I got to see a reissued in 3D print of this film a few years ago. The brilliance of Hitchcock and his use of the 3D format is he downplayed all the typical 3D tropes of things bursting out into the audience, instead, he positioned lamps, props etc and filmed around them to give the feeling that you were in the same room with the actors, almost like you were complicit in the murder plot. Then, during the strangulation scene when tension is high - suddenly Grace Kelly's hand/arm come swinging back, grasping for a weapon, and the effect is her hand reaching out into the audience, into your face, like she's grasping for your help. The effect was startling.
The 22 minute dialogue scene of Ray Milland and his blackmail victim talking, moving around one room, picking up things, putting them down etc. is one of the greatest scenes in Hitchcock. Every camera move, every pause is exquisitely planned. The Academy Award Milland got for the overwrought 'Lost Weekend' he much more deserved for this scene alone.
The fact that this was shot with huge 3D cameras informs both the reason that it's shot in basically one location, and the framing of shots with objects and furniture placed between the camera and characters.
This was Hitchcock's only try at the big gimmick of the time, 3D movies. And it's nice to see that he didn't let himself get roped into just showing it off at every opportunity like so many other 3D films at the time did (just check out the paddleball scene from House of Wax for one of the worst cases of this), and watching it flat, you'd barely even know it was supposed to be 3D. The one part that really seems designed for the gimmick is when Margo is being strangled and seems to be reaching toward us, and I suspect quite a few people at the time instinctually tried to grab her hand to help.
The studio pressured Hitchcock to make a 3D film. He chose to do a film that takes place in a single room. I have seen the movie in it's original 3D format - stunning. An amazing murder mystery - I'm so glad you watched this.
Me, too. The theater showed a Three Stooges 3D short before the main feature. It was a quick contrast in how to use 3D as a gimmick (or a series of gimmicks), vs. how to use it with subtlety, as Hitchcock did.
@@anthonyleecollins9319 I saw it in a series of 3D films at a local museum. It was also the first time I had ever seen it. I also got to see House of Wax and Creature From the Black Lagoon as part of the series. People came from nearby cities (100 miles away) just to see House of Wax.
@@anthonyleecollins9319 Hitchcock used it to best. Fun fact: when Ray Milland is dialing the phone they hade to made a giant finger and rotary dial to get it in focus.
I understand that the movie, being shot in 3D, used a system of dual projectors to show it. Normally theaters did have two projectors, with the reel of a second part of a film all set to go as soon as the first one was finished. Due to the use of both projectors being in use, they had to stop the film to reload both projectors for the second part - hence why this movie has an intermission in it.
"People don't commit murder on credit." Fun Fact: This is the only movie that Sir Alfred Hitchcock filmed in the 3-D format. Casting Notes Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant to star, but Warner Brothers felt that he would be miscast as a villain. Hot Take Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock lost weight due to anxiety during filming of the murder sequence. He obsessively rehearsed the scene and shot take after take in order to capture the insertion of the scissors the way he had envisioned it. Dressing Kelly Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock arranged to have Grace Kelly dressed in bright colors at the start of the movie, and made them progressively darker as time went on. Sir Alfred Hitchcock had chosen a very expensive robe for Grace Kelly to wear when she answered the phone. Kelly balked and said that no woman would put on such a robe just to answer the ringing telephone while she was asleep alone; she would answer it in her nightgown. Hitchcock agreed to do it her way and liked the way the rushes turned out, and he allowed Kelly to make all costume decisions for herself in their subsequent movies together.
8:45 Alfred Hitchcock shows how the phone system worked in DETAIL, showing what happens physically at the phone company as you dial each number (the phone system worked that way as late as the 80s in some cities).
A very underrated Hitchcock film. I have it as his 3rd best post 50s movie behind Rear Window and North By Northwest. I still think Shadow of a Doubt is in the top 3. Hitch was a genius.
I love Shadow of a Doubt because it pits Theresa Wright, who is hilariously doing nothing with herself but waiting for her Mister, right up against Joseph Cotton.
The inspector was John Williams (not the composer). He was one of a long line of indispensable supporting actors, without whom the leads and the movie would lack a certain something. My generation knew him first as the spokesman for a commercial for a collection of classical music, but he was ever so much more than that elegant, welcoming pitchman. In this movie, I've always thought he was kind of a variation of Columbo.
Of course, Grace Kelly's comment about 'the two of you collaborating on a detective novel with a tennis background", was a reference to Hitchcock's 1951 thriller, 'Strangers on a Train'. Another great one.
This is the second Hitchcock film during which they have cocktails after being caught trying to murder someone! See Rope …🤔…😳 Verrrry sophisticated stuff!
No way I love this movie!!! I especially love Grace Kelly’s super thick, transatlantic accent. After all, she comes from that far, distant foreign land… Philadelphia.
I always like Ray Milland growing up when one of his films would be on tv. He won the Male Lead Oscar for his role in another great film, Best Picture winner, The Lost Weekend (1946) directed by Billy Wilder. Seven nominations/four wins including Best Director and Screenplay.
Fun as always!! I suggest The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956 with Jimi Stewart and Doris Day.. He made it twice, the first time was in the 1930s or 40s with Peter Laurie, but I think the 1950s one is a True MasterpieceQQ
So glad you reacted to this classic! Other must-watch films include Rear Window (with Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr) and Notorious (Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Claude Rains).
It's terrific that you're watching so many wonderful classics. The trouble with life is that it's too short for you to ever watch all the movies. So, it's helpful for people to rec' the ones truly worth seeing, because new movies are always being made. I haven't made it through all of your viewings, but if you haven't already seen them, I highly rec' Laura, and Rebecca.
A most interesting and subtle visual detail is that Grace Kelly's costumes, makeup, and hairstyle go from bright....the stunning red lace and red lips in the opening scene...to drabber and drabber, both in color and style, as the film goes on.
An interesting fact about this movie: it was based on a play by Frederick Knott, who also wrote Wait Until Dark! But this is such a fun Hitchcock movie, and it was nice to revisit! I'd love to see you react to Hitchcock's Notorious sometime soon. It is probably my favorite of his movies and is such a slick. noirish spy thriller.
The brilliance of Hitchcock’s creation of suspense is you find yourself wanting the clever schemes of Ray Milland to thwart the oh-so-clever detective guy during the twists + turns of the storyline, while at the same time being horrified that the beautiful Grace Kelly might end up dangling from a rope because of her evil husband. His understanding of audiences was matchless!
Let's also give some credit to Frederick Knott, who wrote the play upon which this is quite closely based (he also wrote the screenplay). One can see the stage origins easily, of course: 5 characters, one set (with minimal opening up for the film), lapses of time between scenes. Knott was good at suspense: his other famous play is Wait Until Dark.
I would have loved to see the stage play on which the screenplay was based! So many of Hitchcock's films originate from or are inspired by theater, where setting is often a single location and dialogue is the plot. This one ages so well!
Another film which is sort of a Hitchcock not directed by Hitchcock is the 1957 Witness for the Prosecution. (At least two remakes, each worse than the previous one) This is based on an Agatha Christie play and the solution to it is as eye-opening and unexpected as this, one step up.
@@jamesalexander5623 I happened to change channels once and found the remake with Diana Rigg. It was the moment that she enters and delivers her classic first line (no spoilers 🙂 ). I turned it off. I've adored Diana Rigg from Emma Peel to Lady Olenna, but Dietrich is irreplaceable.
They actually made a decent remake for television. It helped that Christopher Plummer was in the Ray Milland role. Though Angie Dickinson was hardly a substitute for Grace Kelly.
If you haven’t yet seen Hitchcock’s “Notorious” (1946), I think you will really enjoy/appreciate it! It includes a scene famous for its technical innovation, romance, suspense, intrigue, great actors, glamour, a little bit of wit/irony/humor - all the Hitchcock elements. (One of my favorites and is on most lists as one of his greatest.) 👍🔑
The 3D craze was over by time the film was finished so it was released flat and audiences didn’t get to the the intended version until it was rediscovered in the 80s and had a theatrical run. It was such a revelation that I went to the theater (8th St Playhouse) and saw it every day it ran… when would I get another chance!? It holds up so well today… even flat… and makes a great reaction subject because it’s so consistently riveting. The reference to Strangers On a Train is hilarious… and the use of the key in Notorious is a must-see along side!
Notorious is his VERY BEST…when else is Hitchcock going to give you such complicated characters…? And that Mother!! What’s the line, ‘We’ve been protected by the enormity of your stupidity …’ as this well dressed 200 year old woman smokes a cigarette for breakfast. 🤭
Yes, so glad you watched this movie. This is another of my favorite Hitchcock films. I too, was intrigued by the whole story and how it played out. Such a great ending,
What makes me happy is that the real Margot Mary, she didn't have a happy ending in real life. Edith Thompson was sentenced to death and executed. I hate adulterers. The play that inspired the film is based on a real history.
The way that James Mason reacts after being caught is so...him. He has the most amazing "fuck it" reaction: I'm caught, so I better have a drink before I'm going to Death Row!"
I believe you mean Ray Milland as Tony Wendice...but I can SO see James Mason in this role! Thankfully Hitchcock cast him five years later in "North by Northwest".
You were rooting for the murderers in the beginning haha; it’s funny how Hitchcock has that effect. You must’ve liked that fact it was shot almost entirely in one space, like a play. Btw Ray Milland is perfect in this; he’s so smug and patronizing.
The police detective is played by Sir John Williams (not the famous music composer). My generation remembers him for a commercial he did which advertised 120 Music Masterpieces on 4 albums. They were all classical pieces from Bach, Beethoven, etc. and the albums became a bestseller. He was so dignified and his voice so mesmerizing that the commercial became the longest-running commercial in tv history. It ran from 1971 to 1984 !!! Hitchcock used Sir John Williams in several episodes of the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" tv series. And he is memorable in a Hitchcock-like classic film "Witness for the Prosecution". You should react to it. It's based on an Agatha Christie play.
Sir John Williams, so great in so many films..loved him in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" and the Judy Holliday comedy "The Solid Gold Cadillac" and also in a similar role in "Island in the Sun" as the Inspector trying to get his culprit, James Mason. Ray Milland was great as Wendice in DMfM ,but I can see James Mason in this part quite adequately..it's great he used Mason five years later for "North by Northwest".
Another good mystery of this type is Midnight Lace with Doris Day. And did you notice that at the start Grace Kelly’s costumes are colourful and sexy. Then after the incident and subsequent times (trying not to post a spoiler) her costumes switch to dark and severe.
I was surprised at the small dollar amount the man offered, but then I looked it up. 1000 pounds in 1954 is the equivalent of over 35,000 pounds today!
So glad that you got to see this film and I know I can count on a great reaction from you. I don't think anyone else has reacted to this film. This would be Robert Cummings' second film he did with Hitchcock; the first being "Saboteur." Another great Robert Cummings film is "Kings Row" with Betty Field, Ann Sheridan, Claude Rians, and Ronald Reagan (yes, the former President of the U.S.) in what I think is his best film role. Ray Milland has been in a lot of films but his Oscar Winning Performance is one of many icons of film noir "The Lost Weekend."
I also had a great time watching this movie with you. One of my two Hitchcock’s favourites, the second being Shadow Of a Doubt. I thank you for making us ear my favourite Hitchcock’s quote : « They talk of flatfoot policemen, may the saints preserve us from gifted amateurs ! » 😅 Thank you. Salute from France 🇫🇷 PS : French title is : The Crime Was ALMOST Perfect… ! By the way, an other film has the same title in France, it’s a Michael Curtiz film (director of Casablanca), called The Unsuspected, starring Claude Rains (Captain Renault in Casablanca), a good film noir.
LOVE that you are working your way through Hitchcock's films! I'm interested to see where you'll go next. As a sort of connection to this one I'd suggest Saboteur from 1942, Robert Cummings who played Mark in this film stars in it as the wrongful accused Barry Kane with Priscilla Lane as the requisite Hitchcock blonde. It's my favorite of his films. Hitchcock also made a similarly titled film near the end of his English career in 1936 called Sabotage starring Sylvia Sidney which is also a very good film. A couple of his other major titles which you still have before you are the truly excellent Notorious with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains and The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1956 (a remake of his own 1934 film of the same name) with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.
Sabotage is great. I'd rather someone watches The 39 Steps before Saboteur. Incidentally Hitchcock had no say in the casting of the female lead of Saboteur, he only gained that power later in Hollywood.
This is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. Another one I found interesting and it doesn't look like you've watched it yet is The Wrong Man starring Henry Fonda. It is based on a true story. Also, I recommend the Man Who Knew Too Much.
That would have left a trail to follow, locksmiths back then kept records of their customers and the keys they made. You can bet that the locksmith would have remembered a customer that was a well known tennis star.
yes CHris nice job of doing another HITCH film, my friend and I had some flaws with the murder. If im right the scissors she used were just for cutting news clippings and From my experiences, how could they be sharp enough to actually Stab someone in the back and SHE was not even in good position to "thrust deep"? BUt Hitchcock was sly enough to not show that the GUY actually DID return the key and of course back then everyone had their own "latch key " on them. SOME say that Robert Cummings was miscast But I thought he did a fine job.
There are many plot holes in this storyline, the most simple being that people kept their keys on a key ring or key fob for the simple reason that a bare key was easy to lose or mislay. The most ridiculous being that a police inspector would never have been able to take a convicted murderer out of the death cell of a prison.
man, i was just thinking about this film last night. its one of my favorite hitchcock films (i have a lot of favorite hitchcock films) but i had completely forgetten about it. and here it is. is it fate? is it kismet? or is it just dumb luck? i'll let hitchcock decide.
Thanks for posting this and getting me to revisit this one! I haven't seen it in years and years, and I only saw it a few times (in contrast to something like Rear Window or Psycho which I've seen a million times). Watching it now, I can really see the 3-D elements in there and it makes me want to see it in 3D! I know this is an old reaction just recently edited so I'll just say.....thanks for the Hitchcock!!!! There's always another Hitchcock to hit (me, included!) but I must say you most definitely have crossed off many essential ones off the list so congratulations. You are almost at the point where you can teach a class about his work! lol. There is a 1970s photograph of Hitchcock standing next to a pile of film reels, each one containing of his movies (and labeled as such, to the viewer)......and the pile goes over his head!
Enjoy that scene in Tony's living room with Swan or what's his name. 23:09 The British always have time for a drink, especially after being politely busted for attempted murder by a Scotland Yard chap with a posh accent.
If the beautiful girl is likly to swing for a crime she didn't commit. Would you keep silent if you knew the real murderer or tell The Police? That is a question your lawyer may ask you? But sure- If you need a lawyer then talk to a lawyer. But they won'y all be getting murderers off totally free. They could may be plea bargain. But if you have enough money you could get Jack Goodman-The Lawyer (Chicago Mob Lawyer) who got Tony Spilotro off.
The film is like a Tennis Match to Tony... the ending is draw. Tony appears to lose, but Margot is destroyed, a depressed alcholic, and the last thing Mark does is to move away from her side.
"the most you'd get would be a few years in prison." ?? For conspiracy to murder?? I am pretty sure it would be more than a few years. Usually conspiracy crimes carry the same penalty as the offence which was planned. Life imprisonment at least for Tony.
@@infonut It's a plot hole. At the end do we really think Tony is facing "a few years in prison"? "A few years in prion" would ruin the sense of justice at the end, wouldn't it?
What makes me happy is that the real Margot Mary, she didn't have a happy ending in real life. Edith Thompson was sentenced to death and executed. I hate adulterers. The play that inspired the film is based on a real history.
This film has one glaring fault, that being the fact that instead of all that dangerous nonsense with the manipulation of the only 2 existing keys, all he had to do was supply the intended hired killer with a copy. & that’s what tripped him up. Ridiculously Dumb‼️,, especially so as he had been planning this for months.
Not sure of back then in England. But now adays a copy of every type of key is not possible from reputable key makers. I was not able to get some keys cut as the key make was not allowed to. But I think I have had common Yale type keys cut with out problem. They I believe are like a latch key. Can not remember which keys could not be cut. Ah-But you say he could find a non reputable cutter. But that then may open him up for black mail and a nest of problems.
@@MikeGreenwood51 Back then locksmiths in the UK kept records of their customers and the keys they supplied for them, and you can bet that they would recognise and remember a famous tennis star.
Speaking of murder / M movies, try the 1931 German film “M”. Pre-Nazi German cinema was AMAZING ground breaking stuff, which the nazis destroyed. M is about a city where someone is killing children, so the cops lock down the city, and the criminals decide to hunt down the child killer instead. All black and white, in German with subtitles. But SOOOOO worth it. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_(1931_film)
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I got to see a reissued in 3D print of this film a few years ago. The brilliance of Hitchcock and his use of the 3D format is he downplayed all the typical 3D tropes of things bursting out into the audience, instead, he positioned lamps, props etc and filmed around them to give the feeling that you were in the same room with the actors, almost like you were complicit in the murder plot. Then, during the strangulation scene when tension is high - suddenly Grace Kelly's hand/arm come swinging back, grasping for a weapon, and the effect is her hand reaching out into the audience, into your face, like she's grasping for your help. The effect was startling.
The 22 minute dialogue scene of Ray Milland and his blackmail victim talking, moving around one room, picking up things, putting them down etc. is one of the greatest scenes in Hitchcock. Every camera move, every pause is exquisitely planned. The Academy Award Milland got for the overwrought 'Lost Weekend' he much more deserved for this scene alone.
The fact that this was shot with huge 3D cameras informs both the reason that it's shot in basically one location, and the framing of shots with objects and furniture placed between the camera and characters.
This was Hitchcock's only try at the big gimmick of the time, 3D movies. And it's nice to see that he didn't let himself get roped into just showing it off at every opportunity like so many other 3D films at the time did (just check out the paddleball scene from House of Wax for one of the worst cases of this), and watching it flat, you'd barely even know it was supposed to be 3D. The one part that really seems designed for the gimmick is when Margo is being strangled and seems to be reaching toward us, and I suspect quite a few people at the time instinctually tried to grab her hand to help.
Great Movie!
I'm always almost shocked of how beautiful Grace Kelly was.
I was definitely taken aback when I saw her in rear window.
Hitch, Ray, Grace, Bob, Anthony, and John: what a director, what a cast, what a picture!!!!
The studio pressured Hitchcock to make a 3D film. He chose to do a film that takes place in a single room. I have seen the movie in it's original 3D format - stunning. An amazing murder mystery - I'm so glad you watched this.
Saw this in 3D too!!!
Me, too. The theater showed a Three Stooges 3D short before the main feature. It was a quick contrast in how to use 3D as a gimmick (or a series of gimmicks), vs. how to use it with subtlety, as Hitchcock did.
@@anthonyleecollins9319 I saw it in a series of 3D films at a local museum. It was also the first time I had ever seen it. I also got to see House of Wax and Creature From the Black Lagoon as part of the series. People came from nearby cities (100 miles away) just to see House of Wax.
@@anthonyleecollins9319 Hitchcock used it to best. Fun fact: when Ray Milland is dialing the phone they hade to made a giant finger and rotary dial to get it in focus.
I understand that the movie, being shot in 3D, used a system of dual projectors to show it. Normally theaters did have two projectors, with the reel of a second part of a film all set to go as soon as the first one was finished. Due to the use of both projectors being in use, they had to stop the film to reload both projectors for the second part - hence why this movie has an intermission in it.
"People don't commit murder on credit."
Fun Fact: This is the only movie that Sir Alfred Hitchcock filmed in the 3-D format.
Casting Notes Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant to star, but Warner Brothers felt that he would be miscast as a villain.
Hot Take Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock lost weight due to anxiety during filming of the murder sequence. He obsessively rehearsed the scene and shot take after take in order to capture the insertion of the scissors the way he had envisioned it.
Dressing Kelly Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock arranged to have Grace Kelly dressed in bright colors at the start of the movie, and made them progressively darker as time went on. Sir Alfred Hitchcock had chosen a very expensive robe for Grace Kelly to wear when she answered the phone. Kelly balked and said that no woman would put on such a robe just to answer the ringing telephone while she was asleep alone; she would answer it in her nightgown. Hitchcock agreed to do it her way and liked the way the rushes turned out, and he allowed Kelly to make all costume decisions for herself in their subsequent movies together.
A brilliant psychological thriller film from the master of terror and suspense Alfred Hitchcock.
8:45 Alfred Hitchcock shows how the phone system worked in DETAIL, showing what happens physically at the phone company as you dial each number (the phone system worked that way as late as the 80s in some cities).
A very underrated Hitchcock film. I have it as his 3rd best post 50s movie behind Rear Window and North By Northwest. I still think Shadow of a Doubt is in the top 3. Hitch was a genius.
Shadow Of A Doubt, so great!
I love Shadow of a Doubt because it pits Theresa Wright, who is hilariously doing nothing with herself but waiting for her Mister, right up against Joseph Cotton.
The inspector was John Williams (not the composer). He was one of a long line of indispensable supporting actors, without whom the leads and the movie would lack a certain something. My generation knew him first as the spokesman for a commercial for a collection of classical music, but he was ever so much more than that elegant, welcoming pitchman. In this movie, I've always thought he was kind of a variation of Columbo.
Of course, Grace Kelly's comment about 'the two of you collaborating on a detective novel with a tennis background", was a reference to Hitchcock's 1951 thriller, 'Strangers on a Train'. Another great one.
This is the second Hitchcock film during which they have cocktails after being caught trying to murder someone! See Rope …🤔…😳 Verrrry sophisticated stuff!
No way I love this movie!!! I especially love Grace Kelly’s super thick, transatlantic accent. After all, she comes from that far, distant foreign land… Philadelphia.
Yes she has that ‘accent’ that no longer exists!
Even without makeup at the end of the movie, Grace Kelly was stunning
I'm pretty sure she was still wearing make up, just a natural look makeup.
This movie is based on the stage play, which I had the pleasure of seeing once with Roddy McDowall as the police detective.
One of my most favorite Hitchcock.
I always like Ray Milland growing up when one of his films would be on tv. He won the Male Lead Oscar for his role in another great film, Best Picture winner, The Lost Weekend (1946) directed by Billy Wilder. Seven nominations/four wins including Best Director and Screenplay.
Fun as always!! I suggest The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956 with Jimi Stewart and Doris Day.. He made it twice, the first time was in the 1930s or 40s with Peter Laurie, but I think the 1950s one is a True MasterpieceQQ
So glad you reacted to this classic! Other must-watch films include Rear Window (with Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr) and Notorious (Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Claude Rains).
Got ya covered with Rear Window :) ua-cam.com/video/_CA04vzGCg8/v-deo.html
It's terrific that you're watching so many wonderful classics. The trouble with life is that it's too short for you to ever watch all the movies. So, it's helpful for people to rec' the ones truly worth seeing, because new movies are always being made. I haven't made it through all of your viewings, but if you haven't already seen them, I highly rec' Laura, and Rebecca.
Yes, yes, yes, do see Laura! And Cabaret.
Yes, Laura is one of my favorite films and Leave Her to Heaven as well! 😊
Some films are severely underrated or unknown on UA-cam, including some of Hitchcock's better ones. I wouldn't always go by the masses.
The black cloth is placed on the judge's head before sentencing a defendant to death.
A most interesting and subtle visual detail is that Grace Kelly's costumes, makeup, and hairstyle go from bright....the stunning red lace and red lips in the opening scene...to drabber and drabber, both in color and style, as the film goes on.
I love this movie. I watched this and Death on the Nile every time they played on TV when I was a kid.
You'd certainly love Les Diaboliques (France, 1955), aka the Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never filmed.
Yes, definitely better than this minor Hitchcock film.
One of my favorite Hitchcock movie. The characters are so crafty.
An interesting fact about this movie: it was based on a play by Frederick Knott, who also wrote Wait Until Dark!
But this is such a fun Hitchcock movie, and it was nice to revisit! I'd love to see you react to Hitchcock's Notorious sometime soon. It is probably my favorite of his movies and is such a slick. noirish spy thriller.
The brilliance of Hitchcock’s creation of suspense is you find yourself wanting the clever schemes of Ray Milland to thwart the oh-so-clever detective guy during the twists + turns of the storyline, while at the same time being horrified that the beautiful Grace Kelly might end up dangling from a rope because of her evil husband. His understanding of audiences was matchless!
Let's also give some credit to Frederick Knott, who wrote the play upon which this is quite closely based (he also wrote the screenplay). One can see the stage origins easily, of course: 5 characters, one set (with minimal opening up for the film), lapses of time between scenes. Knott was good at suspense: his other famous play is Wait Until Dark.
YESSSS! One of my favorite Hitchcocks. Cannot wait to watch your reaction. Starting now...
I would have loved to see the stage play on which the screenplay was based! So many of Hitchcock's films originate from or are inspired by theater, where setting is often a single location and dialogue is the plot. This one ages so well!
How ironic. I just watched this movie not knowing you had did a reaction to it. I had seen it many years ago and thought it was worth watching again.
My favorite Hitchcock. Glad you got to watch it!
One of my favourite Hitchcock movies
Another film which is sort of a Hitchcock not directed by Hitchcock is the 1957 Witness for the Prosecution. (At least two remakes, each worse than the previous one) This is based on an Agatha Christie play and the solution to it is as eye-opening and unexpected as this, one step up.
Yes! the Laughton, Power, Dietrich Version is a Diamond .... Flush the others!
@@jamesalexander5623 I happened to change channels once and found the remake with Diana Rigg. It was the moment that she enters and delivers her classic first line (no spoilers 🙂 ).
I turned it off. I've adored Diana Rigg from Emma Peel to Lady Olenna, but Dietrich is irreplaceable.
Always love to see Hitchcock, and you handle older films so well 😎
They actually made a decent remake for television. It helped that Christopher Plummer was in the Ray Milland role. Though Angie Dickinson was hardly a substitute for Grace Kelly.
If you haven’t yet seen Hitchcock’s “Notorious” (1946), I think you will really enjoy/appreciate it! It includes a scene famous for its technical innovation, romance, suspense, intrigue, great actors, glamour, a little bit of wit/irony/humor - all the Hitchcock elements. (One of my favorites and is on most lists as one of his greatest.) 👍🔑
The 3D craze was over by time the film was finished so it was released flat and audiences didn’t get to the the intended version until it was rediscovered in the 80s and had a theatrical run. It was such a revelation that I went to the theater (8th St Playhouse) and saw it every day it ran… when would I get another chance!? It holds up so well today… even flat… and makes a great reaction subject because it’s so consistently riveting. The reference to Strangers On a Train is hilarious… and the use of the key in Notorious is a must-see along side!
Notorious is his VERY BEST…when else is Hitchcock going to give you such complicated characters…? And that Mother!! What’s the line, ‘We’ve been protected by the enormity of your stupidity …’ as this well dressed 200 year old woman smokes a cigarette for breakfast. 🤭
Yes, so glad you watched this movie. This is another of my favorite Hitchcock films. I too, was intrigued by the whole story and how it played out. Such a great ending,
What makes me happy is that the real Margot Mary, she didn't have a happy ending in real life. Edith Thompson was sentenced to death and executed.
I hate adulterers.
The play that inspired the film is based on a real history.
Let us not overlook the tremendous effect created by the glorious music by the great Dimitri Tiomkin.
The way that James Mason reacts after being caught is so...him. He has the most amazing "fuck it" reaction: I'm caught, so I better have a drink before I'm going to Death Row!"
What Film did you watch?
I believe you mean Ray Milland as Tony Wendice...but I can SO see James Mason in this role! Thankfully Hitchcock cast him five years later in "North by Northwest".
You were rooting for the murderers in the beginning haha; it’s funny how Hitchcock has that effect. You must’ve liked that fact it was shot almost entirely in one space, like a play. Btw Ray Milland is perfect in this; he’s so smug and patronizing.
100% rooting for him in the beginning. His ideas were so fun to watch I wanted to see him succeed lol. Not so much for her to die though.
The police detective is played by Sir John Williams (not the famous music composer). My generation remembers him for a commercial he did which advertised 120 Music Masterpieces on 4 albums. They were all classical pieces from Bach, Beethoven, etc. and the albums became a bestseller. He was so dignified and his voice so mesmerizing that the commercial became the longest-running commercial in tv history. It ran from 1971 to 1984 !!! Hitchcock used Sir John Williams in several episodes of the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" tv series. And he is memorable in a Hitchcock-like classic film "Witness for the Prosecution". You should react to it. It's based on an Agatha Christie play.
Sir John Williams, so great in so many films..loved him in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" and the Judy Holliday comedy "The Solid Gold Cadillac" and also in a similar role in "Island in the Sun" as the Inspector trying to get his culprit, James Mason. Ray Milland was great as Wendice in DMfM ,but I can see James Mason in this part quite adequately..it's great he used Mason five years later for "North by Northwest".
watch the remake called "a perfect murder" with Michael Douglas before he becomes Hank Pym in MCU.
this was really designed to be seen in 3-D - certain points where murder clues are foregrounded etc. only possible in 3-d
Another good mystery of this type is Midnight Lace with Doris Day. And did you notice that at the start Grace Kelly’s costumes are colourful and sexy. Then after the incident and subsequent times (trying not to post a spoiler) her costumes switch to dark and severe.
I had to watch this reaction again tonight - it’s great! Few people fully appreciate Dial M !
I was surprised at the small dollar amount the man offered, but then I looked it up. 1000 pounds in 1954 is the equivalent of over 35,000 pounds today!
So glad that you got to see this film and I know I can count on a great reaction from you. I don't think anyone else has reacted to this film. This would be Robert Cummings' second film he did with Hitchcock; the first being "Saboteur." Another great Robert Cummings film is "Kings Row" with Betty Field, Ann Sheridan, Claude Rians, and Ronald Reagan (yes, the former President of the U.S.) in what I think is his best film role. Ray Milland has been in a lot of films but his Oscar Winning Performance is one of many icons of film noir "The Lost Weekend."
This is just such a great movie, thanks for doing it!
15:19 It's called The Black Cap and it was pit on the magistrate's head when he pronounced a death sentence.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cap
TY
I also had a great time watching this movie with you. One of my two Hitchcock’s favourites, the second being Shadow Of a Doubt.
I thank you for making us ear my favourite Hitchcock’s quote : « They talk of flatfoot policemen, may the saints preserve us from gifted amateurs ! » 😅
Thank you.
Salute from France 🇫🇷
PS : French title is : The Crime Was ALMOST Perfect… !
By the way, an other film has the same title in France, it’s a Michael Curtiz film (director of Casablanca), called The Unsuspected, starring Claude Rains (Captain Renault in Casablanca), a good film noir.
You would probably also like Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn. :)
I actually reacted to that, and I did! :)
ua-cam.com/video/7-bFQz2H6Wk/v-deo.html
I was watching someone react to something recently and thought of this movie. And this pops up on my recommended list. Amazing!
The algorithm at work! 👏
Thanks for reacting to another Hitchcock film! I just re-watched your reaction to Vertigo and was blown away by it.
If you haven't already, you need to see Hitchcock's Rebecca.
LOVE that you are working your way through Hitchcock's films! I'm interested to see where you'll go next. As a sort of connection to this one I'd suggest Saboteur from 1942, Robert Cummings who played Mark in this film stars in it as the wrongful accused Barry Kane with Priscilla Lane as the requisite Hitchcock blonde. It's my favorite of his films.
Hitchcock also made a similarly titled film near the end of his English career in 1936 called Sabotage starring Sylvia Sidney which is also a very good film. A couple of his other major titles which you still have before you are the truly excellent Notorious with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains and The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1956 (a remake of his own 1934 film of the same name) with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.
Sabotage is great. I'd rather someone watches The 39 Steps before Saboteur.
Incidentally Hitchcock had no say in the casting of the female lead of Saboteur, he only gained that power later in Hollywood.
Queen Mary is a cruise ship in case you missed that
This is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. Another one I found interesting and it doesn't look like you've watched it yet is The Wrong Man starring Henry Fonda. It is based on a true story. Also, I recommend the Man Who Knew Too Much.
Not a fan of this one but The Wrong Man is great.
The play that inspired the film is based on a real history.
Margot is inspired by the true story of Edith Tompson.
Love this movie!! Hope you are well
"very meticulous plan" - all except he didn't think to make a copy of own key to give to the hit man.
That would have left a trail to follow, locksmiths back then kept records of their customers and the keys they made. You can bet that the locksmith would have remembered a customer that was a well known tennis star.
@@AlunThomas-mp5qo he just needs to say months earlier, "Margo, I lost my key,. We need to make a copy of your key for me".
yes CHris nice job of doing another HITCH film, my friend and I had some flaws with the murder. If im right the scissors she used were just for cutting news clippings and From my experiences, how could they be sharp enough to actually Stab someone in the back and SHE was not even in good position to "thrust deep"? BUt Hitchcock was sly enough to not show that the GUY actually DID return the key and of course back then everyone had their own "latch key " on them. SOME say that Robert Cummings was miscast But I thought he did a fine job.
There are many plot holes in this storyline, the most simple being that people kept their keys on a key ring or key fob for the simple reason that a bare key was easy to lose or mislay. The most ridiculous being that a police inspector would never have been able to take a convicted murderer out of the death cell of a prison.
ty for this..wow..the clamour..awesome..ty so much.
That 1,000 pounds would be 35,000 pounds today.
I highly recommend
"DOUBLE INDEMNITY " 1944
man, i was just thinking about this film last night. its one of my favorite hitchcock films (i have a lot of favorite hitchcock films) but i had completely forgetten about it. and here it is. is it fate? is it kismet? or is it just dumb luck? i'll let hitchcock decide.
That’ll be last last drink for a while.
Thanks for posting this and getting me to revisit this one! I haven't seen it in years and years, and I only saw it a few times (in contrast to something like Rear Window or Psycho which I've seen a million times). Watching it now, I can really see the 3-D elements in there and it makes me want to see it in 3D! I know this is an old reaction just recently edited so I'll just say.....thanks for the Hitchcock!!!! There's always another Hitchcock to hit (me, included!) but I must say you most definitely have crossed off many essential ones off the list so congratulations. You are almost at the point where you can teach a class about his work! lol. There is a 1970s photograph of Hitchcock standing next to a pile of film reels, each one containing of his movies (and labeled as such, to the viewer)......and the pile goes over his head!
Enjoy that scene in Tony's living room with Swan or what's his name. 23:09 The British always have time for a drink, especially after being politely busted for attempted murder by a Scotland Yard chap with a posh accent.
@@infonut *hic!* I been lookin'. Iss FUN!
Great movie. Loved the reaction to this.
I love this movie!!!!❤
The remake 'A Perfect Murder' is really great too.
I assume that's the one with Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow & Viggo Mortensen? 😉
The moral of the story is; Never speak with the police, get a lawyer.
Sound advice.
If the beautiful girl is likly to swing for a crime she didn't commit. Would you keep silent if you knew the real murderer or tell The Police? That is a question your lawyer may ask you? But sure- If you need a lawyer then talk to a lawyer. But they won'y all be getting murderers off totally free. They could may be plea bargain. But if you have enough money you could get Jack Goodman-The Lawyer (Chicago Mob Lawyer) who got Tony Spilotro off.
They put the black cloth on the judge if the death penalty has been decided.
The beautiful woman is Princess Grace, the loveliest woman I have ever seen.
The film is like a Tennis Match to Tony... the ending is draw.
Tony appears to lose, but Margot is destroyed, a depressed alcholic, and the last thing Mark does is to move away from her side.
"the most you'd get would be a few years in prison." ?? For conspiracy to murder?? I am pretty sure it would be more than a few years. Usually conspiracy crimes carry the same penalty as the offence which was planned. Life imprisonment at least for Tony.
@@infonut It's a plot hole. At the end do we really think Tony is facing "a few years in prison"? "A few years in prion" would ruin the sense of justice at the end, wouldn't it?
Good aftenoon !. You can also watch "Saboteur" (1942).
The 39 Steps
@@joebloggs396 Yes indeed I agree. It is also a movie about the wrong man.
To truly appreciate how fantastic this film is, watch the 1970's awful remake 😂
Hitchcock was a true genius
Can you do a reaction video of The Heiress with Olivia de Havilland? She won an Oscar for best actress for that movie.
Classic Hitchcock platinum blonde
What makes me happy is that the real Margot Mary, she didn't have a happy ending in real life. Edith Thompson was sentenced to death and executed.
I hate adulterers.
The play that inspired the film is based on a real history.
"Multiple sixes are problematic" So say we all.
HAHAHA. 🤣😂🤣 I’m over here dying right now. So say we all.
Weird? Not at all. British judges always don that black cap before prounouncing a death sentence.
Fortunately your comment is only correct in the past tense 😀
Remake "A Perfect Murder' with Michael Douglas is equally good. Same premise but very different ending.
When abusers and murderers become boring….
This film has one glaring fault, that being the fact that instead of all that dangerous nonsense with the manipulation of the only 2 existing keys, all he had to do was supply the intended hired killer with a copy. & that’s what tripped him up. Ridiculously Dumb‼️,, especially so as he had been planning this for months.
Not sure of back then in England. But now adays a copy of every type of key is not possible from reputable key makers. I was not able to get some keys cut as the key make was not allowed to. But I think I have had common Yale type keys cut with out problem. They I believe are like a latch key. Can not remember which keys could not be cut. Ah-But you say he could find a non reputable cutter. But that then may open him up for black mail and a nest of problems.
@@MikeGreenwood51 Back then locksmiths in the UK kept records of their customers and the keys they supplied for them, and you can bet that they would recognise and remember a famous tennis star.
one of the best films ever
Speaking of murder / M movies, try the 1931 German film “M”. Pre-Nazi German cinema was AMAZING ground breaking stuff, which the nazis destroyed. M is about a city where someone is killing children, so the cops lock down the city, and the criminals decide to hunt down the child killer instead. All black and white, in German with subtitles. But SOOOOO worth it.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_(1931_film)