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  • Underrated Hitchcock

    So everyone knows the big names in Hitch's filmography and its safe to assume they've been pretty much discussed to death at this point. For good reason too but I'm curious to see what films other Hitchcock fans on here feel are either underrated or don't get a fair shake, you know, the films considered so called "lesser" Hitchcock.

    The one that immediately springs to mind for me is The Paradine Case (1947), one that I never see get mentioned. For those who haven't seen it the basic gist of the plot is Gregory Peck plays an attorney who falls in love with his client, Alida Valli, on trial for murdering her husband. Its a classic Hitchcock study of obsession and while he doesn't take the idea as far as he does in say Vertigo (1958), its still a rather dark film nonetheless, rather uncomfortable at times as well, and the trail sequences are riveting. Alida Valli in her prime was a stunner and possessed a stare that would make Medusa jealous. Some other favorites that I feel should be discussed more:

    Murder! (1930)
    Stage Fright (1950)
    I Confess (1953)
    Torn Curtain (1966)
    LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

  • #2
    I must try The Paradine Case again some time; it's a film I've always struggled with and the casting of Peck and Jourdan is problematic. Laughton is terrific though.

    Stage Fright is a mixed bag. There are some wonderful things in there - Dietrich and Sim in particular - but the fact the narrative structure is essentially a cheat always bugged me a bit. I wouldn't call it a fatal flaw, but it does hurt the film some.

    Saboteur is another movie that never quite gets its due, and I'm really quite fond of it.
    Riding the High Country - My Movie Blog

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Colin View Post
      I must try The Paradine Case again some time; it's a film I've always struggled with and the casting of Peck and Jourdan is problematic. Laughton is terrific though.

      Stage Fright is a mixed bag. There are some wonderful things in there - Dietrich and Sim in particular - but the fact the narrative structure is essentially a cheat always bugged me a bit. I wouldn't call it a fatal flaw, but it does hurt the film some.

      Saboteur is another movie that never quite gets its due, and I'm really quite fond of it.
      See I'm always quick to defend Peck in that role. I've always found it odd that people say Hitchcock's showcasing him and Ann Todd happy marriage early in the film made the premise of the film unbelievable, that there's no way a guy like Peck would fall for Mrs. Paradine. I couldn't disagree more. I feel that those early scenes with Peck and Todd demonstrate just how venerable Peck's character is, that any man is susceptible to this sort of thing and it made Peck's obsession with Mrs. Paradine all the more troubling. Jourdan is brilliant I feel, especially during the courtroom scenes. Every moment with him on the stand is intense as hell.

      Dietrich does own Stage Fright, it was the perfect part for her and she's clearly enjoying herself. As for the twist, well again I think its masterful. Blindsiding, yes but that's kind of the point and I think it works.

      Saboteur is brilliant as well. The finale on the Statue of Liberty is some of the most nerve-wracking stuff Hitchcock ever filmed and it works no matter how many times you see the film. A change of pants is always needed!
      LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

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      • #4
        Is Rope still considered underrated, or has critical opinion by and large come back around on that one?
        It's all in the reflexes.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Christian Bates-Hardy View Post
          Is Rope still considered underrated, or has critical opinion by and large come back around on that one?
          I never really thought of Rope to be underappreciated, except by Hitchcock himself who called it a "failed experiment". With all due respect I think he was dead wrong. One of my favorites.

          Marnie is another film I considered mentioning in my first post but decided against it as its stock has risen considerably over the years. Still a dividing film but I don't see it trashed as much as his other mid to late 60's output.
          LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

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          • #6
            I think there's a case to be made for all the films mentioned thus far, although I do find Rope difficult myself - it's maybe too intense and overwrought at times.

            Saboteur is one I feel is full of wonderful little moments - the interlude on the circus train, the stand off in the ballroom, the ghost town, and so on.

            The one I simply cannot get along with though is Topaz. Aside from two standout visual moments, I find the whole thing bloated, dull and convoluted. It's full of characters I just don't care about, all doing things which fail to engage me.
            Riding the High Country - My Movie Blog

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Colin View Post
              The one I simply cannot get along with though is Topaz. Aside from two standout visual moments, I find the whole thing bloated, dull and convoluted. It's full of characters I just don't care about, all doing things which fail to engage me.
              There really is a LOT of stuff going on in that film. I think Hitchcock said with Topaz he wanted to make a "realistic" spy film as a counter to the over the top Bond films. Its obvious the ending (well, the one that American audiences saw when the film was first released) was added at the very last minute.
              LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

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              • #8
                I think I CONFESS is a marvelous film. I've never really considered it to be 'underrated' though - more like underseen, held in the shadow of Hitch's more famous pictures. The same goes for SABOTEUR (imo).

                There's a fair bit to admire in TOPAZ but on the whole I think the film's too uneven and, as Colin says, too 'bloated' to work completely for me. On the other hand, I really like TORN CURTAIN, which I think works very well.

                One of my favourite Hitchcock pictures is FRENZY which, despite its weaknesses (the anachronistic depiction of London, for example), is a film that I absolutely adore: it's a tense, bleak picture riddled with blackly humorous elements that serve not to lighten the tone but to heighten the atmosphere of despair that pervades the texture of the film.

                The only Hitchcock picture I don't get on with at all is his remake of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, which is too cutesy for my tastes.
                'You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow'

                http://www.paul-a-j-lewis.com (my photography website)
                'All explaining in movies can be thrown out, I think': Elmore Leonard

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                • #9
                  Torn Curtain features one of those distant, mannered performances that Paul Newman could be prone to. Actually, it fits in with his character in the film but leaves it harder for the viewer to connect or sympathize with him. Still, I like lots of it (the chase on the bus, the whole business on the farm - not just the famous killing - and the bits with Ludwig Donath) and the artificial air caused by the back projection is attractive to me. It feels like a masterpiece beside Topaz.
                  Riding the High Country - My Movie Blog

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                  • #10
                    Another fan of SABOTEUR here, nice to see it get some mentions. Aside from a truly thrilling climax (and all around fine story), one big reason I love this one is Priscilla Lane, she was so natural and instantly likeable - and a great beauty as well - I've often thought she should have been a much bigger star. She was darn near always very good in anything I've seen. Otto Kruger is also top notch, the epitome of refined villainy.

                    My pick for underrated Hitchcock is LIFEBOAT, I rarely hear that one mentioned these days. It's a fascinating picture as far as I'm concerned - extremely confined setting yet never gets dull. The ensemble cast is wonderful too, particularly William Bendix (who was never much noted for his acting but is spot-on here), John Hodiak, and Henry Hull. The latter two are all but forgotten today but both were capable of above average work, Hull in particular was a dependable character actor who was believable in role from a cowboy to one of the super rich. Best testament I can give to LIFEBOAT is that I own it on dvd but will still watch it when TCM runs it.

                    I'll also say I love MR. AND MRS. SMITH, perhaps the most neglected film of all of Hitchcock's work. While it's perhaps not among the best screwball comedies, it's still very funny - if it's a comedy and it's got Carole Lombard, it's going to be worth watching as far as I'm concerned. She's still fresh today, still hilarious. Jack Carson is also great here.
                    I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Colin View Post
                      Torn Curtain features one of those distant, mannered performances that Paul Newman could be prone to. Actually, it fits in with his character in the film but leaves it harder for the viewer to connect or sympathize with him. Still, I like lots of it (the chase on the bus, the whole business on the farm - not just the famous killing - and the bits with Ludwig Donath) and the artificial air caused by the back projection is attractive to me. It feels like a masterpiece beside Topaz.
                      One common criticism of the film I've always took issue with was Newman and Julie Andrews have no chemistry, especially considering their interactions early on in the film were supposed to be a bit awkward with him trying to keep her in the dark regarding what he's really up to. The bus scene is indeed excellent, hell the entire second half of the film is edge of the seat material with Hitch putting Newman and Andrews in one dangerous predicament after another. There's hardly any breathing room.

                      What's the conscious on Suspicion? Hardly obscure but its another one I think tends to get lost in the shuffle.
                      LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Andrew Monroe View Post
                        My pick for underrated Hitchcock is LIFEBOAT, I rarely hear that one mentioned these days. It's a fascinating picture as far as I'm concerned - extremely confined setting yet never gets dull. The ensemble cast is wonderful too, particularly William Bendix (who was never much noted for his acting but is spot-on here), John Hodiak, and Henry Hull. The latter two are all but forgotten today but both were capable of above average work, Hull in particular was a dependable character actor who was believable in role from a cowboy to one of the super rich. Best testament I can give to LIFEBOAT is that I own it on dvd but will still watch it when TCM runs it.
                        Agreed. Another of Hitchcock's experiments, this time limiting himself to one "set" for the duration of the film. I think it works very well and the ensemble cast are pretty much all on form.

                        Originally posted by Rat's Eyes View Post
                        What's the conscious on Suspicion? Hardly obscure but its another one I think tends to get lost in the shuffle.
                        I like it. It was one of the first Hitchcock movies I saw and it's always stuck with me. Grant gives a good, shady performance and Nigel Bruce is always welcome in my house. I think the fact the ending cops out has dogged it and weakened its reputation.

                        Anyone care to defend Under Capricorn, or "Under Corny Crap" as Joseph Cotten referred to it?
                        Riding the High Country - My Movie Blog

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Colin View Post
                          Anyone care to defend Under Capricorn, or "Under Corny Crap" as Joseph Cotten referred to it?
                          I've only seen that one once and it was years ago and to be honest I can't seem to recall a damn thing about it. I don't see myself revisiting it anytime soon either, the story just doesn't seem all that interesting no matter who directed it.

                          What about Jamaica Inn?
                          LA PASIÓN ESPAÑOL: THE EROTIC MELODRAMAS OF VICENTE ARANDA (1991-1999)

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Rat's Eyes View Post
                            What's the conscious on Suspicion? Hardly obscure but its another one I think tends to get lost in the shuffle.
                            I agree, SUSPICION does seem to get a little overlooked. I love it, in some ways I prefer it to REBECCA (I think generally considered the better film Joan Fontaine did for Hitchcock). Joan Fontaine was perfectly suited for this role, the somewhat docile woman, trapped in a dull and loveless life and waiting to be rescued. True, her role in REBECCA is similar, but this one has the benefit of Cary Grant, as well as a fun supporting turn from Nigel Bruce. The ending is a cop-out from the novel's original ending, and while it would have been far more biting to film that, it simply wasn't going to happen at that time, and besides, I'll confess to gladly accepting the happy ending.
                            I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

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                            • #15
                              I love SABOTEUR. :) Also a big fan of FRENZY, which a lot of people have beat the hell out of.

                              MARNIE drives me crazy. Connery is freakin' terrible in this film. I'm probably one of the few who think that.

                              Hitchcock that I out and out can't stand? THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY. Garbage.

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