Classic Movies - Alfred Hitchcock British Films

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of Alfred Hitchcock! One of the most highly acclaimed directors of both British and American cinema, Alfred Hitchcock’s work spanned over six decades and because of the length of his career, we are devoting this entire week of blogs to the “Master of Suspense”. Today, we will feature a number of his British classics, both silent and talkie. Beginning with his first notable success, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) and ending with 1939’s Jamaica Inn (Maureen O’Hara’s screen debut), Alfred Hitchcock created many memorable film classics before he ever set foot in Hollywood.

Two of our favorite silent movies of the rotund director are The Manxman (1929) and The Ring (1927), both starring handsome Carl Brisson. The Manxman is set on the Isle of Man and involves a fisherman, Pete (Brisson), his friend and soon to be judge, Philip (Malcolm Keen), and pretty barmaid, Kate (Anny Ondra) in a heartbreaking love triangle. The beautiful musical score adds to the drama in this moving classic of the silent screen. The Ring is also about a love triangle, this time between a rising boxing champion (Brisson), his fickle young wife (Lilian Hall-Davis), and a veteran boxing champion (Ian Hunter). Both of these silent Hitchcock classics are winners. Give them a look sometime. (We rather enjoy silent films and find that they are much easier to watch than subtitled films because the words are shown separately from the action. We often find it difficult to read subtitles and watch the picture at the same time.)

There are many British “talkie” classics for which Alfred Hitchcock will always be remembered. Tales of mystery and intrigue such as Blackmail (1929), with Anny Ondra; The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), with Peter Lorre; The 39 Steps (1935), with Robert Donat ;

Sabotage (1936), with Sylvia Sydney; and Secret Agent (1936), with John Gielgud, have always been highly regarded Hitchcock films.

Our personal favorite of this period in his career is The Lady Vanishes (1938), with the marvelous Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Co-starring Dame May Whitty as the unforgettable Miss Froy, this film is a true gem of British cinema. Join the wonderful cast of characters on a thrilling train ride into danger. Along the way, you may also find a little romance and a lot of humor. ( Michael Redgrave and

the two cricket-loving Englishmen, played by Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, are particularly amusing.) We warmly recommend The Lady Vanishes, or any of the other films listed above, to any true fan of Hitchcock classics. Don’t miss our next blog for Alfred Hitchcock’s American Classics Part 1. Check in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more of "Let’s Talk Classic Movies"

**Trivia Question for Today: In The Lady Vanishes, what do Miss Froy and “a million Mexicans” prefer to drink? The answer to this question will appear in our next blog.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: The daughters of Widow Hudspeth in Friendly Persuasion were named Ruby, Pearl, and Opal (“Gems, every one of ‘em,” according to their mother). Singer, Pat Boone performed the lovely title song of the film.