Film Persona

  Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion" After the success of his first American productions, " Rebecca " and " Foreign Correspondent ," Alfred Hitchcock made a film that he would consider one of his most disappointing experiences. Based on the novel " Before the Fact " by Francis Illes, " Suspicion " was an attempt for Hitchcock to make a film about the point of view of a murder victim.  The film tells the story of a woman, played by Joan Fontaine, who marries a charming playboy believing him to be rich and successful. Soon, however, she finds out that he is not only NOT rich, but a chronic gambler and dishonest. Eventually, she begins to suspect that he may, in fact, murder her. However, by the end of the film, as insisted upon by RKO Studios, she learns that she was entirely wrong about his intentions.  The studio wished to change the ending because they did not want Cary Grant, at the height of his leading man persona, to now be associa...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" Why did Alfred Hitchcock come to America in April of 1939? There are many answers to this question. Hitchcock was offered a seven year contract to come to Hollywood by producer David O. Selznick, which he accepted. The timing could not have been better, as England entered World War II only 5 months later. On top of this, Hitchcock was aware that he had reached his peak with making pictures in the United Kingdom. With the Hollywood machine, he could be given a bigger budget, have more stars in his films, and have larger sets. The latter was very important for Hitchcock, as he often felt it important to utilize the external spaces of a scene to express the characters' internality (something he borrowed from the German Expressionists while studying under them in Germany in the 1920s). Hitchcock felt he could fair better with a big studio, and Selznick was the man to offer it. However, the relationship between the two soured instantly when H...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" The film that got Hitchcock to Hollywood, 1938's " The Lady Vanishes ," is perhaps the ignition point for the "Hitchcockian" films we've come to expect from the master. It is considered one of the best British films of the 20th century. It also caught the attention of Hollywood producer David O. Selznick, who believed Hitchcock would be a perfect addition to the Hollywood directorial roster at his production company. " The Lady Vanishes " was based on a 1936 mystery novel called " The Wheel Spins " by Ethel Line White. It was adapted to the screen by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder with additions to the story by Hitchcock.  Most of the film takes place entirely within a train car on its way to England from the fictional country of Bandrika. An English tourist named Iris Henderson is returning home to marry her wealthy fiance. After a vase is knocked over from a 2nd story window onto ...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" By 1935, Alfred Hitchcock had directed an array of British films, from routine dramas to literary adaptations to bizarre experimentation to the suspense and thriller that would start to become his singular focus. His 1935 film, " The 39 Steps ," would find him playing in a sandbox that he would continue to return to throughout his film career. Not only that, it was a sandbox that many filmmakers would play in from then on. Screenwriter Robert Towne would even go so far to say that "all contemporary escapist entertainment begins with ' The 39 Steps .'"  The plot utilizes the Hitchcock commonality of the 'MacGuffin,' or a plot device of no significance to the audience but is necessary to move the story along. The MacGuffin here are the '39 Steps,' a spy organization that is attempting to carry British secrets out of the country. However, these elements of the film only serve to push the protagon...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" It's very uncommon for a film director to have two films with the same name, especially if those two films are completely different stories. Alfred Hitchcock made " The Man Who Knew Too Much " 22 years apart, the first being in 1934. The film stars Peter Lorre in his second ever English speaking role, the first being the English dub for Fritz Lang's " M ." After fleeing the Nazis 1934, the first director Lorre contacted was Hitchcock. This makes sense, as Lang studied under Lang during his time visiting Germany in the 1920s. Hitchcock cast Lorre as the villain in this story about kidnapping and espionage. It was a great commercial and critical success in the UK and continued to further Hitchcock's career. Writer's Assessment: I found the film very boring, despite the 'thriller' genre category. The plot was somehow both convoluted and way too simple. Hitchcock does not do anything ...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "Blackmail" Often considered by many to be the United Kingdom's first talking film, Alfred Hitchcock's 1929 film " Blackmail " actually had a silent version play in theaters and even brought in higher profits than the talking version. This is largely due to movie theaters in the UK not being able to support sound pictures. Hitchcock was skeptical about the use of sound in films, but agreed to film the picture anyway. It was recorded on RCA's Photophone 'sound-on-film' process. Despite the silent version being the more popular version at the time, many who watch the film today will watch the talking version. The film continues in Hitchcock's recurring themes: murder, mystery, and wrong conviction. It follows a young woman named Alice who defends herself from a rapist and kills him in the process. She runs and hides the evidence. However, her boyfriend, who happens to be a Scotland Yard crime scene investigator is taske...