In Alfred Hitchcock's world, theatres are where danger stalks the wings, character are not what they seem and that "final curtain" can drop any second. Read more
| Starring | Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd |
|---|---|
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Genres | Thriller |
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In Alfred Hitchcock's world, theatres are where danger stalks the wings, character are not what they seem and that "final curtain" can drop any second.
| Starring | Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd |
|---|---|
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English, Italian |
| Subtitles | DVD: English, French, Arabic, Dutch, Bulgarian |
| Released | DVD: 08 Nov 2004 Production year: 1950 |
| Format | DVD |
Creaky Hitchcock thriller in which you can see all the joins and the stars seem stuck in treacle; but a few of the set-pieces work well enough.
I am a big Hitchcock fan but do not remember having seen this before. I am now very glad I watched it. The film is shot in black and white, set in England and has a theatrical theme. There is a host of well known faces appearing. Apart from the obligatory Hitch cameo we have Alastair Sim, Miles Malleson, Joyce Grenfell, Alfie Bass and Ballard Berkeley who later appeared as the Major in Fawlty Towers and of course not forgetting Marlene Dietrich. The main stars along with Dietrich are Jane Wyman, Michael Wilding and Richard Todd.
There is an alleged flaw in the plot which I won't reveal here. You will have to watch the film to the end to get it.
The plot itself is a typical Hitchcock one involving a murder, a man on the run from the police and a blood spattered dress. Along the way there is plenty of comic relief before the (slightly) surprising ending. Well worth watching!
Not great Hitchcock, but bad either. Enjoyable more than compelling. The acting isn't very good--either Jane Wyman doesn't bring much to the role or Hitch doesn't let her--but the story is passable. And the scene at the fair is vintage Hitch: funny and tense at the same time. Don't watch the documentary in the special features section until you seen the move!