Hitchcock Film By Film Thread

My wife and I saw Hitchcock's only 3D film at the Playboy theater in the 70s. The lenses were polarized, if memory serves. I remember thinking the film was slow paced and he seemed indifferent to the 3D process overall --- until that murder scene and the hand. One of the best effects I've seen.

 

That was an incredible scene. I also like a scene where a man was sitting in a chair and smoking and the smoke drifted off the screen. It's been so long I can't remember which character.

 

I'd echo Slokes comment--Hitchcock and his writers LOVED to put little details that would otherwise be ignored by other directors and it only enhanced the films.

I think that was part of the ploy of the film as well--lull you into complacency THEN hit you with the effect!

 

I saw it as a double feature with a 3D Three Stooges movie. They were door to door cream pie salesmen at a mad scientist's castle. The exact opposite as Dial M for Murder.

 

As someone who spent many years using a TDC 35mm camera, I agree... smoke rocks in 3D! water is another cool visual.

 

I saw Dial M For Murder in 3D last year on the big screen and really enjoyed it. The 3D was subtle, but overall the film did not look very sharp. I got used to it after a few minutes, but I wondered if the lack of sharpness had something to do with the 3D filming process.

 

I loved "Dial M" in 3D. Saw it on a double bill with "House of Wax," and boy were the differences stark. "House" just went for cheap effects, while Hitchcock seemed to want to place the viewer on the stage with the players. Of course, the murder scene was incredible, but the effect of the 3D on the rest of the film was unlike any use of 3D I have seen.

 

I've never seen Dial M for Murder in 3D. After all this talk, I really want to see it. As far as I know, it has never been shown near me.

 

I managed to record and watch THE 39 STEPS and now am more intrigued about it - so much so that I took advantage yesterday of the flash sale at Criterion to order the Blu-Ray. The TCM print was certainly serviceable, but samples of the Blu-Ray that I see online make me realize that the TCM print is not quite good enough for this collector.

I'm looking forward to receiving the Blu-Ray and will report my findings here.

Harry

 

I recently started picking up the vast majority of the Hitchcocks I was interested in or were fairly cheap. I now own 31 Hitchcocks with two more in my Amazon queue(Dial M For Murder and Lifeboat). I am picking my way through carefully.

I DO want to make it clear the biggest chunk of my collection is still covered by my Mill Creek 4 Disc set. Pretty much ALL his pre 1940 films including some of my favorites.
39 Steps
Man Who Knew Too Much
Sabotage(What a great film!)
The Lady Vanishes and
Jamaica Inn
The quality is better than acceptable considering, and the price is ridiculous. It was a staple in Walmart 5 dollar bins for years.

http://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchc...1&keywords=alfred+hitchcock+the+legend+begins
A used copy as low as a penny? Leap! Froggy, Leap!

 

Totally out of order here, but last night I went to a screening of Psycho with an orchestra playing the score live. While the film sound itself could have been better, seeing/hearing that score performed in front of me with an auditorium full of people was an incredible experience. Now I'm thinking there are loads of great films I'd like to see this way.

 

It's cool to see in 3D. Subtle but it works.

 

If you can get this going again, Mr Hoffman's wish might actually come true some time in 2017/8.

 

I just watched "Strangers on a Train" (not the first time). Wow. Robert Walker is the greatest psycho of all time in that film. What a performance! Holy cow. I was about to have a fit that he didn't win the best actor oscar, then I saw that Jose Ferrer won for "Cyrano" so that tempered my outrage a bit -- that's a pretty tough act to follow. But still, Robert Walker was perfect as a charming psychopath. Amazing performance.

 

Yes, a great performance. What a film!

 

I'm still outraged. I think Walker is better and more original. A number of interesting Hitchcock radio versions of his films exist. Some of my favorites: Ronald Coleman as Max De Winter in Laura. Another fascinating casting is Cary Grant as the accused priest in I Confess. But, a piece of casting that Robert Walker could have used to negotiate his fee was a radio version of Strangers on a Train with Frank Lovejoy as Bruno Anthony. I think Lovejoy's a good actor, but he totally lacks Walker's charisma. BTW, for those who are suckers for the original music, and in this case, I think it's virtually glued to the story, Suspicion has Joseph Cotten, superb as the male lead, but the best part is reproducing the weird Theramin-led score. I can only imagine this part being played live in front of the radio audience. There's definitely a powerful vibe to the broadcast, artfully directed by Fred McKaye.

 

Cyrano was a 1950 release. SOAT was 1951.

And Walker would not have been nominated for Best Actor, because, among other reasons, he was not the lead and he was billed third. If Warners took out any ads for him I'm sure they were for Best Supporting Actor.

The 1951 BSA nominees:

Karl Malden – A Streetcar Named Desire (winner)
Leo Genn – Quo Vadis
Kevin McCarthy – Death of a Salesman
Peter Ustinov – Quo Vadis
Gig Young – Come Fill the Cup

The SOAT film was released in June 1951. The Lux Radio Theater version was produced in December of that year.

 

Yes I know. I was kidding. I did not mean to infer that Robert Walker really did use Frank Lovejoy's performance to negotiate his fee. I was well aware that Lovejoy's was after, Lux's usual scheduling style. Walker really owns the role, although I'm sure there are other actors better suited than was Lovejoy. It'll be interesting to see who plays Bruno Anthony in the upcoming remake.

Another Lux Radio Theater casting decision that surprised me for its inspiration is Otto Kruger playing Waldo Lydecker in Laura. I really expected to be let down and that Clifton Webb alone could transmit the sarcastic menace of the fictionalized newspaper columnist. Kruger carried it with equal aplomb in a way that really caused me to sit up and take notice. The sexual ambiguity was missing, but Kruger replaced it with a condescending worldly literate snobbery that seemed even more real, more threatening than Webb's barbs, and I have long been Webb's fan. I always enjoy the Lux casts, which are sometimes the director's or producer's original choices.

 

I need to check that out! I love Kruger in Saboteur, one of my favorite Hitchcock's of his second tier stuff (in other words, its no Rear Window or Vertigo). I can't say Ive ever listened to the radio show extras that come with these older films, and can't picture Cary Grant as the priest in I Confess. I just hear his voice saying "that'll be two hail mary's and an our father"

I love Strangers on a Train, not sure why its not held in the same regard as Rear Window or Notorious, other than it didn't have a Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart as one of the male leads. I was well into my Hitchcock fandom before I saw it, I think because for years I mixed it up with The Lady Vanishes, which I'd seen.

 

Seeing Rear Window in '96 to '97 (aged 17) was a complete eye opener, and since then I've seen every Hitchcock film at least once, with the obvious exception of The Mountain Eagle (even though thanks to Dan Auiler's Hitchcock's Secret Notebooks I guess I've seen all that appears to be left of that film). My daughter was named Rebecca after the film.

My favourites are the aforementioned Rear Window, Vertigo (his second film I saw, although I fell asleep and it wasn't until I saw it a second and third time that I began to appreciate it), Shadow of a Doubt, North by Northwest and The Lady Vanishes. I have a soft spot for Jamaica Inn.

The only two films I didn't enjoy are Waltzes from Vienna and Number Seventeen, but I'll have to give both a second chance: I don't think I've seen either in 10-15 years.

 

I believe SF was the second place where the re-release of Dial M in 3D played in 1980. I saw it the first night, sat through Frenzy for the fifth time, just to make sure I had a seat.
The place filled up and when the lights went up after Frenzy, no one moved and 200 people were standing in the back of the theater.
Many refunds.

My God, that hand. I don't think I ever heard such a loud collective gasp before or since.

 

In 2001 or 2002 I went to an exposition "Hitchcock et l'art" in Paris, and they had the scissors from Dial M on display. I was amazed how shiny it was after 50 years.

I have the 3D blu ray, but my player doesn't support 3D. One day, one day..

 

I just read where Fathom Events are gonna be showing North by Northwest on movie screen.

April 2nd and 5th.

Check local listings.

My local Cinemark will be showing it and I plan to see it.