillcrists about something with which they can retaliate and gain a winning hand. They discover that Hornblower's daughter-in-law used to act as co-respondent in divorce cases. Chloe is distraught that her secret has come out and she does not want her husband finding out, especially now that she is pregnant with their first child.
Hornblower is aghast at the disgrace this news will bring him. He promises to sell the property back to the Hillcrists for a fraction of the price he paid as long as they swear on a Holy Bible never to breathe a word of it to anyone.
This is done, but Charlie, Chloe's husband is not impressed when he does find out and Chloe throws herself in a pond to save everyone from the shame her past has brought upon them. The two families are shocked and the remorse kicks in a reflective mood wherein the Hillcrists see what their narrow vision has brought and Mr Hornblower is reduced to his base emotions.

Great Lines
Mr Hornblower: "I'll answer to God for my actions, not you, young lady!"
Jill: "Poor God!"

and I genuinely laughed out loud when, at the denouement of the film, the poor Jacksons enter the home of the Hillcrists, all excited that they get their home back and Mr Hillcrist says;

"I'd forgotten their existence!"

Ah, peasants... so forgettable, despite their humdrum ways...

Comments
This film suffers as it hasn't had a very decent restoration - it seems a bit rough around the edges and although some scenes are clear, others have not fared well against the barrage of time.
There's a whole heap of class-wars going on with a lot of snubbing and intolerance, which is fascinating for the time and its parallels in today's society.

The auction scene is actually rather fast-paced and exciting as we cut back and forth between the various bids. The atmosphere is most electric.
Some other nice touches include a scene toward the end where Chloe is aware that her husband is due to arrive at the Hillcrist's home and she keeps glancing towards the door and Hitch gives a slight zoom emphasising the fearful anticipation she feels.
Also, the beautifully framed shot of the scene where the small crowd lift Chloe's body from the pond with the ominous house behind shedding its light through the open doorway is rather picturesque, albeit morbid. According to Hitchcock, there were ten takes of this shot - poor Chloe!
Prior to this, Jill's attempt to expose Chloe's hiding place is so dramatic, it reminds us of the story's theatrical origins.
The whole play is performed rather melodramatically and it is apparent that Hitch is not altogether thrilled as he films it.
It seems that with melodrama, the rule of thumb is to never look anyone in the eye, just look off to the distance instead. Matthew Fox did that a lot in Lost.

In modern times, it seems a little bizarre to have such a weight of burden upon a family if someone has such a sleight secret in their past, but we have to understand the contemporary nature of the story.
It is rather horrifying that the poor girl attempts to kill herself and her unborn child rather than live with the guilt of her past, but with a simple line, there is a seed of doubt as to her fate when Hillcrist states; "...what may be death..." so anyone who prefers a happy ending can believe poor Chloe just fainted and got her dress wet. Frankly, though - she's popped her clogs.

My Verdict
OK, despite a couple of nice moments and the splendid auction scene, this is all a bit dull.
3/10

Murder!

Title: Murder!
Year: 1930
Studio: British International Pictures Ltd
Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Mycroft & Alma Reville
Source Material: A play called 'Enter Sir John' by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson
Running Time: 98 minutes
A black & white picture

Sunday 22nd August, 9:00am
Goodness gracious! I had a late one last night. I didn't get to sleep until around 1am (and for me, that is very late - I'm an 'early to bed, early to rise' sort of person).
I had been out at a friend's birthday party - it was a strict dress-coded cocktail party and I went in a fabulous 1940s outfit which set my debt repayment scheme back a month, but it was worth it. I also met some new and interesting people. It's hard attending parties when 'on the wagon' and Red Bull is not a good substitute for alcohol. I was soon crooning along to the music thanks to the caffeine hit.
I left at midnight, but was unable to sleep when I got home, so I watched some TV and eventually drifted off about 1 o'clock. However, I still awoke around 5:30 due to nightmares about Australian Liberal leader Tony Abbott. Bloomin' elections.

So, after a brief sojourn to the supermarket, I settled on the settee with a bacon sandwich, a mug of tea and a small bowl of chocolate covered sultanas to act as provisions and I watched a small favourite of mine... and it's a good old fashioned 'whodunit?' - hooray.

Cast
Sir John Menier - Herbert Marshall
Diana Baring - Norah baring
Doucie Markham - Phyllis Konstam
Ted Markham - Edward Chapman
Gordon Druce - Miles Mander
Handel Fane - Esme Percy
Ion Stewart - Donald Calthrop
Prosecuting Counsel - Esme V Chaplin
Defending Counsel - Amy Brendan-Thomas
Judge - Joynson Powell
Bennett - S.J. Warmington
Miss Mitcham - Marie Wright
Mrs. Didsome - Hannah Jones
Mrs Grogram - Una O'Connor

Synopsis
A murder takes place one night. It appears that one actress has murdered another with a blow to the head with a poker. The play in which these two ladies were performing continues on with understudies - it's some terrible farce in which everyone appears to be chronically drunk.
The murder trial is brief. The defending counsel claims the perpetrator was in a fugue state and cannot be held responsible for her actions. After some deliberation, the jury decide she is guilty and she is sentenced to death by hanging.
Before the sentence is carried out, one of the jurors, Sir John Menier - a famous thespian - worries about their quick decision, he decides to investigate further to try and save the girl from the gallows.
With the help of a local married couple, Doucie and Ted Markham, Sir John finds clues leading to the identity of the true killer. He sets a trap, but the killer is merely perturbed rather than truly exposed, however he soon takes his own life in spectacular fashion.

Great Lines
There are a number of gems, particularly in the jury scene. From that, I choose this as my favourite.

Undecided Male Juror: (on his opinion of her innocence)"...she looks a perfectly ripping girl..."
More Discerning Male Juror: "I presume, sir, that an ugly woman would stand very little chance at your hand."

Also, as the rest of the jury gang up on Sir John, to every piece of evidence, they chime in; "Any answer to that, Sir John" in chorus.

In the boarding house where Sir John is staying, he is awoken by the landlady, her baby and a horde of children - one of whom has a small black kitten. The kitten makes its way under Sir John's bed-covers and the little girl shrieks at the top of her lungs:

"HE'S GOT MY PUSSY!"

*ahem*

Comments
Ooh, it has some lovely Hitchcock touches!
1. The opening scene of a late night murder - a scream echoing down a hamlet, a cat scurrying away, neighbours aroused by noise...
2. The wonderful transition between the curtain raising on the stage and the metal slide door/window opening on the cell of the accused actress and the sound of laughter and applause over her image in the cell.
3. The shadow of the gallows creeping its way up the cell wall as the time passes.
These are all beautifully framed to an inch of perfection thanks to Alfred's talent.

I also love the scene in which Sir John goes to talk to Diana in prison. We have some effective shots directed down the long table separating them, highlighting the isolation despite their close vicinity. We gradually get closer as the barriers are broken down through their dialogue.

The final scene where the true murderer takes his own life is pure Hitch through and through - the macabre set against a backdrop of entertainment and spectacle - foreshadowing touches he would play with again in The 39 Steps, Stage Fright and Strangers on a Train to name just a few.

It's also claimed that the scene in which Sir John is pondering the jury's decision whilst he is shaving is cinema's first use of voice over for an internal monologue!

The one grating moment in this film is the shocking revelation about our true murderer turning out to be... a half-caste *shock, horror*.
It just goes to show how far we have come in the last eighty years. Or have we?

Oh, and it may be nit-picking, but Herbert Marshall's impression of a woman to fool a witness is alarmingly bad and totally unconvincing - shame, really.

One final note, there is an alternative ending available in which we have a couple of extra scenes - they do not add much to the film so are not essential viewing.

My Verdict
I love the pace of this film, most of which is due to the source of the original play, I think. The Murder, the 'Twelve Angry Men (and women)' scene, the belated investigation, the trap and the finale; all play out in perfect timing.
Herbert Marshall carries the film exceedingly well, but praise must also go to the supporting cast.
The 'confession' is played out all-too conveniently, but I can overlook this as the excitement proceeding it is still at the fore-front of our minds.
7/10

Juno and the Paycock

Title: Juno and the Paycock
Year: 1930
Studio: British International Pictures Ltd
Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville
Source Material: Play by Sean O'Casey
Running Time: 94 minutes
A black & White picture.

Saturday 14th August, 8:30am
Originally, I had planned to have a screening on Hitch's birthday (yesterday) but I was a little tired after work and decided to stick to my normal plan of continuing my project during daylight hours. Thank goodness I did. I wouldn't have liked to sully Alfred's birthday with a mood created by the tedium of this film.
Over the past few months, it has occurred to me that it is an awful lot of effort transcribing the majority of the plot onto paper - pausing the DVD repeatedly and scribbling down each major point - just to type it up for (I'm guessing) no one to read, so I have decided to be much more brief with my story synopsis - it'll make it easier for me and also easier for any viewers of this blog (if any).

Cast
Captain John "Jack" Boyle - Edward Chapman
Mrs "Juno" Boyle - Sara Allgood
Johnny Boyle - John Laurie
Mary Boyle - Kathleen O'Regan
"Joxer Daly" - Sidney Morgan
Charles Bentham - John Longden
Mrs. Madigan - Maire O'Neil
Jerry Devine - Dave Morris

Synopsis
Jack Boyle and his friend Joxer return to the Boyle's home after a round at the pub and are greeted unexpectedly by Juno Boyle who gives them both an earful.
The Boyles have two children, Johnny, a man who lost his arm in the fight for Ireland and Mary, their daughter.
Jack is the sort of man who will avoid work at all costs but has a high and mighty air about him.
Their daughter turns up with a young solicitor, Charles Bentham, who announces that the Boyles are going to come into some money, thanks to a recent will.
This comes as great news to the family, but Johnny is dubious and a little resentful.
Mr and Mrs Doyle spend the money in advance by purchasing various pieces of furniture on credit and have a bit of a soiree around at their home where they all drink and have a jolly good sing-a-long.
Later, it is determined that there is a loop-hole in the legalities of the will and Charles makes a dash for it to England, leaving behind a pregnant and unmarried Mary.
Juno is appalled at these pieces of news. Bailiffs come and take away their furniture, leaving her with an empty home. Her son, Johnny, is taken away and shot for being a traitor to the republicans and everything they had is lost.
Cheery, eh?
(You can see why I couldn't be bothered writing this one up - life is too short!)

Great Lines
Juno gets some good lines, but my favourites were directed toward her husband as he feigns pains to escape further work:

"You can't climb a ladder, no, but you can skip like a goat into a bar..."
and
"...don't be acting like you couldn't pull the wing off a dead bee."

Comments
Oh, this film could have been so much shorter were it not for the curse of that bloomin' blarney stone.
There are some people whose hearts are warmed by the shenanigans of the grubby (often in an appallingly patronising way), but I am not one of those. I always want to fast-forward the scenes in My Fair Lady featuring Alfred Doolittle as I come over all 'Margo Leadbetter' and feel like putting down newspaper to protect the carpets. The same feeling came when I was watching Captain Jack Doyle parade about his home in a slovenly manner. Poor Juno, she should kick him out - the dirty bludger.
The party segment where they all sing songs is dreadfully tedious and does not progress the plot in any form at all.
The final performance from Sara Allgood is the most powerful thing in the film as she bemoans her lot and the juxtaposition of the sound of gunfire as Johnny gets shot over the image of a candle going out before a statue of Mary and Jesus is rather splendid.
I expect it is just the poor DVD edition I own, but the majority of the film is hard to watch as the tops of everyone's heads are cut off for long periods whenever they are stood up. *harrumph*

My Verdict
All the way through, I found myself thinking "I'd much rather I was watching the play!" I think the story and the dialogue have a place rooted firmly on 'the boards' and it just felt so incongruous and almost trivial on-screen.
3/10