Alfred Hitchcock Collection - 13 Films

The best of 1930's Hitchcock

Many box sets of early Hitchcock often include several of his pre-sound movies-- there are none here. For completists and silent-era fans that's something to consider. Nonetheless, this is one terrific package of early Alfred. The made-in-UK titles here include Hitch's (and England's) first sound feature ("Blackmail," which was also released in silent format**) and his final British-based production ("Jamaica Inn," Maureen O'Hara's screen debut). Hitchcock's scripts were often drawn from the greatest writers of his day-- some stories here are based on works by Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, Daphne Du Maurier and Sean O'Casey.

Peter Lorre acted in a few of Hitchcock's movies. The two met in Germany, where the director spent his apprenticeship (he was fluent in German). Cyril Ritchard would go on to play an over-the-top Captain Hook in Mary Martin's musical version of PETER PAN. Barry Fitzgerald is best known for the cleric he portrayed in GOING MY WAY. Fitzgerald also appeared with that film's star, Bing Crosby, in DUFFY'S TAVERN, playing Crosby's father. Robert Young had already been in over 30 movies before Hitchcock directed him in 1935. Young eventually became a staple on American TV-- starring in the long-running FATHER KNOWS BEST and MARCUS WELBY M.D. Sirs Michael Redgrave and John Gielgud worked with Hitch decades before they were knighted. It seems that appearing in an Alfred Hitchcock movie advanced the careers of many fine actors, creatures that the director disdainfully said "should be treated like cattle."

** A final note about "Blackmail." The silent movie was reworked as a talkie, and both went into circulation. There are several sequences in the newer film that clearly came from the silent version-- these scenes are overrdubbed with music and extraneous voices and sound effects.

Video quality of this set is good, although film condition varies, and audio is handicapped by heavy filtering in spots.

Also available on DVD, from MCA/Universal is ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - Season One. This half-hour film noirish anthology ran for many years, and is still quite popular. The complete Seasons Two and Three are also out on DVD.

.
The parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings gathered by a film resource website.

(7.0) Blackmail (UK-1929) - Anny Ondra/Charles Paton/Cyril Ritchard
(6.2) Jamaica Inn (UK-1939) - Charles Laughton/Maureen O'Hara/Robert Newton
(4.7) Juno And The Paycock (UK-1930) - Barry Fitzgerald/Maire O'Neill/Edward Chapman
(8.1) The Lady Vanishes (UK-1938) - Margaret Lockwood/Michael Redgrave/Paul Lukas/Dame May Whitty
(6.9) The Man Who Knew Too Much (UK-1934) - Leslie Banks/Edna Best/Peter Lorre
(6.4) Murder! (UK-1930) - Herbert Marshall/Norah Baring/Edward Chapman
(5.9) Number Seventeen (UK-1932) - Leon M. Lion/Anne Grey/John Stuart
(6.1) Rich And Strange (UK-1931) - Henry Kendall/Joan Barry/Percy Marmot
(7.2) Sabotage (UK-1936) - Sylvia Sidney/Oskar Homolka/Desmond Tester
(6.7) Secret Agent (UK-1936) - John Gielgud/Peter Lorre/Madeleine Carroll/Robert Young/Lilli Palmer
(5.7) The Skin Game (UK-1931) - C.V. France/Helen Haye/Edmund Gwenn
(8.0) The 39 Steps (UK-1935) - Robert Donat/Madeleine Carroll/Peggy Ashcroft
(7.1) Young And Innocent (UK-1937) - Nova Pilbeam/Derrick De Marney/Percy Marmot

BONUS FEATURES:
Biography
Facts & Trivia
Special Collector's Photo Gallery August 1, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...