|
Post by teleadm on Aug 13, 2019 7:32:26 GMT
One of the most discussed directors, right or wrong, was born 120 years ago in Leytonstone, Essex in England. One of the few directors that doesn't need a closer presentation. Though he's a director many might have mixed feelings about. A reminder of some of his movies: The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog 1927, starring June Tripp, Ivor Novello, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney and others The Man Who Knew Too Much 1934, starring Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Peter Lorre, Frank Vosper and others The 39 Steps 1935, starring Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle and others Sabotage 1936, starring Sylvia Sidney, Oskar Homolka, Desmond Tester, John Loder and others The Lady Vanishes 1938, starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, May Whitty and others Rebecca 1940, starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson and others Foreign Correspondent 1940, starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders and others Suspicion 1941, starring Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce and others Shadow of a Doubt 1943, starring Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers and others Lifeboat 1944, starring Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak, William Bendix and others Spellbound 1945, starring Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll and others Notorious! 1946, starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern and others Rope 1948, starring James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Dick Hogan and others Strangers on a Train 1951, starring Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll and others Dial M for Murder 1954, starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams and others Rear Window 1954, starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter and others To Catch a Thief 1955, starring Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams and others The Wrong Man 1956, starring Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone and others Vertigo 1958, starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore and others North by Northwest 1959, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis and others Psycho 1960, starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and others The Birds 1963, starring Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and others Marnie 1964, starring Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Martin Gabel, Louise Latham and others Frenzy 1972, starring Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey and others Alfred Hitchock Presents TV-series between 1955 and 1962 in 268 episodes, Hitchcock himself directed 17 episodes. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour TV-series between 1962 and 1965 for 93 episodes, Hitchcock himself only directed 1 episode. Thanks for watching! Thoughts, ideas, oppinions, favorites, discussions and everything Alfred Hitchcock is very welcome!
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Aug 13, 2019 11:25:18 GMT
Some lesser known titles: Mr & Mrs Smith (1941), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In a familiar comedy of remarriage setup, lawyer Robert Montgomery discovers he is not legally married to wife Carole Lombard. In a more unusual variant, he finds this strangely exciting and decides not to tell her, at least for a while. We venture into sex comedy as he relishes the prospect of nights of passion with an unmarried woman -- still Carole Lombard -- while she, discovering the ploy, is much less happy about it. After a big bust up both try dating and sabotaging each other's love life, all with disastrous results until the inevitable reunion at the country lodge that the formula requires. They are still not married at the final fade-out... It's not bad, but not an outstanding example of the genre like The Awful Truth (1937) or The Philadelphia Story (1940). Hitchcock could use comedy and romance but the screwball romantic comedy was just not his type of film. He did it as a favor to his pal Lombard: "In a weak moment I accepted". I understand that. Could you refuse Carole Lombard anything? He said he simply shot it as written, but I suspect he added the little sexual innuendos: Montgomery fondling the tip of the champagne bottle, Lombard in willing bondage to her skis. The leads are obviously very strong. I never noticed Gene Raymond before but he does a funny routine as a gentlemanly drunk on a big date. The story does give us points to ponder: the differences between romance and marriage, how time changes things, and how it doesn't. Photographed by Harry Stradling Sr. Very light score. Available on DVD.
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Aug 13, 2019 11:26:40 GMT
I Confess (1953), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. My wife asked "What was that one with Montgomery Clift as a priest...?" I might not have gotten this down for while otherwise, but it plays better than I remember, even if not completely satisfactory. The strongest feature is Clift's wonderful performance as the wrongfully accused priest who cannot defend himself. This despite Hitchcock's frustration with the Method acting. It works well here. Karl Malden is a dependable rock as a police detective who knows when something is not quite right. Anne Baxter was brought in at the last minute. This is a strangely structured film for Hitchcock. We have the innocent man falsely accused, but his conscience renders him passive and defenseless. He must suffer silently and is saved by a twist of "luck". Other problems: it is humorless and plot heavy with too much of the story told in flashbacks. The villain is not much of a character and, like the hero, doesn't do much. Of course, suffering for the sins of others is a Christian theme, and you can see it played out by a priest in another recent film: Calvary (2014) with Brendan Gleeson. The Truffaut interviews have a long section on this title. Hitchcock admits the humorlessness is a problem and says it shouldn't have been made because non-Catholic audiences simply couldn't accept the priest being bound by the seal of the confessional. Like Hitchcock, the murderer's wife is named "Alma". Banned in Ireland: a priest can't have romantic relations with a woman, even if it did happen in his earlier life. Dimitri Tiomkin score, overly dramatic. Filmed in Quebec.
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Aug 13, 2019 11:35:10 GMT
Young and Innocent (1937), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. First reviewMurder suspect escapes custody and pursues the real killer while on the run from the police. The chief inspector's daughter gives him a lift in her trusty Morris (what model?), later tragically lost in a mine disaster. Well, she's young but he's innocent. Overshadowed by The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), both films more elaborate and expensive-looking, I would put this comedic romance/thriller next in line for Hitchcock's films from the 1930s. The double chase is his favorite plot. The movie would be helped by a bit more star power from the young leads, but they are personable enough. Adapted from a Josephine Tey novel but I recall little resemblance between the book and movie. That is typical of Hitchcock: he would be intrigued by a scene or situation and from that take off in new directions. A famous scene has a long pan and zoom across a ballroom into an extreme closeup of musician's face. The entire band is in blackface. I know that in the UK jazz bands from that period appeared in blackface, but I'm not sure why. It's not a minstrel show and the musicians are not doing any sort of racial acting. Perhaps it was just a tradition: jazz = American black music = let's dress up. My DVD is an ancient Laserlight edition and is pretty soft. Keeping track of early Hitchcock on DVD is a huge task; the Hitchcock Wiki is the place to start. Tons of photos and other useful information. Second reviewSometimes brief images affect you so deeply. In this case a fading glimpse of the English countryside between the wars, when young people were no longer damaged by the previous one, and the looming prospect of another world war could still be ignored. A time in film when Boys and Girls Own Adventures could be fun and exciting, when the police inspector's daughter could pick up a charming fugitive and -- tooling her trusty crank-started 1923 Morris Cowley Bullnose down narrow but always sunny country lanes -- seek out the real murderer and clear the young man's name. Aka Girl Was Young, which is true: Nova Pilbeam was only 18 and still got the above the title credit. She had the child role in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) just a few years earlier: We see a train... wait, that's a model train! It goes into a model town, and that's a model car, with model people inside it! Cut to our young people. From a Josephine Tey novel, but as is often the case, Hitchcock used his own plot. We have the old double-chase, with the police pursuing an innocent man who is after the real killer. And is our young hero just slightly guilty? He knew the victim, not intimately he claims. So why is he in her will? My thumbnails are from a region B Blu-ray from Network/ITV in the UK. You can see a lot of print damage in the form of vertical streaks, but it is still a decent presentation of the film, a big upgrade over the rather sad DVD versions I had in the past. With English subtitles.
|
|
|
Post by wmcclain on Aug 13, 2019 11:40:39 GMT
Saboteur (1942), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. After arson and murder at an aircraft plant, our hero, chased by the police, chases a nest of spies in a wild cross-country pursuit from LA to NY. He falls in love while in handcuffs and, miraculously, she sticks with him! Can nazis climb on the Statue of Liberty? Think again, buddy. Actually, "nazis" are not mentioned in the story, just generic "totalitarians". The character of the villains is the oddest part of this tale: we are used to rich, suave baddies, but these guys sing ballads on the road and reminisce about the long golden curls they had as children. The pace bogs down when they are all together and talk on and on. The good folks are a mixed bag: a gossipy neighbor, a ghoulish truck driver who wants to see accidents, and even our hero who uses an infant as a human shield! But we get decency from the blind man and (some of) the circus performers. This extra-patriotic jam-packed thriller is somewhere between The 39 Steps (1935) and North by Northwest (1959). It's rich with travelogue and strange situations, and the timing of barely missed disasters is strong throughout. We get 20 seconds of Hitchcock's only Western. A great sequence is the hunt and shootout in the movie theater, where the alignment of fiction and reality must have tickled the audience. Also note the nice turning camera as our lovers spin on the dance floor, trapped in a public place. Billy Curtis, last seen in High Plains Drifter (1973), is a comically nasty circus dwarf. Hitchcock was often very self-critical and although not ashamed of this film -- it was big hit -- in the Truffaut interviews he talked about the problems with it: - Bob Cummings is a light comic actor. The audience needs a star of major stature before they are involved with his predicament. (Elsewhere I've read he wanted but couldn't afford Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. I wonder if that would have been a good idea -- wouldn't Stanwyck have slapped the nazis around and made them cry like little girls?)
- Priscilla Lane (top billing!) was dropped on him and he thought she was all wrong for one of his pictures. (I think she has a sweet, girl-next-door persona. Not a lot of spice, but this is "innocent and naive Americans" vs "crafty fifth columnists").
- The head villain is too conventional.
- The audience's anguish would have been greater if it had been the hero hanging by a thread at the end. (Truffaut said the terror worked anyway).
- Too much clutter, too much ground covered. (Truffaut: nothing wrong with that).
- It should have been edited more tightly, but it's hard to find writers who can do that.
Available on Blu-ray with a fine image.
|
|
|
Post by bravomailer on Aug 13, 2019 13:58:16 GMT
|
|
|
Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 13, 2019 14:44:20 GMT
The Hitchcock films I don't LOVE, I like ! Can't say that about any other director's body of work.
|
|
|
Post by vegalyra on Aug 13, 2019 15:07:09 GMT
Great director, I haven't seen a film of his I didn't like. My favorites though seem to fall in the 1950's period though. It's probably has to do partially with Stewart and Grant being two of my favorite actors, but the stories are extremely compelling.
|
|
|
Post by politicidal on Aug 13, 2019 16:42:23 GMT
A complete godsend.
|
|
|
Post by Feologild Oakes on Aug 13, 2019 20:45:38 GMT
I could say he is the worst director in history..................but that would be a lie.
|
|
|
Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 13, 2019 21:10:25 GMT
Just watching for the cameo appearances is great fun.
My favorite of them all is in Lifeboat !
|
|
|
Post by marianne48 on Aug 14, 2019 1:43:21 GMT
|
|
|
Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 14, 2019 2:13:39 GMT
Just spent a very short hour with Hitchcock on the Dick Cavett Show ..what a character ! He mentioned the Lifeboat cameo as a favorite of HIS too ! Told several funny stories and gave insight to the making of his pictures. Great timing for showing the program.
|
|
|
Post by Stammerhead on Aug 14, 2019 21:36:21 GMT
If you are ever in London and happen to find yourself near Leytonstone pay the Underground station a visit. If you canβt make it someone put this video onto YouTube.
|
|
|
Post by teleadm on Aug 16, 2019 17:57:12 GMT
If you are ever in London and happen to find yourself near Leytonstone pay the Underground station a visit. If you canβt make it someone put this video onto YouTube. That was actually amazing, and a fantastic idea to salute someone who was born there and became world famous, a place were many pass through every day (hopefully). Proves that puplic art doesn't have to be boring. Again what a great idea, for all other cities around the world, even if they don't have underground stations, but to think different.
|
|
|
Post by divtal on Aug 16, 2019 21:49:33 GMT
Thank you, Stammerhead. I was in London during Christmas week, last December. Had I known of this underground station, I'd have made a point to visit. Next visit, for sure. I wasn't even aware of that station ... and, for a Yank, I used to play a mean game of "Mornington Crescent." And, thank you, Teleadm. It's always a good day, when you are reminded of any retrospective on Hitch.
|
|
|
Post by nutsberryfarm π on Aug 17, 2019 5:25:19 GMT
just watched I Confess, pretty good, witty.
|
|
biker1
Junior Member
@biker1
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 744
|
Post by biker1 on Aug 17, 2019 9:33:11 GMT
A few of his lesser regarded movies, namely the paradine case, stage fright, i confess, family plot tend to be unfairly overlooked or dismissed, if only because they are overshadowed by the master's best work. The only Hitchcock I find 'disappointing' are jamaica inn and torn curtain, but those others I cited are accomplished enough for my liking.
current top 10..it changes every couple of years. vertigo marnie psycho shadow of a doubt rebecca lifeboat the wrong man dial m for murder rope sabotage
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Aug 17, 2019 14:51:41 GMT
I think some of his less well regarded movies are among my favourites. I really like his comedies. He always displayed a sense of humour, regardless of genre.
|
|
|
Post by marshamae on Aug 17, 2019 18:40:03 GMT
I really enjoy Saboteur. Itβs got that very strange ride east with the conspirators singing Rachmaninoff and talking about the sonβs long curls. Itβs got the sabotage of the ship and the climbing of the statue. It would have been a much better film with a stronger lead, maybe not Gary Cooper, but Dana Andrews? Joel Macrae? Joseph Cotton a little old. I like Pricilla Lane but two such light actors in the leads was nearly fatal. The villains were great, a nice mix of obvious baddies , sociopaths, and surprisingly ordinary types like the society ladies. And who could forget the circus freaks?
|
|