Reviews (16)

Du Maurier.....Laughton.....O'Hara.....Hitch!
This review refers to the Laserlight(Special Edition)DVD of "Jamaica Inn"...

The talent combined in this 1939 film is immense. Based on a novel by Daphne Du Maurier,Alfred Hitchcock skillfully directs an extraordinary cast, all turning in strong performances, that bring the characters depth and the story to life.Marueen O'Hara is amazing in her first feature role, showing us way back then what made her the great star she has been all these years.It also stars other great British actors Lelsie Banks,Emlyn Williams and Robert Newton. But it is the legendary Charles Laughton who you can't take your eyes off of in this thriller. The depth with which he portrays his multi-faceted character is simple awesome.

The story is set off a rugged coastline.A group of dangerous cut-throats are misguiding innocent vessels, causing them to crash into the rocky terrain,so they can loot all the cargo.When young and beautiful Mary(O'Hara)is on to them, she risks life and limb to try and stop them. She turns to the only one she can trust..Sir Humphrey Pengallan(Laughton)for help. But yikes!... has she even endangered herself further with this move? He may be the most deranged of all!

Where's Hitch?....Although he made an appearance in the one before this one("The Lady Vanishes"/1938) and the one after("Rebecca"/1940), he seems to have eluded us in this one!

There are a couple of DVD editions of this film available here at Amazon. And while this one is not immaculate,showing it's age at nearly 65 years old, and there does seem to be something missing in a transition to a scene, I did not find anything about the view that took away from the enjoyment of this Hitch classic. I read the reviews of the other edition, which by the way costs more than three times as much as this one, and I didnt see anything better about that transfer than this Laserlight edition.The black and white images seemed clear and bright, and even the darker scenes were perfectly distinguishable. Very occassionaly, the sound did come and go, but was audible for the most part. This edition also includes an intro by Tony Curtis, and a fun trailer of "The Birds", introduced by the master himself. The DVD will automatically go straight to the film, so be sure to press menu to see the intro by Tony first. There are subtitles in Spanish, Japanese, and Chineese, all very clear and are even available for the introduction.On the case it also shows these as languages to view the film in, but I did not find this feature on the menu. This may not be the best print,but it is a decent transfer and for the price this is the best way to go for the Hitch enthusiast.This film may also be purchased as part of several Hitchcock sets offered here at Amazon.

Get the popcorn ready for this one and enjoy...Laurie

Five stars for Charles Laughton's best character-acting
Charles Laughton is at his peak as the vain, self-indulgent, skirt-chasing, shifty-eyed Squire Humphrey Pengallan. He manages to combine the arrogance and explosive temper of Captain Bligh (MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY) with the twinkle-eyed, corpulant humor of Sir Wilfred Robarts (WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION), and he has a great straight-man in the person of his harried butler Chadwick.

Maureen O'Hara is lovely and she screams well, but she's a little too drippy for my taste in this film.

More excellent comedic-villian acting is provided by the minor members of the shore-dwelling wreaking-gang, and their leader, played by Leslie Banks, is terrifying. This movie makes me suspect that the young Robert Newton, who plays a soft-spoken good-guy, may have learned from Banks the ferocious glare and menacing body-language he was later to use so effectively playing murderers like Bill Sikes (OLIVER TWIST) and Long John Silver (TREASURE ISLAND).

Warning! Buy Kino Video DVD instead!
Attention all admirers of Hitchcock films! This is the great forgotten Hitchcock film, along with Under Capricorn! 2 must haves for every admirer of Hitckcock films. Both very different than the usual suspence/wrong man Hitchcock film, but both brilliant and beautiful. I'm actually writing this review to warn the buyer NOT to buy the "Laserlight" version, because it is missing about 10 minutes from the film (from the scene right after Mr. Tremain reveals to Squire Pengalen who he really is, to the scene where they show up together at Jamaica Inn). Buy the "Kino" version instead! I can't say enough about both of these 2 films, but I'll leave it up to you, lovers of great cinema, to discover them for yourselves. Especially is you're a fan of Charles Laughton and/or Joseph Cotten and Ingred Bergman. It's worth every extra penny of the difference in price to have the full version of the film. Take a chance, my friend. Be astounded and amazed by these lost treasures, and rejoice at their salvation (and yours!)!

Not the best
Wether this verson has been updated and cleaned up, doesn't really matter.
What I've seen is a very poor recording, very bad sound (that makes it hard to hear what is being said),
and bad picture quality.
A film from the master of suspence should be given the recognition it deserves.

Laughton & Hitchcock are a winning team
Charles Laughton is delicious in this classic Hitchcock thriller as the stuffy, regal Humphrey Pengallan, a psychotic country squire who decides the best way to meet the high costs of royal life is to indulge his immodest talents as a criminal mastermind. Unbeknownst to his friends and peers, Lord Pengallan has assembled a grimy band of cutthroat thieves which he secretly directs to wreck and loot merchant ships on the rocky Cornwall coast. He is of course thwarted by plucky newcomer Maureen O'Hara and her goodlooking beau, an undercover policeman whose cover is blown after one of their heists seems a bit light. Some Hitchcock fans apparently find this film less than satisfying, but it's as classy and as offbeat as any he's made; perhaps it's because the film is a period drama that folks are thrown off track. At any rate, this is vintage Hitchcock, and the character acting is typically impressive, particularly Emlyn Williams as Harry, the most menacing of the pirate crew... his is one of the most sinister screen villains you're likely to see. Laughton, of course, brings his tremendous range to bear, appearing at first as an overbearing aristocratic boor, then modifies himself to become in turns magnanimous, ruthless and finally so homicidally crazed and delusory that he takes on an almost pathetic air. And O'Hara, in her screen debut is both beautiful and full of pluck -- no helpless female here, as she stops the brigands almost single-handedly. An offbeat film, and definitely worth checking out. ... Read more

Description

Two tales of espionage, suspense and murder by the Master of Suspense himself: "Bon Voyage" and "Aventure Malgache." Made in 1944 to aid the war effort, they were considered inflammatory by the British government and locked away to be forgotten. Now, more than 50 years later, Hitchcock fans can rediscover these lost classics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

French Hitch
Few of Alfred Hitchcock's countless fans are aware that he made two French films, both of which are on this video. Having reached the pinnacle of success with movies such as "Rebecca" and "Foreign Correspondent", Hitchcock was the first choice of the British Government and the French Underground to direct "Aventure malgache" (Madagascan Adventure) and "Bon Voyage" in 1944 to help inspire the French freedom fighters. Can propaganda make good entertainment? In the case of Hitchcock, it is better to ask if entertainment can make good propaganda. Hitch's taste for ironic twists and endless surprises made these two films almost useless to the propagandists, but the result certainly is fun to watch. "Aventure malgache" keeps us guessing as a French underground lawyer outwits the gestapo after some loose lips nearly sink the ships. In the superior "Bon Voyage," Hitchcock goes into high gear, showing us the thrilling escape of a British flyer from a POW camp, and his subsequent fall into a snare of Nazi treachery. Fans of the great TV series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" will especially like these two short French films, which directly led to the TV series format. Unavailable for some 50 years, these movies turn out to be worth the wait -- not necessarily Hitchcock at his very greatest, but definitely rare gems for the fans of the Master of Suspense. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

View "Easy Virtue" as an artifact and "Blackmail" as genius
Easy Virtue is one of Hitchcock's forgettable silent melodramas about a woman who wants to divorce her alchoholic husband and is scarred for life as a result.

Blackmail, on the other hand, is a work of genius! It's Hitchcock's and England's very first talking film and viewing it, one would think Hitchcock had been working with sound on film for decades already. Hitchcock has always been ahead of his time and I can't think of a better example of this than Blackmail.

Unfortunately, most transfers of this film to home entertainment media over the years have been less than tolerable at worst and just okay at best (the best being Criterion's Laserdisc transfer from several years back) This recent Laserlite release of the film is merely okay. It's not terrible and it's not terrific. It's hard to believe no one's done a full-out restoration on a picture of such importance. Kudos to Criterion for giving it the old college try on laserdisc, but like many of the other early Criterion Hitchcock laserdiscs (39 Steps, Lady Vanishes, Secret Agent) it still falls just barely short of the mark (which isn't to say they're bad transfers at all, mind you, they're just not as restored as they should be.) Kudos also go to Laserlite for trying and succeeding to give us a watchable home DVD copy of this classic. Thankfully, it's a reasonably good transfer that seems to have had more time taken with the transfer than Laserlite's terrible release of "Murder," Let's just hope Criterion soups it up for this one like they did for "The Lady Vanishes" and "The 39 Steps" and gives us the ultimate copy of this, one of my 10 favorite Hitchcock films. Until then, this is the best you're going to get on the DVD market, but ultimately, I recomend Criterion's "Blackmail" Laserdisc if you're still a dinosaur looking for the best copy available.

5 Stars to Hitchcock for one of the best films in the history of cinema, 4 stars to Laserlite for doing the best they can with a small budget.

A Budding Genius...
This review refers to the LaserLight Special Edition Double Feature DVD.....

A pair of gloves is the only evidence in a murder case. One is found by the detective working the case, the other by a sinister eyewitness who wants to "Blackmail" the killer. No, this is not a TV movie about OJ Simpson, this is early Hitch!(Only he could have known.)
In 1929 Alfred Hitchcock was already displaying his innate senses of style, suspense, shadowy figures,sensuality and lets not forget his wonderful sense of humor. This film has all those qualities that makes his films so recognizable.
Alice is bored,and steps out on Frank, her Scotland Yard boyfriend. Her "date" offers to paint her portrait. She agrees, but once in his apartment, he attacks her and she kills him in self defense.
The investagation leads her Detective boyfreind to realize she is the killer, but keeps it to himself, There's another witness, one that can blow the lid off the whole case.Alice's guilt is getting the best of her(shades of "Tell Tale Heart" by Poe). Will she turn herself in before it's too late, or will they keep this secret buried.The film stars Anny Ondra (she's marvelous)as Alice,John Longden as Frank, and Donald Calthrop as the blackmailer.
"Blackmail started out as a silent but with films like the "Jazz Singer" opening in the States, Hitch decided to add sound to this one making it the first British "Talkie".
Looking for Hitch: I spied him in the first 10 minutes in quite a comical cameo, don't miss it!

The 2nd feature is "Easy Virtue". This was a silent made in 1927.
Don't look for suspense or horror in this one. It's a great drama though, and you'll still recognize Hitchcock's signature in it.
Larita is an innocent woman whose name and reputation is dragged through the mud after a nasty divorce. The publicity of it all makes her infamous. She tries to start her life anew, marries and must deal with some very nasty mother-in-law problems while trying to live down her notoriety.It is based on a play by Noel Coward and the score is newly recorded. Isabel Jeans plays the misunderstood woman in question.
Where's Hitch: You got me!. I can't say that I saw him in this one, although I did spy a portly man in a suit walking off a tennis court(very strange) but Only from the back so....

LaserLight delights us with this DVD of early work of Hitch, although the film's do show their age(really old), especially "Easy Virtue", they are totally watchable, nice black and white images, and the sound is very good. There is an introduction by Tony Curtis and an Original Theatrical Trailer of Rear Window for an extra added treat! Hitch fan's you gotta add this to your collection.Oh and everything is on one side, no need to flip the disc for the second feature!
Have fun with this one......Laurie

View these films as historical artifacts...
My wife and I are avid Hitchcock fans and have begun a collection of his DVDs. Surprisingly, we both enjoy many of his early efforts. I'm a bit disturbed by reviewers who ridicule early Hitchcock films. They seem to expect films produced in the late 1920s to be comparable to those produced ten, twenty or thirty years later. That's just plain silly -- like comparing Lindbergh's plane with a B-17 or an F-14. As usual for Hitchcock, the women in both films steal the show. Blond and delicious. Hitchcock knew how to cast and photograph young ladies. It's great that these "early" Hitchcock "thrillers" are available to collectors.

A Good Double Bill
This is one of Laserlight's best Hitchcock DVDs. 'Blackmail' is worth a look if only for the fact that it was Britain's first talkie. In fact some of the early scenes are still silent and you expect a title card to appear at any moment. Although 'Blackmail' never reaches the heights of 'The 39 Steps' or the 1934's 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', it is significantly better than most of Hitchcock's other films of the late twenties and early thirties. A few of the scenes are rather long and stagey but there are still some eyecatching moments and Anny Ondra is definitely an asset to the film despite her voice being dubbed by another actress. Picture quality is also very good. Unfortunately, with the notable exception of 'The Lodger', Hitchcock's silent work does not measure up to much. 'Easy Virtue' is probably one of his better efforts but I doubt you will be on the edge of your seat come the film's climax. The picture quality isn't too good either - only watchable - but I guess we shouldn't expect too much given the budget nature of the DVD. All in all, a decent double bill at a decent price. Well done Laserlight!

The Master is speaking
Of course, Easy virtue is quite a boring film. But Blackmail is a chef d'oeuvre. Many of the scenes are unforgetable. Watch this movie, and you not only can't forget it, but you'll be sure (if not yet) that Hitchcock was a Master. This movie was a silent one, but a few scenes were shot again to make the first english talking movie ever! In my mind, the best scene is when, after the murder, lady Ondra hear a neighbour speaking about knive... knive... KNIVE... You feel yourself as bas as the "poor" girl. If you like oldie but goldie, don't miss this DVD The images are fine and the sound is OK ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mixed quality on this DVD 2fer
The Lodger was Hitch's fifth film. He had begun to develop many of the innovative techniques that would become a hallmark of his later films. The Lodger has one striking visual image making it worthwhile; as the people downstairs are listening to a man they suspect to be Jack the Ripper pacing above them, the floor becomes transparent and we actually see the character walking across the floorboards. This one sequence doesn't make the film but it illustrates Hitch's visual genius.

4 Years later Hitch made Murder. Again, his unique abilities in visually telling a story were striking. Although the story is quite interesting (and well shot) for its time, it has become a bit of a creaky melodrama with the passage of time. Still, there are a number of visual motifs that would crop up later in Hitch's other better known films.

Comparing either film to Hitch's later mature works would be like comparing a child's performance at writing a trike to his or her later mastery of a 10 speed; while one can see talent it's clear that it hasn't been developed yet.

These transfers are not the best around but given the age of the prints and the fact that the original nitrate negatives are no longer around, it's unlikely we'll ever see a pristine print
of either of these films.

Good film/bad reproduction
"Murder" is a very interesting film, one of the first to explore jury deliberations. The film has the feel of a live play, rather than a film. The acting is very good. The "Lodger" is also interesting for those who want to understand Hitchcock and his techniques. But, it was his first film and shows his youthfulness. However, the Whirlwind DVD reproduction is dreadful. The quality of the images vary from scene to scene. In general, the objects are blurred and out of focus and the imagery is very dark. The sound is not very good either. I have an old VHS version that I taped directly from television and it is of much better quality. In my opinion, don't buy this version but wait for someone else to produce a better quality reproduction.

only for hardcore hitchcockians
i love a good hitchcock film, but the lodger... sorry. silent movies are difficult to get through(and i've taken enough film classes where i've had my fair share)- it's easy to let my mind drift. the more dialogue cards the better, and this one doesn't have many.

the lodger is a story of a murder and mistaken identity. and the premise is interesting enough... a series of murders, the victims all girls with golden curls, a golden curled girl involved with a policeman on the case, her parents rent out rooms, and an awfully suspicious lodger moves in and begins to woo her much to the policeman/parents disdain.

but, it's silent, and it's slow, and there's a novel out there somewhere that hitchcock based the film on. THAT i'd like to get my hands on.

if you feel you must see everything hitchcock made- then by all means- get it, if your just looking for a good film to add to your collection, and you aren't obsessed with german expressionism or hitchcock- skip it.

oh, and p.s. there's a mistake in the editing of this dvd version. at the very end the editors left out a key shot that hitchcock intended as the 'did he or didn't he?' final moment.

i didn't see the other film on the dvd.

Extraordinary early Hitchcock.
Considered the first true Hitchcock film, 'The Lodger' is the director's most visually audacious masterpiece, made under the heavy influence of German Expressionism. Like his master, Fritz Lang, he imposes on his thriller narrative an angular, geometric grid: his use of domestic space, with its various levels, stairs, ceilings, walls, doorways, window frames etc., is part of the film's rich pleasure. He also shares with a Lang a relish for new technologies, analysiing the diffusion of media and their ability to whip up violent mob hysteria; while equating the policeman with a suspected serial killer. The Lodger's entrance, pure Guignol as he stands concealed in a black cape as the lights go out, reminds me of Conrad Veidt.

What makes the film so Hitchcock is its Englishness; its joy in sensation (the film opens with a startlingly huge close-up of a blonde being murdered); provocative visual puns (there is much Hitchcockian fun with handcuffs; the first 'love' scene, with the Lodger's head looming and filling up the screen like the earlier female victim); and surprising sexiness (the heroine is a 'mannequin', justifying much backstage activity with girls in their underwear; a teasing bath scene); its Catholic iconography, riddling the Lodger with a much heavier guilt than murder.

The film is so visually busy, especially in its first third, it threatens to overwhelm the picture, and Hitchcock would learn not to start at such a high pitch. But of all his British films, 'Lodger' is perhaps the closest to a (sour) vision of modern England. In its grim vision of media-provoked mob violence, its plot about a serial killer become mysterious celebrity, its portrait of an affluent, 'swinging' society masking murders and sexual dysfunction, this disturbing film could have been made for our times.

'Murder', an early talkie, is staid, even slow by comparison, although it conjures an equally nerve-racking London atmosphere, and contains some frightening scenes of violence. It is much more subtle enquiry into jury and justice than '12 Angry Men'. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Framing Woes
As a Hitchcock aficionado, I bought this DVD purely for "Juno and the Paycock." (The early masterpiece, "Blackmail," has long been available.) While the film is of interest to Hitchcock fans, beware this edition: sloppy framing cuts off the actors' heads in nearly half the shots. It won't prevent you from seeing what's good (and what's not so good) about the film, but you'll wish Whirlwind Media had been more careful in putting this package together.

A GOOD LOOK AT EARLY HITCH
Most of the very early Hitchcock films are not among my favorites--but perhaps only because his later work is so brilliant.... These two early works never fully succeeded on video, because of the exceedingly poor production quality. This DVD version improves the sound greatly, so that you don't have to strain just to make out the basic words. Hitch's take on the great Sean O'Casey play ("Juno and the Paycock") is well done, though it's a difficult work to render in film, especially during the era in which it was produced. "Blackmail" is, I think, a much better piece of work, and one that lies closer to the British director's heart. You see--in this grainy, miminal film--the seeds of his later brilliance. The plot and tone are definitely Hitchcock, although his skill as a director is still developing. The acting is pretty good, but the writing leaves something to be desired. As a whole, fans of Hitchcock and cinema history should thorougly enjoy this set.

Juno And The Hitchcock
Well, first off, this rating should be around 3 and 3/4 stars instead of just three. Hitchcock films the Sean O'Casey play just as it is. It is one of the first in a tradition of Hitchcock filmed plays. This tradition is that since the play was written for the stage and works best that way, why change the locales and "open" the play up as filmed versions of the play often do? Rope and Dial M For Murder are Hitchcock's greatest examples of this art. Juno and the Paycock is not the best of Hitch's films, but the actors are very good and the story is very interesting. It also shows Hitchcock's continuing transition to sound from just one year earlier. It is definitely worth checking out and is not great, perfect Hitchcock, but good Hitchcock showing his ability to utilize the fresh new sound technology in rather entertaining dialogue. It is worth a look. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 drama, among his darkest, is the one to which he regretfully pointed later as the exception that proved his usual rule about good suspense: you have to let an audience know the precise danger that a character doesn't know he imminently faces. Then you have to withdraw or cancel out the danger lest viewers feel betrayed. The "betrayal" in Sabotage rather famously involves a bomb, a boy, and a bus. But in the context of the story (based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, inevitably confused with Hitchcock's quite different film called Secret Agent), the twist has a devastating significance, ushering in the director's pet themes about the proximity of chaos to ordinary life and the nature and transference of guilt. Sylvia Sidney stars as the naive American wife of a German spy, the latter using a movie theater as a cover for his terrorist activities. When he asks his wife's young brother to make a delivery--a package containing a ticking bomb, unknown to the child--a bus delay causes the boy to die in the timed explosion. Sidney's character murders her spouse in revenge, but as in Hitch's great Blackmail, the deed is obscured by a sympathetic lawman who ultimately shares her secret. Wrong or right, right or wrong--the clear distinctions don't often exist in the great director's movies, and Sabotage is no exception. The print of the film used in the DVD release is serviceable and probably comparable to an average 16mm classroom or museum presentation. The DVD also includes a Hitchcock filmography, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

ONE OF HITCHCOCKS BEST FILMS
Released in 1936, SABOTAGE is a first class example of what makes Alfred hitchcock the master of suspense. As a die hard fan of Hitchcock, I will admit that I originally bought this film on the bargain shelf to complete my collection. After one viewing I had an new favorite Hitchcock film. The plot is simple...London is being hit with acts of sabotage and the police suspect the owner of a small movie theater is responsible.An undercover agent tries to get information from the mans unsuspecting wife. The plot may be simple but the complex emotions that are revealed as the story progresses are not. Sylvia Sydney is outstanding as the wife and does an outstanding job in her portrayal of a woman whos entire world is crumbling around her, and she often does it without uttering a single word. Hitchcock is known for the style of his movies and trust me, this movie is one of his most stylish. Student filmmakers should be required to watch this movie to learn how to create suspense and intrigue. If you have ever seen and loved a Hitchcock movie, watching this movie will show that his unique sense of emotion and humor was fully intact even in his earlier films. I will end this by just saying...WATCH this movie.

Ancient Hitch tale of deception
Sabotage was a serviceable Hitchcock tale of espionage while he was still making films in England.

The flick is based around the machinations of Mr. Verloc, a foreign spy and saboteur based in London and played by the sinister bushy eyebrowed Oskar Homolka. His wife played by Sylvia Sydney, who together with Homolka run a cinema, is clueless as to his clandestine activities. The film opens with Mr. Verloc causing a widespread power outage by fouling the generators with sand

A Scotland Yard detective played by John Loder is working undercover at a fruit and vegetable store next to the cinema, suspicious of Homolka and watching him. Unable to carry out his next act of terrorism due to the surveillance, Homolka commissions Sydney's young brother to unwittingly transport and deliver a package containing a bomb. Tragically, traffic delays cause the bomb to explode prematurely, killing the young boy and other passengers on the bus he was on.

In very atypical fashion, Hitchcock has a totally innocent victim fall prey to violence. He, however, followed the movie morality code of the time in this case as the villian gets his just desserts. Justice is served and vengeance is meted out.

Hitchcock's worst
I'm a particular fan of Hitchcock, and I've seen quite a few of his movies. My favorite is "North by Northwest" -- also my favorite movie by any director, my favorite movie PERIOD. My second favorite is "Spellbound". Although I subsequently read the novel "Sabotage" is based on, Joseph Conrad's excellent "The Secret Agent", and although I subsequently watched another film adaptation of this novel, the excellent "Secret Agent" (1996) with Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, and Robin Williams and a score by Philip Glass, I hadn't when I watched "Sabotage". Thus my opinion is unbiased by the novel and this other movie. "Sabotage" is clearly the worst Alfred Hitchcock picture I know. HAVING subsequently read the novel and a much better adaptation, I am now in a position to say what went wrong with "Sabotage"; I wasn't then. Essentially "Sabotage" is too squeamish. It twists itself into knots to make its heroine sympathetic. It bowdlerizes its story's political content. (I don't want to give this political content away. There are, however, crosses and double-crosses, intrigues, and timely anti-terrorist tactics reminiscent of the regime of a certain twenty-first-century un-elected American president.) Read "The Secret Agent" by Joseph Conrad. Watch "Secret Agent", its 1996 film adaptation.

Exellent British Thriller!
Hitchcock made this brilliant thriller the same year he made "The Secret Agent" and although the above is a great movie, "Sabotage" is much better.

In this movie a woman finds out that she is married to a saboteur. Unfortunately she finds out too late. You see it seems that Mr. Verloc has sent her brother out on a small errand. (Here comes the spoiler- IF YOU DON'T WANT IT RUINED FOR YOU QUIT READING) What the kid (yes, it's a young child) doesn't know is that he is delivering a bomb against the clock. Things get in his way and surpriseingly in theis movie, the suspence ends with a shock. Indeed the kid gets blown up.

Now, in this scene Hitch uses the camera and the use of montage quite geniously. It really is quite a spectacle.

When Mrs. Verlock finds out and her husband is less than greiving she gets the sudden urge to kill him. The scene with the knife on the table is great!

This is a must for thriller fans!!! You seriously need to check it out.

Sabotage
About a month ago, I saw Mars Attacks! (1996). I really liked the old woman who played the grandmother. And here she is again, but 60 years younger. And she's good in this movie too, where

Sylvia Sidney is very good in the lead part as Mrs Verloc, who is unaware of her husband's ways to make some extra money. He is a saboteur and Scotland Yard has sent out an undercover detective to observe him. I don't think Hitchcock's English 1930's movies are quite as good as his later, but this one is a little better than for example Young and Innocent and as good as the (overrated) 39 Steps.

This movie is entertaining, if you like Hitchock, or old thrillers, it's a movie you should see.

(Tim Burton fans may recognize Sylvia Sidney from "Beetlejuice" and "Mars Attacks!". The latter was made 60 years after this movie.) ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Jamaica Inn--a rip-roaring melodrama drawn from a Daphne du Maurier potboiler set in 1820s Cornwall--an innocent young orphan (the 19-year-old Maureen O'Hara in her first starring role) arrives at her uncle's remote Cornish inn to find it a den of reprobates given to smuggling, wrecking, and gross overacting. They're all out-hammed, though, by Charles Laughton at his most corseted and outrageously self-indulgent as the local squire to whom O'Hara runs for help. Since his star was also the coproducer, Alfred Hitchcock couldn't do much with the temperamental actor. He contented himself with adding a few characteristic touches--including a spot of bondage (always a Hitchcock favorite)--and slyly sending up the melodramatic absurdities of the plot. Jamaica Inn hardly stands high in the Master's canon, but it trundles along divertingly enough. Hitchcock fanatics will have fun comparing it with his two subsequent--and far more accomplished--du Maurier adaptations, Rebecca and The Birds. --Philip Kemp ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Du Maurier.....Laughton.....O'Hara.....Hitch!
This review refers to the Laserlight(Special Edition)DVD of "Jamaica Inn"...

The talent combined in this 1939 film is immense. Based on a novel by Daphne Du Maurier,Alfred Hitchcock skillfully directs an extraordinary cast, all turning in strong performances, that bring the characters depth and the story to life.Marueen O'Hara is amazing in her first feature role, showing us way back then what made her the great star she has been all these years.It also stars other great British actors Lelsie Banks,Emlyn Williams and Robert Newton. But it is the legendary Charles Laughton who you can't take your eyes off of in this thriller. The depth with which he portrays his multi-faceted character is simple awesome.

The story is set off a rugged coastline.A group of dangerous cut-throats are misguiding innocent vessels, causing them to crash into the rocky terrain,so they can loot all the cargo.When young and beautiful Mary(O'Hara)is on to them, she risks life and limb to try and stop them. She turns to the only one she can trust..Sir Humphrey Pengallan(Laughton)for help. But yikes!... has she even endangered herself further with this move? He may be the most deranged of all!

Where's Hitch?....Although he made an appearance in the one before this one("The Lady Vanishes"/1938) and the one after("Rebecca"/1940), he seems to have eluded us in this one!

There are a couple of DVD editions of this film available here at Amazon. And while this one is not immaculate,showing it's age at nearly 65 years old, and there does seem to be something missing in a transition to a scene, I did not find anything about the view that took away from the enjoyment of this Hitch classic. I read the reviews of the other edition, which by the way costs more than three times as much as this one, and I didnt see anything better about that transfer than this Laserlight edition.The black and white images seemed clear and bright, and even the darker scenes were perfectly distinguishable. Very occassionaly, the sound did come and go, but was audible for the most part. This edition also includes an intro by Tony Curtis, and a fun trailer of "The Birds", introduced by the master himself. The DVD will automatically go straight to the film, so be sure to press menu to see the intro by Tony first. There are subtitles in Spanish, Japanese, and Chineese, all very clear and are even available for the introduction.On the case it also shows these as languages to view the film in, but I did not find this feature on the menu. This may not be the best print,but it is a decent transfer and for the price this is the best way to go for the Hitch enthusiast.This film may also be purchased as part of several Hitchcock sets offered here at Amazon.

Get the popcorn ready for this one and enjoy...Laurie

Five stars for Charles Laughton's best character-acting
Charles Laughton is at his peak as the vain, self-indulgent, skirt-chasing, shifty-eyed Squire Humphrey Pengallan. He manages to combine the arrogance and explosive temper of Captain Bligh (MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY) with the twinkle-eyed, corpulant humor of Sir Wilfred Robarts (WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION), and he has a great straight-man in the person of his harried butler Chadwick.

Maureen O'Hara is lovely and she screams well, but she's a little too drippy for my taste in this film.

More excellent comedic-villian acting is provided by the minor members of the shore-dwelling wreaking-gang, and their leader, played by Leslie Banks, is terrifying. This movie makes me suspect that the young Robert Newton, who plays a soft-spoken good-guy, may have learned from Banks the ferocious glare and menacing body-language he was later to use so effectively playing murderers like Bill Sikes (OLIVER TWIST) and Long John Silver (TREASURE ISLAND).

Warning! Buy Kino Video DVD instead!
Attention all admirers of Hitchcock films! This is the great forgotten Hitchcock film, along with Under Capricorn! 2 must haves for every admirer of Hitckcock films. Both very different than the usual suspence/wrong man Hitchcock film, but both brilliant and beautiful. I'm actually writing this review to warn the buyer NOT to buy the "Laserlight" version, because it is missing about 10 minutes from the film (from the scene right after Mr. Tremain reveals to Squire Pengalen who he really is, to the scene where they show up together at Jamaica Inn). Buy the "Kino" version instead! I can't say enough about both of these 2 films, but I'll leave it up to you, lovers of great cinema, to discover them for yourselves. Especially is you're a fan of Charles Laughton and/or Joseph Cotten and Ingred Bergman. It's worth every extra penny of the difference in price to have the full version of the film. Take a chance, my friend. Be astounded and amazed by these lost treasures, and rejoice at their salvation (and yours!)!

Not the best
Wether this verson has been updated and cleaned up, doesn't really matter.
What I've seen is a very poor recording, very bad sound (that makes it hard to hear what is being said),
and bad picture quality.
A film from the master of suspence should be given the recognition it deserves.

Laughton & Hitchcock are a winning team
Charles Laughton is delicious in this classic Hitchcock thriller as the stuffy, regal Humphrey Pengallan, a psychotic country squire who decides the best way to meet the high costs of royal life is to indulge his immodest talents as a criminal mastermind. Unbeknownst to his friends and peers, Lord Pengallan has assembled a grimy band of cutthroat thieves which he secretly directs to wreck and loot merchant ships on the rocky Cornwall coast. He is of course thwarted by plucky newcomer Maureen O'Hara and her goodlooking beau, an undercover policeman whose cover is blown after one of their heists seems a bit light. Some Hitchcock fans apparently find this film less than satisfying, but it's as classy and as offbeat as any he's made; perhaps it's because the film is a period drama that folks are thrown off track. At any rate, this is vintage Hitchcock, and the character acting is typically impressive, particularly Emlyn Williams as Harry, the most menacing of the pirate crew... his is one of the most sinister screen villains you're likely to see. Laughton, of course, brings his tremendous range to bear, appearing at first as an overbearing aristocratic boor, then modifies himself to become in turns magnanimous, ruthless and finally so homicidally crazed and delusory that he takes on an almost pathetic air. And O'Hara, in her screen debut is both beautiful and full of pluck -- no helpless female here, as she stops the brigands almost single-handedly. An offbeat film, and definitely worth checking out. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

fine silent comedy
Released in 1928, THE FARMER'S WIFE was a radical departure for Alfred Hitchcock. Based on a play by Eden Philpotts, the story translates perfectly to the silent-movie-medium.

Following his wife's death, farmer Sweetland (Jameson Thomas) goes in search of a new wife. He has his pick of any of the middle-aged spinsters in town, as well as an overweight hysteric and an equestrienne socialite.

Minta (Lillian Hall Davis) is his meek little maid who has loved him for many years, but now decides to make her move. But just as she is about to, the many "lovelies" in the town decide to marry him after all!

This pristine, black and white-tinted silent is backed by a colorful orchestra soundtrack, which underscores every mood and emotion shown on the screen.

A delightful silent programmer.

Wrong running time
Even though the film originally ran about 97 minutes, and even though Amazon's info shows the running time to be 93 minutes, this Laserlight's DVD version of THE FARMER'S WIFE runs 129 minutes. Apparently, the wrong film speed was used in transferring the film to DVD, stretching the film by an additional half hour. The film's tempo is therefore slowed down a great deal, and the pacing and timing of the various comedy scenes are very much ruined. The DVD does have decent picture and sound (mono) quality.

This dated and predictable film was nevertheless well-acted by Jameson Thomas as the farmer and Lillian Hall-Davis as his housekeeper. Hall-Davis also starred in another Hitchcock's silent comedy "The Ring" (a much better film), also available as a Laserlight DVD.

Imperdible...
En esta era de la tecnología y el gusto por lograr las mejores imágenes y los mejores efectos, esta colección nos lleva a darnos cuenta que las grandes obras de arte se deben edificar a partir de eso, "El Arte". Y esto es precisamente lo que demuestra este box set. El arte de la cinematografía puesta en las manos del genial Hitchcock. Ni que hablar de la producción: Siete discos, cada uno en su propio estuche, excelente sonido, y todo el material subtitulado (includo extras, introducción y trailers), además de que los discos son multizona. Cabe destacar que esto no fue obra de una gran empresa sino de LaserLight Video, pero es algo que los grandes estudios deberían tomar como ejemplo, hartos ya de ver películas con extras sin subtítulos. Si a eso le sumamos el costo del set, nos encontramos con una joya que no podemos desperdiciar. Muy recomendable.

A Hitchcock Film In Name Only That Goes On For Ever
I have nothing against silent films. In fact Clara Bow's 'It', Lon Chaney's 'The Phantom of The Opera' and Louise Brooks's 'Pandora's Box' are amongst my all-time favourites. But with the exception of 'The Lodger', Hitchcock never really got going in silent films. 'The Farmer's Wife' certainly had the potential for an easy going, enjoyable comedy, but NOT when it lasts over 2 hours. I challenge anyone to watch this film in one sitting without their eyelids feeling increasingly heavy. On the plus points, Laserlight has dispensed with one of those embarrassing Tony Curtis introductions, and has provided us with a newly recorded (and very good) score. The picture quality is also very good. If you're tempted to buy this DVD because it's a Hitchcock film, I'd say don't. It is only worth a look to anyone with an interest in silent films or a genuine Hitchcock enthusiast.

Nicely integrated package, image quality lacking
A solid collection of lesser known titles that are definitely worth the price if you are a true Hitchcock fan. Image quality and extras are lacking when compared with your typical Criterion Collection dvd but for this price you can't complain. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Great film, okay transfer
When I review these Laserlite Hitchcock DVDs, I tend to put more empphasis on the film transfers rather than the film itself, mainly because every other film review available talks the plot to death. So I write my reviews with the assumption that the reader already knows the plot of the film.

...As far as the film goes, this is one of my personal favorite Hitchcock films. It's a terrific re-working of The 39 Steps about a man who is accused of a murder he didn't commit and must flee from the law and find the real culprit in order to prove himself innocent. It was a formula that would become a regular part of the Hitchcock canon for years to come.

...As far as the DVD goes, it's just okay. Once you get past the mediocre Tony Curtis intro, you get enjoy the crackles and pops, light-to-dark contrast jumps and cut-off lines of dialouge and jump-cuts resulting from missing frames that most any other home video edition of the film will provide to you. This isn't to say it's a terrible and unwatchable transfer. This is definately no "Murder" or "Skin Game," but it's also a disappointment when compared to Laserlite transfers of "Sabotage" and "Rich and Strange." The movie never at any point becomes unbearable from the transfer, but Laserlite has done better....Still, it's probably the best copy available so far on DVD, but I would ultimately recomend Criterion's Laserdisc, if you still have a laserdisc player, until Criterion reissues this on DVD.

extra features include a trailer for a later Hitchcock film and a foregettable episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that he did not direct. Laserlite cannot be bashed for this, as it is a better bonus than just nothing.

4 1/2 stars to Hitchcock for an excellent film, 3 stars to Laserlight for trying hard, but not hitting the mark every time.

Pretty good Hitchcock and I'm glad I saw it
YOUNG AND INNOCENT was an interesting movie where a writer is accused of murder and attempts sereral daring escapes to find the real murderer and prove his innocence. This movie sort of reminded me of one that I saw but didn't review, MURDER.

As the stroy reaches the ending, it gets really "moody", and then the real murderer is uncovered in a unique way, so I think you should watch this and see what happens.

Perhaps Hitchcock's best film from the '30s
"Young and Innocent" is not one of Hitchcock's best-known films, and this is a shame. It is one of his most entertaining films from the 30s, featuring suspenseful situations, charming characters portrayed by excellent actors, snappy, witty dialogue, and fabulous camera work. This under-appreciated film deserves more viewers!

The story revolves around a destitute writer who is accused of murdering a truly bitchy movie star. Locating his missing raincoat seems to be the key to proving his innocence and finding the real killer, but between an incompetant attorney and policemen wanting a quick end to the case, he seems destined to hang. But that is until he slips from the courthouse during a moment of confusion. He is joined in his mad dash for evidence by the domestic, yet-tomboyish and strong-willed daughter of the local chief of police. Will the unlikely pair manage to clear our hero's name before he is recaptured by the police?

This film shares a number of similar elements with the better-known "The 39 Steps." Unlike that film, in which the modern viewer is able to see the end coming about twenty minutes before it arrives, however, "Young and Innocent" keeps the viewer on the edge of his seat up to the very end. The climactic nightclub scene is particularly well-done and thrilling.

Sadly Underrated!
This gem isn't the most celebrated movie of Hitch's but it is really quite enjoyable. Granted the opening scene is radically overacted but that only lasts for a few short seconds.

Hitchcock does some rather inteesting things in this movie. For instance, there's a scene where a innocent man finds the body and with the creative use of montage it has a really erie glow to it. He zooms in on a flock of gulls and it really is something to see.

After he finds the body,he goes for help. Unfortunatly for him, it looks as if he's running away.

Eventually he and the cheif constipols's daughter go off looking for the real killer with the police after them.

Watch this movie- It's worth it just for the endng scene! It's great!!!

A film for Hitchcock fans
Young and Innocent is not an especially well known Hitchcock film and to an extent this is justified. When one compares it with his great British films of the thirties, such as The Thirty-Nine Steps or The Lady Vanishes, it seems a minor work. There is no real sense that the characters in Young and Innocent are in genuine danger and thus the chase story lacks tension. The relationship between the two leads lacks the spark that is so often found in Hitchcock films. This is partly because Derrick De Marney's performance remains stage-bound and Nova Pilbeam was considered too young to engage in sexy dialogue. Thus the film lacks the amusing and slightly risqué banter which might have been present if the lead actress was, for example, Madeleine Carroll. The story is similar to The Thirty-Nine Steps, but Pilbeam is far too ready to go on the run with De Marney. I'm not suggesting that Hitchcock should have used handcuffs again, but he really needed to provide some motivation for a policeman's daughter going off with a possible murderer other than a vague belief in his innocence.

While this film is not first-rate Hitchcock it has some very fine scenes. I particularly liked the scene where a group of policemen hitch a ride with a farmer transporting pigs, for it shows Hitchcock's quite daring humour, as 'pigs' is impolite British slang for policemen.

The print used for the Laserlight DVD is good. I noticed one slight cut where a swear word had been censored, but this probably occurred in the thirties. Otherwise the print seems complete and is clear with only minor damage. The dialogue is at times a little indistinct but can almost always be followed.

The extra features on this DVD are nothing special. The best thing about the Cheney Vase is Hitchcock's mocking of the sponsors in his introduction. The story itself is quite dull. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock himself called this 1934 British edition of his famous kidnapping story the work of a talented amateur, while his 1956 Hollywood remake was the consummate act of a professional director. Be that as it may, this earlier movie still has its intense admirers who prefer it over the Jimmy Stewart-Doris Day version, and for some sound reasons. Tighter, wittier, more visually outrageous (back-screen projections of Swiss mountains, a whirly-facsimile of a fainting spell), the film even has a female protagonist (Edna Best in the mom part) unafraid to go after the bad guys herself with a gun. (Did Doris Day do that that? Uh-uh.) While the '56 film has an intriguing undercurrent of unspoken tensions in nuclear family politics, the '34 original has a crisp air of British optimism glummed up a bit when a married couple (Best and Leslie Banks) witnesses the murder of a spy and discovers their daughter stolen away by the culprits. The chase leads to London and ultimately to the site of one of Hitch's most extraordinary pieces of suspense (though on this count, it must be said, the later version is superior). Take away distracting comparisons to the remake, and this Man Who Knew Too Much is a milestone in Hitchcock's early career. Peter Lorre makes his British debut as a scarred, scary villain. The print of the film used in the DVD release is serviceable and probably comparable to an average 16mm classroom or museum presentation. The DVD also includes a Hitchcock filmography, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Time travel!
What a great pleasure to watch old silent movies. The Hitchcock collection 1 provides you very good movies: The Manxman takes place in Polpero, England, and is a bit slow, but an injoyable and - as always with Hitch- sad love story. The Ring is a model for Raging Bull (Scorcese)and quite interesting, because Hitch plays with the polysemie of the word: sad love story, but great film. The more interesting film is perhaps BLACKMAIL: first english talking movie ever! And, years before the best Hitch american movies, watch the scene, after the murder, where the heroine listen a woman speaking about knive... knive...Knive. Of course, you have a boring movie (The skin game) but the pack worth his price. Images are OK and the sound is quite good for such old movies.

The Golden Era of Silent Hitchock Film
This is a tragic, woeful tale! Do not expect to leave this film unscathed by the brutal knife edge of Hitchcock. He wields the weapon of suspense and trauma even here, so very early in his career.

We are also introduced to the fine actor, Carl Brisson. His performance alone garners the worth of four stars. Each facial expression, every gesticulation is worth a thousand words in the medium of silent film, and Mr. Brisson flawlessly provides them all. He is, essentially, the backbone of this dreadully long, droll, tragedy.

You'll notice the pacing and editing of the movie are frustrating, however, in its entirety, i still believe this film works. It's a Lily in Winter: rare, rare, rare. I only wish Mr. Brisson had produced more than three films before his untimely (and early) death.

And you'll want this as a reminder that the fruits of Hitchcocks genius were in the larval stages and just absolutely fascinating to watch.

A Good Value for Hitchcock Fans
These DVDs (and The AH Collection II) are quite a good value. I'm a big Hitchcock fan, and before I bought them I had only seen cheapo VHS versions of a few of the movies (except for The Lady Vanishes and The 39 Steps, of which I had the Criterion editions). Anyway, I got the two box sets here on Amazon (they're also now available in one big set with 14 DVDs), and I've watched through all of them.
The first thing you need to know, and then promptly forget about, is that Tony Curtis provides an introduction to each DVD, and man is it brutal! There are a lot of pictures that were publicity stills for his later movies or his TV series, and Tony says things like, 'Hitch liked to shock people. You know what it's like when you have a good twist at the end of a film? Hitch had a lot of those. Shocking!' His comments rarely relate to the movie. Anyway, I watched all the intros, but it was painful.
Several of the DVDs also have trailers for later Hitchcock films, all in horrible condition. Which makes the transfers of the actual movies all that much better, since they're quite acceptable. The worst transfer is the earliest film, The Lodger, and the worst movies are The Manxman and Easy Virtue. Besides that, it was a pleasure watching them. None of the films are at the level of the two Criterion releases, and there are certainly lines and scratches throughout, but you can enjoy them. The sound is generally okay'very little screeching as I recall from the VHS copies I've seen. There's really no bass response at all, but there's not a whole lot of scratching either.
I think (a) except for the two Criterion ones, they're the best copies out there, (b) if you're a Hitchcock fan, they're required viewing and you won't be disappointed in the movies themselves, and (c) at about $... a DVD, and with three or so of the discs containing a second, silent film (none of the silents stand alone on a DVD) and two of the discs containing an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (in probably the worst condition you've ever seen them, especially if you've been spoiled by the Universal-released episodes), they're a tremendous bargain.
Note, these aren't all of Hitchcock's early movies. Several, such as Champagne and Juno and the Paycock, aren't out on DVD at all. Also note that these aren't all mystery/suspense films. The Farmer's Wife is a comedy, The Ring is a boxing/love story, Easy Virtue, Skin Game, and The Manxman are melodramas, and Jamaica Inn is a period piece. But it's neat to finish one of these and then watch, say, The 39 Steps and see an early glimpse into the director Hitch would later become.
One painful caveat: The Farmer's Wife, a silent comedy, was quite entertaining, but it was also nearly an hour longer than its 97-minute listed running time. Everytime I thought the farmer would finally choose a wife, another plot twist came up. After 2+ hours I started to consider hitting the FF button. I read somewhere that it's a common error in silent films to have them run at the wrong speed--unfortunately this one runs too slow. If you can forego the music, I'd consider watching it in a slight fast forward mode!

Wait for the new Hitchcock releases.
These DVDs are "Laserlight" releases which mean that they have very poor quality picture and sound.Wait for the new Hitchcock Box sets which have clear picture and sound plus documentaries and other extras.The superb Criterion versions are also a good choice.If it's introduced by Tony Curtis,then it's Laserlight,avoid it!

Half wonderful, all of great historical interest
Note: this review refers to the 14-DVD boxed set and not just to Volume 1.

No film buff and certainly no film major should be without the boxed set of 14 DVDs that Laserlight has issued under the umbrella title of . The DVDs are organized in no particular order, some containing only one film, some two, while two of them have a full film and an episode from the old "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series of the 1950s. They all have a trailer of more recent Hitchcock films and they all have an embarrassingly bad introduction by Tony Curtis, whose connection with these films and with English enunciation is vague at best.

The gems of the collection are "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), "The 39 Steps" (1935) and "The Lady Vanishes" (1939). Of the earlier talkies, "Young and Innocent" has the quintessential plot of an innocent man and a girl who somehow winds up with him being chased by the police. "Rich and Strange" (1932) is not a thriller but has a shivery sequence as a couple on a sinking boat sees the water seeping into their cabin--just before it stops sinking.

"Jamaica Inn" (1939) has an over the top performance by Charles Laughton (whose dialogue is hard to follow even on this restored version) and the first appearance of Maureen O'Hara. And for once, Robert Newton plays the Good Guy. "Sabotage" (1936) is based on a Joseph Conrad tale and has the famous scene of the boy on a bus with a bomb on his lap. (Later, Hitchcock commented he should not have let it go off.) "Secret Agent" (1936) gives us a young John Gielgud as a spy who kills the wrong man, Peter Lorre in a very bizarre role (helped or hindered by his drug-taking on and off the set), and the suavest villain of them all--Robert Young!

"Number 17" (1932) is one of the films Hitchcock did not want to film, and he gave us a great spoof on the genre of the spooky houses, diamond smugglers, and derring-do. "Murder" (1930) boasts a super cool Herbert Marshall as a jurist who reluctantly says guilty at a woman's murder trial and then spends the rest of the film proving her innocent.

More fascinating is "Blackmail" (1929), which existed in silent and talking versions. We have the latter and the often commented upon scene in which Hitchcock plays with the soundtrack so that only the word "knife" can be heard during the last part of a long monologue. Another trick he was forced into was the use of a British actress reading out the lines of the foreign-born heroine.

"The Skin Game" (1931) is weakest of the talkies included in this set; and indeed the dialogue is almost impossible to understand.

Of the silents, "The Lodger" (1927) is in the worst shape but it shows very clearly the influence of the silent German film on Hitchcock's early (and later) technique. Of course the long takes of a face staring into the camera are laughable today; but this is an historical document and demands a certain degree of detachment. "The Ring" (1927) does strain credibility, while it shows Hitchcock's love for show business of any sort, even circus freakshows and boxing.

"The Manxman" (1929) is slow and predictable with its love triangle, a misreported death, and the return of the husband. "Easy Virtue" (1927) is based on a Noel Coward play, which it follows only half way through the film, and shows a sympathetic view of the "woman with a past"--in this case, a divorce--together with a condemnation of those who cannot accept her. More Social Studies than good drama here.

However, "The Farmer's Wife" (1928) is quite funny once the somewhat jerky widower offers himself to three unlikely women while his housekeeper loves him in silence and has to assist him in his wooing spree.

One feature of these DVDs you will probably not need is the ability to hear the talkies in English, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese; or to subtitle the dialogue cards in the silents in the last three languages.

A strange feature of these DVDs is that they immediately take you into the film rather than into the menu. This should be changed in future printings.

So all in all, I would guess you would want to see some of the talkies many, many times, some of the silents less often, and some of them never again. But once more, this is a very valuable set for students and just plain lovers of film history, especially the part played in that history by Hitchcock. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not one of Hitch's best
A curious combination of actors and actresses make this pre-WW2 Hitchcock spy flick a B-level film.

The homely and genteel John Gielgud plays an English author whose death is faked during WW1 to set him up as a reluctant spy under an assumed name. His mission is to proceed to Switzerland to uncover and thwart a German agent. The beautiful and enthusiastic Madeleine Carroll is playing his wife. Gielgud meets her in a hotel where she is conversing with a very youthful looking Robert Young. Gielgud and Young eventually will vie for her affections. Gielgud is aided by a horribly miscast Peter Lorre. Lorre pays a phony Mexican general complete with curly black hair, a gold earring, prosthetic teeth and a terrible accent.

After killing the wrong man, Gielgud and Carroll show remorse and attempt to give up the spy game. The unsympathetic Lorre coaxes Gielgud to continue to pursue the real villain in a memorable scene in a chocolate factory.

In summation, Hitchcock has done a far better job with similar subject matter in 39 Steps, Saboteur and Foreign Correspondent.

A so-so movie from Hitchcock
I have to say, I didn't really enjoy this movie. I would recommend renting it before considering purchasing it.
I found there to be very little chemistry between Gielgud and Carrol, and Peter Lorre seems determined to steal every scene he is in. The story was a bit thin as well.

Not bad, not the best early Hitchcock
This Laserlight edition of "Secret Agent" includes a short introduction by Tony Curtis. Many Laserlight classics have an intro like this. Mr. Curtis speaks for about 3 or 4 minutes, a few still photos and publicity shots are shown; its a welcome addition to a budget release. Curtis' intros are sometimes very funny because he delivers his lines so awkwardly.

As for the movie itself... For a 1936 suspense thriller, it holds up pretty well. Hitchcock fans won't want to miss it. There is a lot of humor in this film, most of it courtesy of Peter Lorre, who steals the film as the General.

This edition of the film runs about 86 minutes. I have seen video guides list the film as having a 93 minute running time. I do not know if this version is incomplete, or if there is in fact a longer version available somewhere. It wouldn't be the first time Laserlight has released a cut version (Hitchcock's "Jamaica Inn" was released with several minutes missing). Maybe a future reviewer can shed some light on this mystery.

Worth A Look
Here is a Hitch movie that-although it is great, is very hard to watch. I think perhaps it is because of the plot which explores peoples fasination with killing a person. To begin with Carrol's character is all but too ready to kill the man. She thinks it would make a high old time. Gielgud's character knows, though that even if he does have orders and he's doing it for his country- that murder isn't a pretty thing to live with.

The movie starts out that you think he's dead but you soon find out that the government faked his death because they had an under cover job for him. He and Carrol (As well as Lorre) were to track down a spy and do away with him.

It really is a great movie, but if you aren't in the mood to think save it for when you are. But definatly check it out!!!!

One of Hitchcoks earlier thrillers
During WW1, Edgar Brodie has to assume a false identitiy and go on a secret mission to Switzerland. I liked the film because of the way Hitchcock builds the suspense in a viewer up to the climax of the incident at the Langen Alp. The carachter of Brodie, who has to go on a misson although he doesn't care much for espionage, and is really cold in some situations, is very interesting, along with the General and Elsa. Although his later work is much better in the ways of charachters and effects this is a good film, and I would recomend it not just to Hitchcock fans, but anyone who enjoys a good film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1930 drama was an early field day for Alfred Hitchcock and his evolving ideas about the blurring of opposites: reality and illusion, guilt and innocence, observing and doing, men and women. A rare whodunit in the director's canon, the story finds a stage actress (Norah Baring) convicted of murdering a female friend. Herbert Marshall stars as a veteran theater actor and, coincidentally, member of the jury who has grave doubts about the verdict and decides to investigate the crime on his own. His efforts lead him through a world with which he is sufficiently familiar--that of backstage intrigues--and toward what some critics have charged is an unfortunate link between villainy and a gay stereotype. But that limited critique completely misses the playful overlapping of faulty perceptions invited by this movie, in which Hitchcock deliberately confuses us at times about whether the action we're seeing is real or occurring on a stage. Even when the distinction is obvious, thematic echoes bounce wildly between the two, such as an early scene in which policemen observing a play don't realize the solution to the real murder is weirdly foretold in what they're watching. The print of the film used in the DVD release is serviceable and probably comparable to an average 16mm classroom or museum presentation. The DVD also includes a Hitchcock filmography, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Criterion is Cool
I don't have the other DVD version to compare this with, but this Criterion edition of THE LADY VANISHES is very good. There is an animated index page with the sound of a train. The print of this film looks very good -- of special interest is the "restoration" section of the index. Through the use of "wipes" the Criterion people show you a before and after version of the cleaned-up print. Very neat.

There is also a commentary from a film historian which is interesting, if a bit dry. I didn't get a chance to listen to the whole thing yet.

This is a good Hitchcock movie. It's a lot of fun -- as innocent as a Nancy Drew mystery at times, but with interesting strokes from the master! I had a good time.

DELIGHTFUL, SURPRISING GEM
"The Lady Vanishes" is a sparkling Hitchcock cocktail that looks forward to "North By Northwest" with its light adventure/mystery plotline and romantic/witty humor. Lockwood and Redgrave are spirited and always believable and understated in their roles, and if the mystery ultimately is revealed to be a trifle thin, Hitchcock makes the journey there so much fun that we don't mind in the least. (After all, this doesn't have the depth and poetic quality of "Vertigo"--but it isn't meant to.) Wry support from the secondary cast adds humor and social commentary, and a few trademark Hitchcock images give what could have been (in lesser hands) a claustraphobic production, a real cinematic charge. The Criterion DVD is remarkable: crisp, clean images, and a great and always interesting commentary from Bruce Eder. This is the kind of film whose reputation will continue to grow with time; its understated performances and Nancy Drew type premise give it a surprisingly timeless feel. For Hitchcock fans, the film and the Criterion disc are a must.

No "North by Northwest," but good early Hitchcock
This is early Hitchcock and you can see the talent that was already there. He made this story into a great suspense film, even though there were quite a few implausibilities. It's an odd film, though, in that it mixes a rather dark story (woman disappearing on a train) with an almost slapstick feel at times. This caught me off guard, and sometimes subverted the tension Hitchcock was trying to create. But it's a very witty film, quite fast-paced once it gets going, and very suspenseful. Definitely a fine example of early Hitchcock and an interesting look at turn-of-the-century Scotland.
Also, since this is a Criterion edition, the special features are excellent. Even more impressive, considering that the movie was made in 1935. They include an original press book that you can zoom in on and read, as well as commentary.

a great release for Criterion and one of Hitchcock's best !
The Lady vanishes is one of my most favorite Hitchcock films.

In it a young British woman meets an older Biritsh woman on a train in continental Europe. Later, her friend is nowhere to be seen and when no one else remembers her being there, she suspects a conspiracy.

It is another great one of the Pre WWII films that talks about Europe having 'problems' that will eventually lead to the second war.

Brilliant entertainment, nicely packaged
Along with The 39 Steps and The Man Who Knew Too Much, the Lady Vanishes represents the very best of Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood output.

It's a gripping tale told well. All the usual Hitchcock tricks and idiosyncracies are present and correct; the blonde, the train, and of course the murder and the fiendish twists.

Hitchcock was often at his best when designing films in restricted locations, so much of this takes place on a train, a train on which, of course, a lady - one Ms Foy - vanishes and everyone denies she ever even existed. Margaret Lockwood is excellent as the young woman determined to prove her own sanity by finding out what happened to Ms Foy.

And Michael Redgrave is great as the caddish wiseacre who is the only passenger who'll believe her.

Hitchcock was always great at getting the right chemistry between his leads, and this is another relationship with crackling, intelligent, slightly subversive dialogue.

It rips along at a great speed for a film of its vintage and deserves its place in the Hitchcock canon as his last truly great English film. But even forgetting who made it, forgetting its historical interest, its still an evolving, light-hearted yarn with all the elements you would want; action, romance, comedy and, naturally, suspense.

Brilliant entertainment, nicely packaged with a commentary and added material - although it's the film you'll come back to again and again. ... Read more