Running Time 1630 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
Masterpiece indeed. With 14 films, each supplemented with numerous documentaries, commentaries, and other bonus materials, Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection will be the cornerstone for any serious DVD library. Packaged in a beautiful, conversation-starting velvet box, the individual discs inside come four to a case, decorated with original poster art. <table align=left cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" > <tr><td align="center"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/hitchcock-set-small.jpg" border=0 align=top> </td></tr> </table> No doubt opinionated fans will argue about what should fall under the rubric of "masterpiece" in Hitchcock's body of work, but with the bona fide classics Vertigo, Psycho, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, there's plenty of timeless movie magic here. Eye-popping transfers and gorgeous sound make this set one of the must-have releases of the year.
Should the Hitchcock fan have the energy for more after imbibing on the movies themselves, a bonus disc provides additional documentaries. These include a revealing interview in which the master of suspense discusses, among other things, how much he dislikes working with method actors, going so far as to name names (we're talking about you, Jimmy Stewart and Montgomery Clift). In an American Film Institute lifetime achievement ceremony, the master of suspense is praised by the likes of Stewart and Ingrid Bergman, and seems to be suffering from severe boredom as celebrities pile on the flattery. Then Hitchcock opens his mouth to accept the award, delivering an endlessly witty stream of perfect bon mots that prove once again that he was a master of high comedy as well. Revealing documentaries about the making of Psycho and The Birds round out the feast of extras. The 36-page booklet, filled mostly with stills and poster art, provides little new information about the films.--Ryan Boudinot
<span class="h1"><strong>Films Included in Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection</strong></span>
<b>Saboteur</b>
Robert Cummings stars as Barry Kane, a patriotic munitions worker who is falsely accused of sabotage, in this wartime thriller from Alfred Hitchcock. Plastered across the front page of every newspaper and hated by the nation, Kane's only hope of clearing his name is to find the real villain. The script as a whole is a clever one--Algonquin wit Dorothy Parker shares a screenwriting credit, and her trademark zingers make for a terrific mix of humor and suspense. Saboteur is a pleasure whether you're a die-hard Hitchcock fan or just someone who likes a good nail-biter. --Ali Davis
<b>Shadow of a Doubt</b>
Alfred Hitchcock considered this 1943 thriller to be his personal favorite among his own films, and although it's not as popular as some of Hitchcock's later work, it's certainly worthy of the master's admiration. Scripted by playwright Thornton Wilder and inspired by the actual case of a 1920's serial killer known as "The Merry Widow Murderer," the movie sets a tone of menace and fear by introducing a psychotic killer into the small-town comforts of Santa Rosa, California. Through narrow escapes and a climactic scene aboard a speeding train, this witty thriller strips away the façade of small-town tranquility to reveal evil where it's least expected. And, of course, it's all done in pure Hitchcockian style. --Jeff Shannon
<b>Rope</b>
An experimental film masquerading as a standard Hollywood thriller, Rope is simple and based on a successful stage play: two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) commit murder, more or less as an intellectual exercise. They hide the body in their large apartment, then throw a dinner party. Will the body be discovered? Director Alfred Hitchcock, fascinated by the possibilities of the long-take style, decided to shoot this story as though it were happening in one long, uninterrupted shot. Since the camera can only hold one 10-minute reel at a time, Hitchcock had to be creative when it came time to change reels, disguising the switches as the camera passed behind someone's back or moved behind a lamp. James Stewart, as a suspicious professor, marks his first starring role for Hitchcock, a collaboration that would lead to the masterpieces Rear Window and Vertigo. --Robert Horton
<b>Rear Window</b>
Like the Greenwich Village courtyard view from its titular portal, Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is both confined and multileveled: both its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbors. Cheerful voyeurism, as well as the behavior glimpsed among the various tenants, affords a droll comic atmosphere that gradually darkens when he sees clues to what may be a murder. At deeper levels, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. --Sam Sutherland
<b>The Trouble with Harry</b>
A busman's holiday for Alfred Hitchcock, this 1955 black comedy concerns a pesky corpse that becomes a problem for a quiet, Vermont neighborhood. Shirley MacLaine makes her film debut as one of several characters who keep burying the body and finding it unburied again. Hitchcock clearly enjoys conjuring the autumnal look and feel of the story, and he establishes an important, first-time alliance with composer Bernard Herrmann, whose music proved vital to the director's next half-dozen or so films. But for now, The Trouble with Harry is a lark, the mischievous side of Hitchcock given free reign. --Tom Keogh
<b>The Man Who Knew Too Much</b>
Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own 1934 spy thriller is an exciting event in its own right, with several justifiably famous sequences. James Stewart and Doris Day play American tourists who discover more than they wanted to know about an assassination plot. When their son is kidnapped to keep them quiet, they are caught between concern for him and the terrible secret they hold. When asked about the difference between this version of the story and the one he made 22 years earlier, Hitchcock always said the first was the work of a talented amateur while the second was the act of a seasoned professional. Indeed, several extraordinary moments in this update represent consummate filmmaking, particularly a relentlessly exciting Albert Hall scene, with a blaring symphony, an assassin's gun, and Doris Day's scream. The Man Who Knew Too Muchis the work of a master in his prime. --Tom Keogh
<b>Vertigo</b>
Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, Vertigo has since taken its deserved place as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest, most spellbinding, most deeply personal achievement. James Stewart plays a retired police detective who is hired by an old friend to follow his wife (a superb Kim Novak, in what becomes a double role), whom he suspects of being possessed by the spirit of a dead madwoman. Shot around San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of the Legion of Honor are significant locations) and elsewhere in Northern California (the redwoods, Mission San Juan Batista) in rapturous Technicolor, Vertigo is as lovely as it is haunting. --Jim Emerson
<b>Psycho</b>
For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skillfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for one fateful night. --Jim Emerson
<b>The Birds</b>
Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. The Birds follows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however, The Birds is also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963, The Birds has grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films. --Robert Horton
<b>Marnie</b>
Sean Connery, fresh from the second Bond picture, From Russia with Love, is a Philadelphia playboy who begins to fall for Tippi Hedren's blonde ice goddess only when he realizes that she's a professional thief; she's come to work in his upper-crust insurance office in order to embezzle mass quantities. His patient program of investigation and surveillance has a creepy, voyeuristic quality that's pure Hitchcock, but all's lost when it emerges that the root of Marnie's problem is phobic sexual frigidity, induced by a childhood trauma. Luckily, Sean is up to the challenge. As it were. Not even D.H. Lawrence believed as fervently as Hitchcock in the curative properties of sexual release. --David Chute
<b>Torn Curtain</b>
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in what must unfortunately be called one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser efforts. Still, sub-par Hitchcock is better than a lot of what's out there, and this one is well worth a look. Newman plays cold war physicist Michael Armstrong, while Andrews plays his lovely assistant-and-fiancée, Sarah Sherman. Armstrong has been working on a missile defense system that will "make nuclear defense obsolete," and naturally both sides are very interested. All Sarah cares about is the fact that Michael has been acting awfully fishy lately. The suspense of Torn Curtain is by nature not as thrilling as that in the average Hitchcock film--much of it involves sitting still and wondering if the bad guys are getting closer. Still, Hitchcock manages to amuse himself: there is some beautifully clever camera work and an excruciating sequence that illustrates the frequent Hitchcock point that death is not a tidy business. --Ali Davis
<b>Topaz</b>
Alfred Hitchcock hadn't made a spy thriller since the 1930s, so his 1969 adaptation of Leon Uris's bestseller seemed like a curious choice for the director. But Hitchcock makes Uris's story of the West's investigation into the Soviet Union's dealings with Cuba his own. Frederick Stafford plays a French intelligence agent who works with his American counterpart (John Forsythe) to break up a Soviet spy ring. The film is a bit flat dramatically and visually, and there are sequences that seem to occupy Hitchcock's attention more than others. A minor work all around, with at least two alternative endings shot by Hitchcock. --Tom Keogh
<b>Frenzy</b>
Alfred Hitchcock's penultimate film, written by Anthony Shaffer (who also wrote Sleuth), this delightfully grisly little tale features an all-British cast minus star wattage, which may have accounted for its relatively slim showing in the States. Jon Finch plays a down-on-his-luck Londoner who is offered some help by an old pal (Barry Foster). In fact, Foster is a serial killer the police have been chasing--and he's framing Finch. Which leads to a classic Hitchcock situation: a guiltless man is forced to prove his innocence while eluding Scotland Yard at the same time. Spiked with Hitchcock's trademark dark humor, Frenzy also features a very funny subplot about the Scotland Yard investigator (Alec McCowen) in charge of the case, who must endure meals by a wife (Vivien Merchant) who is taking a gourmet-cooking class. --Marshall Fine
<b>Family Plot</b>
Alfred Hitchcock's final film is understated comic fun that mixes suspense with deft humor, thanks to a solid cast. The plot centers on the kidnapping of an heir and a diamond theft by a pair of bad guys led by Karen Black and William Devane. The cops seem befuddled, but that doesn't stop a questionable psychic (Barbara Harris) and her not overly bright boyfriend (Bruce Dern, in a rare good-guy role) from picking up the trail and actually solving the crime. Did she do it with actual psychic powers? That's part of the fun of Harris's enjoyably ditsy performance. --Marshall Fine
Customer Reviews:
Poor packaging........2007-06-01
This is a great set minus the annoying packaging. As someone mentioned earlier the DVD cases are fitted to go in a certain order and if they don't go in in that order then they get stuck and the edges of the DVD cases get frayed. The corners of the cases get frayed anyway because the cases are a paper and cardboard-based binding with the plastic DVD holders glued on to them. So I put them in spine first now. Open and close them enough times and you get those white, worn edges on the spine. Another problem with the cases is that the plastic glued on part that hold the DVDs in place are notorious for getting de-glued. Yet another thing. . .one disc is now not holding in the case properly. How could I remedy this problem? Buy an entire new set??? The door on the velvet box doesn't snap shut in anyway so if you hold the wrong side down. . .the DVDs will fall out. So watch out. The velvet box looks and feels nice but it collects dust very easily and is not easily cleanable. I tried to brush off some of the dust and the silvery logos and such began to flake off.
A REALLY NICE COLLECTION - A GREAT GIFT.......2007-05-23
Not only does this collection have some of Hitchcock's best movies, it also comes in a REALLY nice felt box and nice DVD cases. Makes an excellent gift.
Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection.......2007-05-08
This is an excellent collection. It doesn't have all of Hitchcock's greats, it's missing Strangers on a Train, Notorious and Rebecca, but its hands down the best collection assembled of his movies from the 40's and on. There are some great extras as well. I highly recommend this collection.
Alfred Hitchcock - Masterpiece Movie Collection DVD set.......2007-04-12
A Must have for all hard-core Alfred Hitchcock movie fans
Multible Thrillers.......2007-04-12
I received this DVD in the time promised. It came in good condition. How can you go wrong purchasing Alfred Hitchcock collections! One of the greatest,writers,director, and producer of all times. This was a birthday gift, and my son was "THRILLED" to receive it. Thanks
Average customer rating:
- Sometimes "style" is just as good as "substance"
- GREAT MOVIE, EVEN GREATER NEW LOOKS!!!!!!!!
- Grace Kelly at her elegant best
- Catch a Thief
- Yes, It's Better Now!
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To Catch a Thief
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00005JJX8
Release Date: 2002-11-05 |
Amazon.com
One of the creamiest of all of Alfred Hitchcock's films, <I>To Catch a Thief</I> is something like pure pleasure. Begin ticking off the ingredients of this 1955 movie and you'll get the picture: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, the French Riviera, champagne, fireworks, cat burglary. Mmm, it already feels good. Grant plays a retired thief who becomes a suspect when valuable things begin disappearing along the Cote d'Azur. The diamonds hanging from the well-sculpted neck of Grace Kelly would appear to be the newest target, but it's just possible that actual romance might also be wafting through the Mediterranean air. The lightness of the story keeps <I>To Catch a Thief</I> from being one of the masterpieces of Hitchcock's great run in the 1950s, but it is very difficult to cavil about the sunny locations, Grant's elegant aplomb, and Kelly's shrewd withholding of her sexual interest beneath the ice-queen exterior. John Michael Hayes provided the amusing script (which stretches double entendres to their limit, especially in a romantic discussion of fried chicken), Edith Head the splendid costumes. If the movie has any weight at all, it's in proving that at this point in his career Hitchcock was consumed with charting the tricky terrain of male-female courtship; if issues of trust are treated here with a light touch, they nevertheless matter as much as the mechanical working-out of Mr. H's suspense stories. <I>--Robert Horton</I>
Customer Reviews:
Sometimes "style" is just as good as "substance".......2007-06-15
Director Alfred Hitchcock was worthy of the title of "Master of Suspense." Some of his greatest successes, critically and commercially, were steeped in psychological terror, sexual tension/confusion, political intrigue, or his frequent use of mistaken identity in his plots.
While "To Catch a Thief" does have the "wronged man" scenario, in the guise of Cary Grant's cat burglar trying to prove his innocence, the film is more a showcase for the classy pairing of Grant and co-star Grace Kelly, along with the magnificent allure of The French Riviera, playground of the rich and famous.
Featuring luscious scenery and dazzling costumes by the legendary Edith Head, the movie is a feast for the senses and a testament to a time when there were MOVIE STARS.
Even with its fairly uncomplicated plot. the shared scenes of Grant and Kelly together are sheer heaven while John Williams and Jessye Royce Landis put the capital "C" and "A" in the term character actor.
The "extra" featurettes on the disc are equally as appealing, complete with interviews with Hitch's daughter Patricia and a fascinating profile of Head.
And the restoration of the film makes the French countryside look picture perfect.
GREAT MOVIE, EVEN GREATER NEW LOOKS!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-14
This latest version of "To Catch A Thief", has ADDED footage that NEVER appeared in the original theatrical release or subsequent full screen VHS, and first go around Widescreen mono DVD format (2002). This movie was filmed in High-Fidelity sound (STEREO) that has thus been restored for this Special Collectors Edition. It now has Dolby Digital English 2.0 Surround sound , where picture quality and colors are without description, the way it was originally intended to be!!
Of course, I do own a big screen (widescreen) Digital HD projection set with an equally Digital HD excellent playbak quality DVD player and equal Dolby Digital 7.1 Stereo sound system to match and thus may be the reason why it looks the way it does. This new Special Collectors Edition has been so cleaned up, that it matches or even surpasses any of the new modern DVD releases out there now. I HIGHLY recommend this timeless Hitchcok classic, in it's all NEWLY RESTORED version!!!!
Grace Kelly at her elegant best.......2007-06-12
This is a wonderful movie. Grace Kelly is so beautiful and elegant in this movie. It has a great plot and a Hitchcock suprise ending. Cary Grant is also wondeful and the photography along the beatiful French Riviera is outstanding. I highly recommend this film.
Catch a Thief.......2007-05-26
Great actors, good script, fun adult movie the kids would love.....why don't they make them like this anymore???
Yes, It's Better Now!.......2007-05-18
After reading the gushing, swooning review from the DVD critic in last Tuesday's NY Times, I immediately ordered the "Special Collector's Edition" of TO CATCH A THIEF from Amazon. When it arrived, I compared it to my original Paramount "Widescreen Edition" from 2002. Well, the critic was right--there's simply no comparison. This new version has a 2.0 Dolby Surround soundtrack (in addition to the original mono version) and a cleaned-up, enhanced, crystal-clear picture, start to finish. It looks like they took the drab, blurry, faded old stock and actually washed it, removing years of dirt and grime and smoke and hair and whatever else was there, not to mention a computerized removal of virtually all scratches and glitches. The result is astounding.
As for the color, see for yourself. Pay close attention to the first car chase down the mountain, the meeting in the flower market, and the costume ball near the end. Not to mention the many night scenes on rooftops, where everything is now much more visible than before. And Grant and Kelly? Well, the two most beautiful people who ever lived look even more beautiful. Wait till you see the famous fireworks scene now!
I don't have to tell you that this film is wonderful, no matter which version you have. But I can guarantee you that this newly restored version makes it seem better than ever. If you're as nuts about Hitchcock as I am, it really is worth the upgrade. Enjoy!
Average customer rating:
- I Love this movie
- Do you really believe in the perfect murder?
- Another Great Classic
- Cosy theatrical thriller
- A classic stage murder thriller...
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Dial M for Murder
Starring: Ray Milland , Grace Kelly , Robert Cummings , John Williams (II) , and Anthony Dawson
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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- Rear Window (Collector's Edition)
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- North By Northwest
- Strangers on a Train
- Vertigo (Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B0002HOEQ2
Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Product Description
When American writer Mark Halliday visits the very married Margot Wendice in London, he unknowingly sets off a chain of blackmail and murder. After sensing Margot's affections for Halliday, her husband, Tony Wendice, fears divorce and disinheritance, and plots her death. <BR /><BR />Knowing former school chum Captain Lesgate is involved in illegal activities, Tony blackmails him into conspiring to kill Margot. When she kills Lesgate in self-defense, Tony implicates her as being guilty of premeditated murder. Halliday must out-stratagize Tony to save Margot's live.
Running Time: 105 min.
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
A suave tennis player (Ray Milland) plots the perfect murder, the dispatching of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who is having an affair with a writer (Robert Cummings). Amazingly, the wife manages to stave off her attacker, a twist of fate that challenges the hubby's talent for improvisation. Alfred Hitchcock wisely stuck to the stage origins of Dial M for Murder, ignoring the temptation to "open up" the material from the home of the unhappy couple. The result may not be one of Hitchcock's deepest films, but it's a thoroughly engaging chamber movie. It also features Grace Kelly at her loveliest, the same year she made Rear Window with Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder was filmed in the briefly trendy 3-D process, and Hitchcock shot some scenes to bring out the depth of the 3-D field; it's especially good for the nail-biting attempted murder of Kelly, and her desperate reach for a pair of scissors that seems to be just outside her grasp. However, the film was rarely shown with the proper 3-D projection, going out "flat" instead (a 1980 reissue restored the process for a limited theatrical release). Dial M was remade in 1998 as A Perfect Murder, a film that changed and expanded the material, with no improvement on the clean, witty original. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
I Love this movie.......2007-05-29
This is a great murder mystery. Ray Milland is terrific as the cunning and manipulative husband out for the ultimate revenge. Robert Cummings seems a bit dim at first but then you realize he's just been taking it all in. Grace Kelly is just, well, she's Grace Kelly; elegant, beautiful, perfect. This movie introduced me to the talent of ay Milland. I watch this and "The Uninvited" together.
Do you really believe in the perfect murder?.......2007-03-15
Do you really believe in the perfect murder? Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a former tennis player, does. That is the reason why he decides that asking someone to kill his beautiful and very rich wife is a good idea.
But why kill someone just for the sake of doing so? Truth to be told, Tony is afraid that Margot (Grace Kelly) will ask him for divorce in order to marry Mark (Robert Cummings), an American writer she had a brief affair with after marrying Tony. Margot decided to stay with her husband, and is not aware of the fact that he knows about her past relationship with Mark, who happens to visit them when Tony decides he has to kill his wife. But how will he do it? And will he succeed?
If you really want to know the answers to those questions, and enjoy a well-paced thriller, watch "Dial M for Murder (1954). Enjoy it...
Belen Alcat
PS: "Dial M for Murder" was the inspiration for "A perfect murder" (1998), a film starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Another Great Classic.......2007-02-23
If you are familiar with any of the Hitchcock masterpiece edition DVDs. This is about the same quality, good picture and sound. This is something you would find in a store, not a nock-off. No problems at at.
Cosy theatrical thriller.......2007-02-17
This is a highly intreging, cleaverly constructed thriller with fantastic, sometimes sinister performances from all 3 central players. (Grace Kelly is stunning as well as exuding a sultry innocence). The fact that it mostly takes place in one indoor location does not matter to me but the lack of action may not appeal to some. The film relies on intense, absorbing script which works on all levels and is thoroughly entertaining.
Hitchcock at his 1950s best!
A classic stage murder thriller..........2006-12-27
Ray Milland schemes to knock off his lovely wife (Grace Kelly) in order to support his flagging bank balance...
His cause is "justified" by the fact that his wife is guilty of cheating on him...
Milland develops a carefully constructed murder plan, contacting Captain Lesgate (John Williams), an old college classmate operating illegal ventures, to whom he outlines his murder scheme and then blackmails into carrying it out...
The movie takes off from there as an intense character battle between three different characters... Tony, done by Ray Milland in outstanding performance, is icily intense and incredibly wild. He is easily the best of the three... Grace Kelly & Robert Cummings both pale in comparison, although Grace is slightly better, for the merely reason that her character is left for to do the least amount of truly suspenseful acting...
The murder is set up and is deliciously evil: The defining moment is when Ray Milland wipes clean every object he touches as he explains to Anthony Dawson how to carry out the murder of his adulterous wife, thus not incriminating himself... They discuss the closing of the screen door to the porch, the placement of the golden key, and the time it will take his woman to answer the distracting phone call...
Grace Kelly is the smart but vulnerable Margot... She begins her role dressed in bright crimson reds but as the film progresses and finds herself accused, her outfits become darker... Kelly is ingénue enough to be sympathetic but also tough enough to be respected... Her most memorable image was on the phone, oblivious to the assassin behind her...
Robert Cummings does not fare at all because of his comical face... He is the weakest cast member bringing so little to the table...
John Williams is excellent as the dangerous murder weapon tricked by a clever scoundrel... but he somewhere along makes one fatal mistake...
Anthony Dawson is absolutely brilliant, delightful as the eccentric Chief Inspector watching how the easy-talking husband is trying to cover his tracks... As soon as he arrives on scene to investigate the murder, there's an instant feeling of electricity... Here's a guy who can read human nature from a mile away... He takes compassion on Kelly, but unfortunately, the two don't partner up as in cop buddy movies...
The film, however, belongs to the sinister Ray Milland, the cold logic husband who designs the murder to look like a routine burglary gone wrong, and leads Scotland Yard into believing his wife is guilty of deliberate murder...
Milland, a genteel charmer with an icy murderous side, is perfect as Tony Wendice... If ever there was a demonstration of venality, Milland's Tony Wendice was it: courteous on the outside, devious on the inside... We see his cheery domestic manner with his wife... He blithely sends her out for the evening with her lover, then without breaking his stride sits down at the telephone and calls Swan, the man he intends to enlist for the murder... There is something chilling about the way in which Milland operates in these scenes: Once Swan arrives, the polite smile never leaves Milland's face as he switches gears from exchanging pleasantries to blackmail and murder.. The entire scene was shot from the ceiling...
'Dial M for Murder' holds its grip pretty well... Hitchcock provides the tension in many directorial tricks: Margot's unexpected change in plans for the evening; a hiding place for a key blocked by Mark at a critical moment; a stopped watch; an occupied telephone box; Margot's wavering hand holding the telephone that almost blocks Swan's access to her neck; Tony taking the key out of Swan's pocket and even briefing his wife what to tell the police...
'Dial M for Murder' is a classic stage murder thriller... It never reaches the heights that 'Rear Window' did, but it has to be one of the most brilliant stage thrillers ever written... The score, composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, is both eerie & precarious...
"Dial M for Murder" is a film that makes you pay attention. It is a definite must-see!
Average customer rating:
- The show is great,, but the product is junk
- forget free to air TV now
- Good Evening
- Cornfield was TZ, not Hitchcock.
- On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 6.0
|
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Mystery
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
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Similar Items:
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two
- Adventures of Superman - The Complete First Season
- Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
- Kolchak - The Night Stalker
- Perry Mason - Season 1, Vol. 1
ASIN: B000AL733G
Release Date: 2005-10-04 |
Amazon.com
When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic introductions and epilogues to each week's episode, flawlessly written by James Allardyce and frequently taking polite pot-shots at CBS sponsors, or skirting around broadcast standards (which demanded that no crime could go unpunished) by humorously explaining how the show's killers and criminals were always brought to justice... though always with a nod and a wink to the viewer.
This knowing complicity was Hitchcock's pact with his audience, and the secret to his (and the series') long-term success. It's also what attracted a stable of talented writers whose teleplays, both original and adapted, maintained a high standard of excellence. Hitchcock directed four of the first season's 39 episodes, including the premiere episode "Revenge" (a fan favorite, with future Psycho costar Vera Miles) and the season highlight "Breakdown," with Joseph Cotten as a car-accident victim, paralyzed and motionless, who's nearly left for dead; it's a perfect example of visual and narrative economy, executed with a master's touch. (The fourth episode, "Don't Come Back Alive," is also a popular favorite, with the kind of sinister twist that became a series trademark.) Robert Stevenson directed the majority of the remaining episodes with similar skill, serving tightly plotted tales (selected by associate producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd) by such literary greats as Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and John Collier. Adding to the series' prestige was a weekly roster of new and seasoned stars, with first-season appearances by Cloris Leachman, Darren McGavin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Barry Fitzgerald, John Cassavetes, Joanne Woodward, Thelma Ritter, and a host of Hollywood's best-known character players. With such stellar talent on weekly display, Alfred Hitchcock Presents paved the way for Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and other series that maximized the anthology format's storytelling potential.
Packed onto three double-sided DVDs, these 39 episodes hold up remarkably well, and while some prints show the wear and tear of syndication, they look and sound surprisingly good (although audio compression will cause many viewers to turn up the volume). The 15-minute bonus featurette, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back" is perfunctory at best, but it's nice to see new anecdotal interviews with Norman Lloyd, assistant director Hilton Green, and Hitchcock's daughter Pat (a frequent performer on these episodes), who survived to see their popular series benefit from the archival convenience of DVD. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
The show is great,, but the product is junk.......2007-06-10
I'm not going to slam one of the best shows that's ever been on TV, so look to another review if you want to read what an amateur critic has to say. But I have a serious problem with any company that sells me a product that does not work. I actually bought 2 of this product, thinking I somehow got a freak defective set and just ordered another one and paid for them both. But neither of them play without an occasional freeze up during playing, and one of them just flat will not play all the way through. I'm not a penny pincher and I don't have time to go running to the post office every time somebody rips me off, so they can have my money that they stole from me. But if I were you, I'd buy another product. I got season 2, and it seems to be ok.
forget free to air TV now.......2007-06-10
This is great value, I knocked off one star because the DVD is double sided, I would of preferred to pay the extra for a 6 DVD pack I dont think it would of put the price up all that much.
Good Evening.......2007-06-09
If your a Alfred Hitchcock fan & you remember the show from years ago ,then you won't be disappointed. It was very well made & the quality of the DVD is state of the art. The shows are just as clear as when they were first made. You will definitely enjoy these great shows of the past.
Its still great to see that profile of Mr Hitchcock after all these years.
Cornfield was TZ, not Hitchcock........2007-06-04
For J Rose and anyone reading his/her comment... "The 'send them to the cornfield' episode is included here. WAY sad compared with how frightened it made me as a kid..."
Are you sure you're reviewing the right product? That "wish them to the cornfield" story (which was truly disturbing - remember the shadow of the jack-in-the-box head?) was "It's A Good Life" starring a young Billy Mumy, one of the most famous episodes...of TWILIGHT ZONE.
Five stars for the content os Hitch Season One, one point off for two-sided discs. Keep 'em coming!
On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 6.0.......2007-05-22
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS is one of the definitive highlights from television's golden age. Tautly written photoplays expertly acted and filmed, this half-hour TV program is a lasting tribute to the murder-mystery genre, and to all concerned in its making. The stable of UNIVERSAL PICTURES actors available to this show's producers also guaranteed a consistently hard to beat level of quality. (One strange casting coincidence this first season: the future Colonel Klink and Sgt. Schultz of HOGAN'S HEROES appear together in "Safe Conduct.")
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS is highly recommended for all Hitchcock fans and aficionados of vintage television. (Note to UNIVERSAL/MCA-- a suggestion that future volumes include the intro and epilogue segments that 'Hitch' filmed for European audiences only.)
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The 1 to 10 rating for the first season of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS was calculated from polling data maintained by a film resource website. Current average score for these 39 episodes is: 6.0.
The following program list includes individual episode ratings and original airdates, as well as principal actors for each installment.
(6.9) Revenge (#1 - 10/2/55) - Ralph Meeker/Vera Miles/Frances Bavier
(6.5) Premonition (#2 - 10/9/55) - John Forsythe/Cloris Leachman/George Macready
(6.6) Triggers in Leash (#3 - 10/16/55) - Gene Barry/Darren McGavin/Ellen Corby
(6.3) Don't Come Back Alive (#4 - 10/23/55) - Sidney Blackmer/Virginia Gregg/Robert Earnhardt
(5.9) Into Thin Air (#5 - 10/30/07) - Patricia Hitchcock/Geoffrey Toone/Alan Napier
(6.0) Salvage (#6 - 11/6/55) - Gene Barry/Nancy Gates/Elisha Cook Jr.
(7.1) Breakdown (#7 - 11/13/55) - Joseph Cotten/Raymond Bailey/Aaron Spelling (minor role)
(6.1) Our Cook's a Treasure (#8 - 11/20/55) - Everett Sloane/Beulah Bondi/Janet Ward
(6.4) The Long Shot (#9 - 11/27/55) - Peter Lawford/John Williams/Frank Gerstle
(6.4) The Case of Mr. Pelham (#10 - 12/4/55) - Tom Ewell/Raymond Bailey/Justice Watson
(6.0) Guilty Witness (#11 - 12/11/55) - Judith Evelyn/Kathleen Maguire/Joe Mantell
(6.4) Santa Claus and the 10th Avenue Kid (#12 - 12/18/55) - Barry Fitzgerald/Virginia Gregg/Bobby Clark
(6.5) The Cheney Vase (#13 - 12/25/55) - Patricia Collinge/Darren McGavin/Carolyn Jones/Ruta Lee
(5.7) A Bullet for Baldwin (#14 - 1/1/56) - John Qualen/Sebastian Cabot/Phillip Reed
(5.7) The Big Switch (#15 - 1/8/56) - George Mathews/Beverly Michaels/George E. Stone
(6.5) You Got to Have Luck (#16 - 1/15/56) - John Cassavettes/Marisa Pavan/Lamont Johnson
(5.7) The Older Sister (#17 - 1/22/56) - Joan Loring/Carmen Mathews/Polly Rowles
(5.4) Shopping for Death (#18 - 1/29/56) - Jo Van Fleet/Robert H. Harris/Michael Ansara
(6.2) The Derelicts (#19 - 2/5/56) - Robert Newton/Phillip Reed/Peggy Knudsen
(5.7) And So Died Riabouchinska (#20 - 2/12/56) - Claude Rains/Charles Bronson/Virginia Gregg (voice)
(5.7) Safe Conduct (#21 - 2/19/56) - Claire Trevor/Werner Klemperer/John Banner
(5.5) Place of Shadows (#22 - 2/26/56) - Everett Sloane/Mark Damon/Claude Akins
(6.3) Back for Christmas (#23 - 3/4/56) - John Williams/Isabel Elsom/Arthur Gould-Porter
(6.0) The Perfect Murder (#24 - 3/11/56) - Hurd Hatfield/Mildred Natwick/Philip Coolidge
(6.0) There Was an Old Woman (#25 - 3/18/56) - Estelle Winwood/Charles Bronson/Norma Crane
(5.7) Whodunit? (#26 - 3/25/56) - John Williams/Amanda Blake/Alan Napier/Ruta Lee
(6.3) Help Wanted (#27 - 4/1/56) - John Qualen/Lorne Greene/Madge Kennedy
(5.6) Portrait of Jocelyn (#28 - 4/8/56) - Philip Abbott/Nancy Gates/John Baragrey
(5.8) The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby (#29 - 4/15/56) - Robert H. Harris/Meg Mundy/Michael Ansara
(5.7) Never Again (#30 - 4/22/56) - Phyllis Thaxter/Louise Albritton/Warren Stevens
(6.1) The Gentleman from America (#31 - 4/29/56) - Biff McGuire/Ralph Clanton/John D. Irving
(5.2) The Baby Sitter (#32 - 5/6/56) - Thelma Ritter/Mary Wickes/Michael Ansara
(6.0) The Belfry (#33 - 5/13/56) - Jack Mullaney/Patricia Hitchcock/Dabbs Greer
(5.2) The Hidden Thing (#34 - 5/20/56) - Biff McGuire/Robert H. Harris/Rachel Ames
(5.2) The Legacy (#35 - 5/27/56) - Leora Dana/Jacques Bergerac/Alan Hewitt
(5.4) Mink (#36 - 6/3/56) - Ruth Hussey/Vinton Haworth/Vivi Janiss
(5.9) Decoy (#37 - 6/10/56) - Robert Horton/Cara Williams/Frank Gorshin
(6.2) The Creeper (#38 - 6/17/56) - Constance Ford/Steve Brodie/Harry Townes
(6.1) Momentum (#39 - 6/24/56) - Joanne Woodward/Skip Homeier/Ken Christy
Average customer rating:
- On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 5.5
- They're Edited!
- Great for Hitchcock fans
- Just Gets Better And Better
- Creaky stories...but there is Hitch!
|
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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Classics
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Similar Items:
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One
- Perry Mason - Season 1, Vol. 2
- Mission: Impossible - The Complete First TV Season
- Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons
- Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
ASIN: B000HDR814
Release Date: 2006-10-17 |
Amazon.com
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" appears to be the guiding philosophy behind season 2 of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Like season 1, these 39 episodes (totaling 16 hours, 52 minutes, and originally broadcast from September 30, 1956 to June 23, 1957) follow the established formula that made the series so popular, with self-contained tales of murder, suspense, and intrigue (mostly running about 26 minutes each) based on short stories from a variety of new and established writers in the mystery genre. (Many of these stories also found their way into <I>Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine</I>.) By latter-day standards of intensity, most of these episodes play like tame, parlor-trick mysteries or single-room chamber pieces that accommodated the show's emphasis on budget-friendly production values. Still, modern-day viewers can readily appreciate the consistently high quality of writing, direction, and performance, along with the droll, playful introductions by Hitchcock himself, now fully established as a TV celebrity in addition to his global acclaim as "the master of suspense." (Ironically, Hitchcock's first-season jokes at the expense of series sponsors are mostly missing here; apparently Hitchcock agreed to aim his humor elsewhere.) With the release of season 2, Universal has upgraded their disc format to appease fans who complained about double-sided discs in season 1; these five discs (eight episodes each, with seven on disc 5) are single-sided, double-layered, and neatly presented with no-frills menus and easy access to episodes. (Unfortunately, cast and credits are not listed on the packaging, which includes brief plot synopses on the inside slip-case.) Picture quality is uniformly crisp and clean, and sound quality is mostly excellent, allowing for somewhat lower volume on a few episodes (so turn 'em up). Another improvement on these DVDs is the inclusion of four chapter stops for each episode.
As with season 1, the season premiere ("Wet Saturday") was directed by Hitchcock, who also helmed "Mr. Blanchard's Secret," the season highlight thriller "One More Mile to Go," and "The Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater." It's no accident that these rank among the finest episodes (Hitchcock enjoyed the speed and economy of TV directing), but while there are a few misfires along the way, most of these episodes adhere to the smart, literate standard of the series. They're also an impressive showcase for new and established actors from the twilight of Hollywood's golden age: Seasoned veterans like Cedric Hardwicke, Mildred Dunnock, Henry Jones, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Edmund Gwenn, and Albert Salmi do fine work here, and the relative newcomers include Rip Torn, William Shatner, Dick York, and Robert Culp, among others. Of course, no crime could go unpunished in '50 TV-land, so Hitchcock (in closing each episode) assures us that all criminals were eventually brought to justice. All in a day's work for Alfred Hitchcock Presents! --Jeff Shannon
Description
With dramatic flourish, Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock used these simple words to introduce all of his 39 timeless episodes of horror, mystery and intrigue in Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Two, now available in a 5-disc collection. Not only loved by millions of TV viewers around the world, this legendary season also received three Emmy awards as well as a Golden Globe for Television Achievement. Loaded with twists, turns, and things that go "bump" in the night, these classic half-hour tales of menace and mayhem feature such iconic stars as Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Rip Torn, Vic Morrow, and many more. It's time to tune in once more to the master storyteller as he delights viewers with some of the most deliciously wicked and chilling television ever aired!
Customer Reviews:
On a 1 to 10 scale, this collection is rated: 5.5.......2007-05-25
Season Two of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS has Hitch in tip-top form as he drolly winks and nudge-nudges his way through some of the smartest intro and epilog segments ever written for a TV program. Taking the master of suspense at his word, none of the wrongdoers in these stories ever got away with their crimes. At least, that's what he told his American audience. In Britain and elsewhere, rather than dwell on right vs. wrong, Hitchcock's host segments were filled with amusing commentary about the curious Americans and their customs.
(Note: He recorded these alternate pieces in English, French and German-- Hitchcock was fluent in all three languages.)
His stable of regulars once again deliver fine performances, the scripts are well-written and direction and photography expert. Transfer to DVD quality is of the highest caliber. This second full season of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS is certain to please the most discriminating of vintage TV show collectors, while Hitchcock fans will be most delighted.
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The averaged-out 1 to 10 score for this DVD set was calculated from viewer polling numbers maintained by a film resource website. Currently, these 39 episodes are rated: 5.5.
Following is a program list that includes individual poll scores, original airdates and main actors for each show.
DISC ONE--
(6.1) Wet Saturday (#1 - 9/30/56) - Cedric Hardwicke/John Williams/Tita Purdom
(5.2) Fog Closing In (#2 - 10/7/56) - Phyllis Thaxter/Paul Langton/George Grizzard
(5.2) De Mortuis (#3 - 10/14/56) - Robert Emhardt/Cara Williams/Henry Jones
(5.4) Kill with Kindness (#4 - 10/21/56) - Holly Bane/Hume Cronyn/James Gleason
(5.6) None Are So Blind (#5 - 10/28/56) - Hurd Hatfield/Mildred Dunnock/K.T. Stevens
(5.1) Toby (#6 - 11/4/56) - Jessica Tandy/Robert H. Harris/Ellen Corby
(5.7) Alibi Me (#7 - 11/11/56) - Lee Philips/Chick Chandler/Alan Reed
(5.4) Conversation Over a Corpse (#8 - 11/18/56) - Ray Collins/Carmen Mathews/Ted Stanhope
DISC TWO--
(5.7) Crack of Doom (#9 - 11/25/56) - Robert Horton/Robert Middleton/Gail Kobe
(5.5) Jonathan (#10 - 12/2/56) - Corey Allen/Georgann Johnson/Douglas Kennedy
(5.8) The Better Bargain (#11 - 12/9/56) - Don Hanmer/Kathleen Hughes/Henry Silva
(5.5) The Rose Garden (#12 - 12/16/56) - John Williams/Patricia Collinge/Evelyn Varden
(5.8) Mr. Blanchard's Secret (#13 - 12/23/56) - Robert Horton/Meg Mundy/Mary Scott
(5.3) John Brown's Body (#14 - 12/30/56) - Russell Collins/Leora Dana/Norman Leavitt
(5.6) Crackpot (#15 - 1/6/57) - Biff McGuire/Robert Emhardt/Mary Scott
(5.5) Nightmare in 4-D (#16 - 1/13/57) - Henry Jones/Norman Lloyd/Virginia Gregg
DISC THREE--
(5.3) My Brother, Richard (#17 - 1/20/57) - Royal Dano/Inger Stevens/Harry Townes
(5.9) The Manacled (#18 - 1/27/57) - Gary Merrill/William Redfield/Rusty Lane
(5.5) A Bottle of Wine (#19 - 2/3/57) - Herbert Marshall/Robert Horton/Jarma Lewis
(5.6) Malice Domestic (#20 - 2/10/57) - Ralph Meeker/Phyllis Thaxter/Ralph Clanton
(5.6) Number Twenty-Two (#21 - 2/17/57) - Russell Collins/Peter Leeds/Rip Torn (minor role)
(5.8) The End of Indian Summer (#22 - 2/24/57) - Philip Coolidge/Gladys Cooper/Mason Curry
(6.2) One for the Road (#23 - 3/3/57) - John Baragrey/Georgann Johnson/Mickey Kuhn
(5.7) The Cream of the Jest (#24 - 3/10/57) - Joan Banks/Don Garrett/Claude Rains
DISC FOUR--
(5.5) I Killed the Count (Part 1) (#25 - 3/17/57) - John Williams/Alan Napier/Charles Cooper
(5.3) I Killed the Count (Part 2) (#26 - 3/24/57) - John Williams/Rosemary Harris/Alan Napier
(5.3) I Killed the Count (Part 3) (#27 - 3/31/57) - John Williams/Rosemary Harris/Alan Napier
(6.6) One More Mile to Go (#28 - 4/7/57) - David Wayne/Steve Brodie/Louise Larabee
(5.7) Vicious Circle (#29 - 4/14/57) - Russell Johnson/George Macready/Dick York (all in support)
(5.5) The Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater (#30 - 4/21/57) - Raymond Bailey/Barbara Baxley/Isobel Elsom
(5.5) The Night the World Ended (#31 - 4/28/57) - Edith Barrett/Paul Brinegar/Harry Shearer (bit part)
(5.7) The Hands of Mr. Ottermole (#32 - 5/5/57) - Theodore Bikel/Rhys Williams/Torin Thatcher
DISC FIVE--
(5.2) A Man Greatly Beloved (#33 - 5/12/57) - Robert Culp/Cedric Hardwicke/Hugh Marlowe
(5.6) Martha Mason, Movie Star (#34 - 5/19/57) - Robert Emhardt/Judith Evelyn/Vinton Haworth
(5.4) The West Warlock Time Capsule (#35 - 5/26/57) - Sam Buffington/Bobby Clark/Mildred Dunnock
(4.8) Father and Son (#36 - 6/2/57) - Charles Davis/Edmund Gwenn/Pamela Light
(5.5) The Indestructible Mr. Weems (#37 - 6/9/57) - Harry Bellaver/Ted Bliss/Russell Collins
(5.3) A Little Sleep (#38 - 6/16/57) - John Carlyle/Barbara Cook/Vic Morrow
(5.5) The Dangerous People (#39 - 6/23/57) - David Armstrong/Ken Clark/Albert Salmi
They're Edited!.......2007-05-22
The episodes are edited. The credits list cast members that are not seen in the episodes. This is the only reason I gave this such a low rating. In Universal's defense, they don't state anywhere that the episodes are full and uncut.
Great for Hitchcock fans.......2007-05-11
A great season of a great show for fans of either Alfred Hitchcock or of classic television in general!
Just Gets Better And Better.......2007-05-07
This has to be one of the greatest series of all time. I am eagerly awaiting season 3 and season 4. Wonderful black and white television from the master of suspense.
Creaky stories...but there is Hitch!.......2007-04-25
There is no mystery as to how R.J. Reynolds made their fortune when you see the level of cigarette smoking that goes on in these old shows. They certainly got plenty from me until I wised up, but I digress. Season 2 is much the same as Season 1--it's all about Hitch. Take Hitchcock out of the mix and you've got some creaky old stories without a lot of mystery or suspense. Mind you, they were great in their time, and they are well acted by a combination of old pros (Claude Raines, Cedric Hardwicke)and very good newcomers (Dick York, Robert Culp), and very nicely directed (sometimes by Hitch himself). But time and 50 years of TV mysteries have not been kind to these wooley old tales, and they pretty much telegraph their twists.
For some reason Hitch layed off the sponsors in Season 2, but his arch and acerbic comments are still what makes the show. That and his trademark winking addendums that always reassert that "crime doesn't pay" are the great fun here. For me, I enjoyed them as a one-time viewing and remembering how unique the shows were for the time. But, I would seriously doubt that having seen them, many would want to watch them again so I would put this in the "rent-not-buy" category.
Average customer rating:
- Alfred Hitchcock Signature Movie Collection DVD set
- Wonderful Collection
- a must for a fan
- Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection
- Alfred Hitchcock
|
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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Signature Collections
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Boxed Sets & Collections
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Similar Items:
- Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
- Lifeboat (Special Edition)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One
- To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
- Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (The Asphalt Jungle / Gun Crazy / Murder My Sweet / Out of the Past / The Set-Up)
ASIN: B0002HOES0
Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Description
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection contains the DVD debut of 8 Hitchcock classics including "Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Special Edition," and the following 7 new single-disc DVDs: "Dial M For Murder," "Foreign Correspondent" "Suspicion," "The Wrong Man," "Stage Fright," "I Confess" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The previously released "North by Northwest" is also included in the 10-disc Signature Collection. Each of the 9 films in the collection shows why Hitchcock is regarded as one of Hollywood's most esteemed and important directors, and also brings legendary stars to the digital front including Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Montgomery Clift and many others. <P>Strangers on a Train - En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel. <P>Each DVD will be presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition and will include the original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Customer Reviews:
Alfred Hitchcock Signature Movie Collection DVD set.......2007-04-12
A Must have for all hard-core Alfred Hitchcock movie fans
Wonderful Collection.......2007-04-06
This collection is absolutely fabulous. All the movies are remastered and are excellent quality especially on a big screen. Just as I remembered them. Too cool...
a must for a fan.......2007-03-08
As a long time fan of Hitchcock, I am always looking for more. I have approx. 20 of his films on DVD. This collection has some that I had never seen before. In addition, the "making of" special features are great for someone who wants to know what made Hitch so unique as a film director. I have (and will) spend many hours viewing these discs.
Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection.......2007-01-29
If you an Alfred Hitchock movie fan, you need to get this box set. There are some movies, I haven't seen before, but I did enjoy them.
Alfred Hitchcock.......2007-01-16
This was a gift to my son, he was thoroughly excited about it, he said he loved it.
Average customer rating:
- A Boat Full of Issues
- Tallulah Bankhead and a lifeboat of intrigue...
- A Classic for a reason
- You choose:Adultery or Abuse? Not fair alternatives you protest? But it's AKIN TO the false choice writer Steinbeck offers here.
- Pretty much still holds water
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Lifeboat (Special Edition)
Starring: Tallulah Bankhead , William Bendix , Walter Slezak , Mary Anderson , and John Hodiak
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
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Similar Items:
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One
- Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (Fox Film Noir)
- The Dark Corner (Fox Film Noir)
- Kiss of Death (Fox Film Noir)
ASIN: B000A9QK7I
Release Date: 2005-10-18 |
Amazon.com
Part mystery, part wartime polemic, <I>Lifeboat</I> finds director Alfred Hitchcock tackling a cinematic challenge that foreshadows the self-imposed handicaps of <I>Rope</I> and <I>Rear Window</I>. As with those subsequent features, Hitchcock confines his action and characters to a single set, in this instance the lone surviving lifeboat from an Allied freighter sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic. A less confident, ingenious filmmaker might have opened up John Steinbeck's dialogue-driven character study beyond the battered boat and its cargo of survivors, but Hitchcock instead revels in his predicament to exploit the enforced intimacy between his characters.
Indeed, we never actually see the doomed freighter--the smoking ship's funnel beneath the credits simply sinks beneath the waves, and we're plunged into the escalating tensions between those who gradually find their way to the boat, a band of eight English and American passengers and crew, plus a German sailor (Walter Slezak) rescued from the U-boat, itself destroyed by the freighter's deck gun. Heading the cast and inevitably commanding their and our attention is the cello-voiced Tallulah Bankhead as Connie Porter, a cynical, sophisticated writer whose priorities seem to be hanging onto her mink and keeping her lipstick fresh. Gradually, the others find Porter and her lifeboat, forming a temporary community that inevitably suggests a careful cross section of archetypes, from wealthy industrialist (Henry Hull) to ship's boiler men (John Hodiak and William Bendix).
Hitchcock juggles the interpersonal skirmishes between the boat's occupants with the mystery of their German prisoner, which itself becomes a meditation on the fine line between nationalism and morality, a line that Slezak walks delicately until his identity is resolved. Visually, Hitchcock transforms his back-lot set and its rear-projected cloudbanks into a desolate stretch of ocean, while capturing the horror of an amputation through an economical set of images culminating in an empty boot. <I>--Sam Sutherland</I>
Description
Nominated for three Academy Awards, Alfred Hitchcock's "absorbing brilliantly executed" (Hollywood Reporter) World War II drama, is a remarkable story of human survival. <P>After their ship is sunk in the Atlantic by Germans, eight people are stranded in a lifeboat, among them a glamorous journalist (Tallulah Bankhead), a tough seaman (John Hodiak), a nurse (Mary Anderson) and an injured sailor (William Bendix). Their problems are further compounded when they pick up a ninth passenger - the Nazi captain from the U-boat that torpedoed them. With its powerful interplay of suspense and emotion, this legendary classic is a microcosm of humanity, revealing the subtleties of man's strengths and frailties under extraordinary duress.
Customer Reviews:
A Boat Full of Issues.......2007-06-20
John Steinbeck's LIFEBOAT gets the Alfred Hitchcock effect. In Hitchcock's film adaption, the story revolves around eight stranded passengers who's ship goes down in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. Indeed, this is a character study of the human intricacies, stereotypes and clash of cultures and inferior complexities, that occur during times of war; the film is a reflection of World War II, and the social atmosphere that was quite similar to the animosity and uneasiness that occurred during World War I, which involved xenophobia.
Hitchcock glares a light on the the eight passengers. Out of the eight, four stand out, and effectively keeps viewers at the edge of their seat as well as feel the tension, uncertainty, and fate of the rest of the characters in the film. Willy (Walter Slezak) is the stranger and distrustful German captain who presumably blew up the passenger ship and one of the characters Hitchcock casts a sharp focus on him, and journalist, Constance Porter (Tallulah Bankhead), a woman who clings to her materialistic possessions, and there is one scene where she weeps about her Cartier bracelet because she used it as fish bait. The only African American character in the film, George `Joe' Spencer, the ship's steward, played by Canada Lee, is one of the symbolic characters in the film, who was a convict in another life, but now has reformed. Also, worth mentioning is Gus Smith (William Bendix), an American who is in conflict with his German ancestry, loses his leg from gangrene and later becomes delusional and light-headed and imagines he's back home keeping track of baseball stats and awaits the day when he will see his girl; unfortunately, Gus does not get the chance. In addition, the passengers are at odds with Willy. Hitchcock subtly shows the passengers' resilience of taking any drastic actions against Willy, and throughout each scene where conflict occurred, the rule of law constantly loomed over their heads. However, the concluding scenes are the most pivotal and may raise questions.
Overall, LIFEBOAT is unpredictable and intense. But it is a significant film that takes place during World War II (note the concluding credits to the film, and you can see in the corner an advertisement to buy war bonds), and how individuals react during uncompromising situations Therefore, this is an unforgettable and highly recommended film.
Tallulah Bankhead and a lifeboat of intrigue..........2007-04-20
LIFEBOAT is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most accomplished--yet cruelly underrated--films. It stars the fabulous Tallulah Bankhead with a superb ensemble cast; the story of a group of survivors from a bombed freighter, fighting for their very survival in a flimsy lifeboat.
As the film opens, we see the freighter's smoking chimney stack sinking beneath the waves, miscellaneous floating debris, a pack of cards and a chessboard. The lone occupant of the lifeboat is revealed as Connie Porter (Tallulah Bankhead), an acerbic globe-trotting reporter, casually smoking a cigarette with her hair perfectly coiffed and draped in a mink coat. Connie soon helps gather the few survivors of the sinking, which include young nurse Alice (Mary Anderson), a reformed pickpocket (Canada Lee), a millionaire industrialist (Henry Hull), a grieving young mother (Heather Angel), wounded boiler-room worker, Gus (William Bendix), and wisecracking Kovak (John Hodiak).
The lives of the lifeboat passengers are put in untold jeopardy when one of the German crewmembers who helped to sink their freigher is rescued and brought aboard. What are his true motives? And why does he seem so willing to help them?... Walter Slezak delivers a fabulous performance as the never-named German sailor.
Acclaimed John Steinbeck ("Of Mice and Men", "The Grapes of Wrath") wrote the screenplay, the very first piece he wrote exclusively for the screen. While this is very much an ensemble piece, Tallulah Bankhead can't help but dominate with her gorgeous beauty and casual wit (and after all, the audience is first introduced to her). John Hodiak, Hume Cronyn, and especially William Bendix, are all memorable here too. Playing the two other females onboard, Heather Angel and Mary Anderson must fight for screentime (Bankhead was a notorious scene-stealer), but manage to make a solid impression.
LIFEBOAT is a very important film in the World War II era of Hitchcock's career. There is no doubt that he wanted to get people talking about the palpable threat which Germany posed to the free world, and within the confines of a lifeboat, that threat and premise is explored and played out brilliantly. As a paradox of the times in which it was made, LIFEBOAT delivers handsomely, and still offers gripping entertainment today.
The DVD includes audio commentary with Hitchcock expert Prof. Drew Casper; an all-new "Making of..." featurette, galleries, and the trailer.
A Classic for a reason.......2007-04-16
You know one thing I like about old movies? If they only needed 90 minutes to tell a story, then by gum that's all they filmed.
Is clever dialogue a lost art? The story is the story, but why not make some folks witty? You try to be witty in real life, and movie viewers appreciate it on the big screen.
You know the formula, of course, but so what? Steinbeck, Hitchcock, and every actor loaded with talent. It's a classic. Pretty damn intense and at least 90% realistic.
You choose:Adultery or Abuse? Not fair alternatives you protest? But it's AKIN TO the false choice writer Steinbeck offers here........2007-03-26
Yes, this is a well-made film which is filmed superbly well, but the message driving the film is overbearing. The scene: Chance brings these shipwrecked folks together on this Lifeboat. The players in this character study courtesy of John Steinbeck, by way of Hitchcock, include: a former crook trying to go straight, a girl who soon goes overboard once her baby dies, a seemingly useless rich industrialist, a simple regular quiet guy, an apprehensive nurse-gal, a superbly dressed lady (even on the lifeboat) who is a reporter, a German sailor, and 2 working class guys. Of the latter one concerns himself thinking of his girl back home while the other comes across as a pseudo-intellectual pretender. Ignoring the supporting cast, we are left with 3 points of interest herein: Kovac, the pretender; Connie, the society reporter (very ably portrayed by Tallulah Bankhead); and Willy, the wily Nazi whiz who seems skilled in everything. Sounds dull, doesn't it? Oh, pardon me. I'm forgetting the spice to liven up this water-borne play. Connie provides this by verbally pegging Kovac as a "fellow traveler", later calling him (albeit sarcastically) "tovarich." Definitions: "fellow travelers" were folks who supported & sympathized with Communism, without being card-carrying party members; and "tovarich" is Russian for comrade. Thus it becomes political; a triangular treatment of the Nazis, Stalin's USSR, and the monkey in the middle "West"---ie., a materialistic well-off lady; one who, moreover, actually interprets between the two. Story details: thanks to Kovac's stubborn anti-German antagonism he is able to bully the others into trusting him over the German, who argues that Kovac's "course" will lead them further away from land. Kovac doesn't know anything about sailing, but thanks to his "gut" inclination assumes he is in the right. After the German earns their trust by saving the other working-class guy's life, Kovac relents on pursuing his course; and begins passing the time playing high-stakes cards with the rich industrialist. How he is able to possibly cover the sums he is wagering, however, is ignored. I'm going to own one of your factories when we're done, he even tells the rich man. (And we are supposed to believe that this millionaire would gamble large sums with a working-class guy with no apparent assets?) Then later we find out that, actually, Kovac was right about what course to take (after it was too late) and that the German had duped them. Moral: never trust a Nazi & give the benefit of the doubt to "the Left." Even Connie, in the end, falls for Kovac; his brawn (he goes topless the entire film) and his evincing leadership being apparently enough for her. No, I'm not calling Hitchcock a leftist. Moreover, I think he is generally brilliant---"The 39 Steps" is one of my all-time favorite films; "To Catch a Thief" & "Vertigo" are also superb. I'm just saying that the script (by Steinbeck, a rumored "fellow traveler" himself) betrays a simplistic dichotomy---the idea the Left wishes all to believe exists between "progressiveness", as evinced by the Left and Fascism. Remember this film was made in 1944; when Stalin's Soviet Union was an ally; when the Soviet Union's economic system was still thought worthy of emulating by some. Even if you think me nuts, do reserve judgment & at least consider the points made herein next time you chance to see this film. Then decide. Cheers to intellectual discourse and keeping an open mind!
Pretty much still holds water.......2007-03-24
There is nothing terribly subtle about "Lifeboat." After a merchant ship is sunk by a U-boat during WWII in the Atlantic, a varied group of survivors must interact on the only surviving lifeboat. There's a rich guy and a rich gal, a poor al and a poor guy, a black guy, a tough guy and a German guy. The social prejudices of the 1940s are all on display. Social correspondent Connie Porter has managed to gain a seat with her fur coat, movie camera and typewriter in tow. Others, like John Kovak (John Hoviak) arrive on board dirty and with little more than the clothes on their backs. The film revolves around relationship of the Americans and English with the German U-boat captain Willy (Walter Slezak). Hitchcock seems intent on lampooning those who in the 1940s harbor humane attitudes toward Germans. To his credit, Slezak is no caricature of the sneering Nazi; his menace is quiet, thus more insidious and all the more dangerous. Hitchcock seems intent on warning his audience against trusting Germans. By the end of the film, his characters' actions have turned from insouciant, ineffective and fawning to (appropriately to the film's moral code) murderous. It's hard to know whether Hitchcock was studying human nature's tendency to group violence or trying to incite it. The film was released in 1944, after all, and the outcome of the war was still not completely certain.
Technically, the film is masterful for its era. Trying to make something of the limitations of a rather small "set," must have been a challenge. Luckily, John Steinbeck's script crafts plenty of earnest, distracting drama from the guilt, ennui, snobbishness, sickness, madness and class conflict between the lifeboat's occupants. In one poignant moment, when a vote is being taken to determine the boat's new skipper, Gus (George 'Joe' Spencer), the lone black man on board hangs back. "Aren't you going to vote?" someone asks. And in an all-too-real reflection of mid-century American racial realities, Gus exclaims in shock, "I get to vote?"
Lifeboat had too few of these kind of moments, and too may of the manufactured kind. The rich slowly lose everything. The poor find comfort in venting at the rich and at falling in love. But it's not very convincing to see forty-something Tallulah Bankhead vamping as a siren to the young sailors. And I am still trying to work out the message of the movie. The film ends with the survivors on the verge of rescue. But what have they learned? How have they changed? And is it for the better?
Masterful for its day, a tad hokey and morally ambiguous. But it's Hitchcock and worth a viewing.
The DVD extras aren't bad - the movie promo material gives a view into 1940s movie marketing. And the interviews with Hitchcock's daughter is pretty interesting for tidbits about the actors (bad girl Tallulah didn't wear undies!) and the reason for the film's problems at the box office.
Average customer rating:
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Notorious (DVD) - 1946 - Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant (Import)
Starring: Ingrid Bergman; Cary Grant
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Seil DVD
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- Alfred Hitchcock - Spellbound
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- Suspicion
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ASIN: B000EEQI3K
Release Date: 2007-02-07 |
Product Description
High quality DVD, official release, manufactured in South Korean. Superior, clear, full screen black and white image. Original English dialog with optional Korean subtitles which can be easily turned off. All region NTSC format. Can be played on any North American DVD player. Many extras in special features section. Cast:
Cary Grant .... T.R. Devlin;
Ingrid Bergman .... Alicia Huberman Sebastian;
Claude Rains .... Alexander Sebastian;
Louis Calhern .... Captain Paul Prescott;
Leopoldine Konstantin .... Madame Anna Sebastian (as Madame Konstantin);
Reinhold Schünzel .... Professor; Wilhelm Renzler (as Reinhold Schunzel);
Moroni Olsen .... Walter Beardsley. The following review sums up the movie well:Post-War Espionage and Romance in Rio, September 21, 2005
Reviewer: Paul Kellogg (New York, NY)Elegant Cary Grant and beautiful Ingrid Bergman play the leads. Grant is Devlin, an American intelligence agent; Bergman acts the part of Alicia Huberman, daughter of a convicted Nazi spy, and party girl. The American government has an assignment for Miss Huberman in Rio; Devlin delivers the proposal. She is to infiltrate a group of Nazi scientists working on atomic energy. She accepts. Though the leads are romantically attracted, Grant's Devlin tries to maintain a cool distance, yet simultaneously manages to criticize a colleague's wife when he says that Bergman's character is "not a lady." Bergman's Huberman gains entry to the Nazi circle, and then offers to marry the man who's running the operation. That's Alex Sebastian - played by Claude Rains. He's totally smitten with Bergman, but he's also a mama's boy. Mama runs his home, and also finds time to help him when he discovers he's "married to an American agent." These Nazis are a nasty lot. Suspenseful finale.
Customer Reviews:
Bergman at her best.......2007-03-18
Although not one of her nominated films, this one has everything: Hitchcock, Grant, Raines, intrigue, sacrifice, and a deeply complicated love story. This film has stood the test of time better than some of her others (Gaslight for example) and is well-paced with strong dialog and characterizations. For anyone who wonders why Miss Bergman remains in the all-time top five 25 years after her death, and why Cary Grant thought she should get an award every year whether she made a picture or not, this is the film to see. The DVD is well made and appears to be a good transfer.
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- Norman Rockwell meets Norman Bates
- The Truth About Charlie,
- Roles of a lifetime!!
- Shadow Across an Innocent Age
- An Excellent Murderer
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Shadow of a Doubt
Starring: Irving Bacon , Charley Bates , Virginia Brissac , MacDonald Carey , and Frances Carson
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B000CCW2SY
Release Date: 2006-02-07 |
Amazon.com essential video
Alfred Hitchcock considered this 1943 thriller to be his personal favorite among his own films, and although it's not as popular as some of Hitchcock's later work, it's certainly worthy of the master's admiration. Scripted by playwright Thornton Wilder and inspired by the actual case of a 1920's serial killer known as "The Merry Widow Murderer," the movie sets a tone of menace and fear by introducing a psychotic killer into the small-town comforts of Santa Rosa, California. That's where young Charlie (Teresa Wright) lives with her parents and two younger siblings, and where murder is little more than a topic of morbid conversation for their mystery-buff neighbor (Hume Cronyn). Charlie was named after her favorite uncle, who has just arrived for an extended visit, and at first Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) gets along famously with his admiring niece. But the film's chilling prologue has already revealed Uncle Charlie's true identity as the notorious Merry Widow Murderer, and the suspense grows almost unbearable when young Charlie's trust gives way to gradual dread and suspicion. Through narrow escapes and a climactic scene aboard a speeding train, this witty thriller strips away the façade of small-town tranquility to reveal evil where it's least expected. And, of course, it's all done in pure Hitchcockian style. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Norman Rockwell meets Norman Bates.......2007-06-14
In my mind, Alfred Hitchcock was the greatest director in moviedom - bar none - and he considered this to be his favorite film. There are several reasons why this was so. First and foremost is the movie's insidious nature. We are taken to a stereotypical Mid-American town and are presented a scene of idyllic calm - Norman Rockwell brought to the big screen. However, all is not well as the center point of the film, Uncle Charlie, turns out to have a very dark side indeed. His adoring niece comes to slowly realize that things are not what they seem and that her "sainted uncle" is in fact a cold-blooded killer. From there, the suspense builds steadily until the film's climatic end. Norman Rockwell, meet Norman Bates.
The Truth About Charlie,.......2007-04-04
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
"Shadow of a Doubt" (1943), the story of a serial murderer as a loving uncle is the movie which Hitchcock himself had declared as his favorite. This movie is quite a departure from Hitchcock's previous Hollywood productions. For the first half, it is an intimate family dramedy that describes a typical American family in a typical small town, USA which in this film is called Santa Rosa, CA. Hitch said about the movie, "I am extremely anxious to avoid the conventional small-town American scene and the stock figures that have been seen in so many films." Much of the film was shot on location in a real California small town far away from the studio. The director worked closely with the famous writer Thornton Wilder on the screen (Oscar nomination) about a charming attractive young man (Joseph Cotten) who after many years comes to Santa Rosa to visit with the family of his older sister whom he truly loved. He brings into the lives of his relatives, especially his older niece and namesake Charlie (Teresa Wright) excitement and joy. Soon things begin look puzzling and even grim when two undercover detectives from a big city on the East Coast show up in Santa Rosa and reveal to Charlie who by the words of her father, "has brains" and the power of observation that her beloved uncle Charlie may be an infamous "Merry Widows murderer" on the run. The girl does not want to believe the detectives but she can't help noticing her uncle's strange behavior, his sudden and scary mood changes. The inscription on a gorgeous emerald ring he gave her as a gift makes her think of a previous owner of the pricey jewelry. She grows increasingly suspicious of the uncle who loves his niece but he loves his freedom much, much more...Unbearable tension builds up, leading to the series of accidents and to hair-raising climax in the best traditions of Hitchcock's movies.
Roles of a lifetime!!.......2006-12-26
Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright both play the roles of a lifetime in this Hitchcock classic!!
damn, I'd love to see this on a big screen!!
Shadow Across an Innocent Age.......2006-07-18
A film of subtleties and evil in plain sight, Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt is a slow moving character study of young "Charlie," the namesake niece of elegant but sinister uncle Charles. Formerly of Philadelphia, his visit to a younger sister in California is the kind of long visit by a relative everyone dreads in hindsight. Situated and contrasted by the light and seeming perfect American middle class small town of Petaluma, suave Charles Oakley (Joseph Cotten) is all fine suits and manners of a bachelor gentleman.
Wholesome Theresa Wright is "Young Charlie," an average, and purposeless young woman whose guileless world has bored her by its failure to have meaning, although she is the cause. As a member of a family where everyone talks over one another without heeding, the kids prattle, the wife babbles, and the family's men persist in mindless discussions over how to plot a murder effectively as family dinner conversation. Somehow this oddness is translated as the norm in Hitchcock's translation of small town. A film of many dialogues, only one voice is audible without interruption: Uncle Charles. His dinner table monologue is most menacing as he describes the "useless, fat, women" who he sees as less than human and deserving of death. Until this moment, young Charlie had idolized her uncle until doubt is created by a detective played by MacDonald Cary. One of two detectives on a national hunt for the "Merry Widow" serial murderer, they have tracked the suspicious Uncle Charles across country to his unsuspecting sister's home and family. Once the seeds of doubt are sown, Charlie's dreamlike idealization of her perfect uncle and his world becomes shattered by her suspicion. Charlie no longer can fantasize about her dreamy uncle who she has erotic longings that can never be consummated. Once he realizes his charade is over, Uncle Charles rips away the curtain of sleepwalking in Charlie's perfect world with terrible consequence. The perfect world is not a nice place as Charlie's revelation is made all the more grusome through her uncle's warped eyes. As the evil grows more apparent, Charlie attempts to shield her storybook family by keeping them ignorant of his murderous past, but is it at a cost to her own happiness and life?
Hitchcock acknowledged the film was his personal favorite and it defines the notions of suspense, noir, and thriller without blood or visual carnage. A literate script by Thorton Wilder (Our Town) alludes to violence that is only suggested never seen. Through the physical presence of the brilliant character actor, Joseph Cotton (Citizen Kane, Portrait of Jennie), the menace and diabolic threat to the snow white, virginal Theresa Wright is alluded in eye, body language, and especially his hands. Sophisticated and cerebral, Hitch was playing with audiences creating a masterpiece of normalcy and idealized family values under a looming presence that cast a shadow of a doubt. Classic, for every suspense library.
An Excellent Murderer.......2006-06-12
Teresa Wright, innocent young woman, lives with her Betty Crocker, mom, Patricia Collinge and her bank clerk dad. He's a detective murder enthusiast, Henry Travers. Then there's Dad's creepy pal, Hume Cronvn, with various recipes for poison. A young bespectacled sister and goofy little brother complete the family circle. Indeed, Wright is just off the set from her Mrs. Miniver performance. The virginal attitudes, the very real naiveté of 1940's small town, middle class girlhood never to be seen again, contrasts with the, ah, insertion of evil.
Uncle Charlie shows up, the beloved, world traveling, younger brother of weepy mom. Actually, he's on the lamb because his apparent wealth is accumulated after affairs with wealthy widows. Since these women had ended up in the morgue, the young detective, Macdonald Carey is on Joseph Cotton's trail. To get information, Carey woes Wright to get the goods on the Uncle. Hence, a confusing romance ensues, but can she give the detective information on her mother's favorite. It gets easier as Wright starts to get the picture.
This is Hitch's first American production and he certainly seems to enjoy the more expensive production values. The town of Santa Rosa literally pulls all the stops for the fat man. In those days, folks lived a block from the town business center. This is the same area where today there are crumbling buildings and high crime rates. In the forties, the middle class lived there, wandering the streets, walking to the library, strolling to the bank, or the local bar without a look over their shoulders. But watch out! Joseph Cotton, an excellent strangler, may be behind you.
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