Blackmail has the double distinction of being both Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film for British cinema. I think if they knew this would be the first the British would have had one of their great music hall stars do a musical as we did with Al Jolson and the Jazz Singer. That it turned out that Alfred Hitchcock directed it was pure coincidence because Alfred Hitchcock wasn't ALFRED HITCHCOCK then.
Anny Ondra and John Longden have a silly lover's quarrel at a restaurant and Anny leaves in a huff with artist Cyril Ritchard. He's charming at first, but then when he gets physical she resists. And when Ritchard tries to rape her, Ondra stabs him.
Longden is a police detective and wouldn't you know it, he's assigned to this case. This is where the plot gets a little silly because I'm sure Ondra could have beaten the rap with a competent defense lawyer, pleading self defense. But Longden chooses to hide evidence that would implicate her.
Donald Calthrop as a sleazy guy with a long criminal record happens to see Ondra leave the crime scene and he puts two and two together. He tries blackmail, but our intrepid lovers tough it out.
The film climaxes in a nicely done sequence through the British Museum ending on the roof. It's the first of many of these type scenes that typify a Hitchcock production.
When Hitchcock after beginning this film as a silent, switched to sound he didn't anticipate that German actress Anny Ondra's accent would have been so thick that early sound made it not understandable. Like Jean Hagen's voice in Singing in the Rain dubbed by Debbie Reynolds, Ondra's voice was completely dubbed over by Joan Barry.
Best performance in the film by far is that of Donald Calthrop as the blackmailer. He played many such slimy roles in early British cinema.
Can't say this was a great film even with a couple of distinguished firsts attached to it. The plot is just a bit much, but Hitchcock certainly gave lots of evidence of what he would give the public over the years.
Anny Ondra and John Longden have a silly lover's quarrel at a restaurant and Anny leaves in a huff with artist Cyril Ritchard. He's charming at first, but then when he gets physical she resists. And when Ritchard tries to rape her, Ondra stabs him.
Longden is a police detective and wouldn't you know it, he's assigned to this case. This is where the plot gets a little silly because I'm sure Ondra could have beaten the rap with a competent defense lawyer, pleading self defense. But Longden chooses to hide evidence that would implicate her.
Donald Calthrop as a sleazy guy with a long criminal record happens to see Ondra leave the crime scene and he puts two and two together. He tries blackmail, but our intrepid lovers tough it out.
The film climaxes in a nicely done sequence through the British Museum ending on the roof. It's the first of many of these type scenes that typify a Hitchcock production.
When Hitchcock after beginning this film as a silent, switched to sound he didn't anticipate that German actress Anny Ondra's accent would have been so thick that early sound made it not understandable. Like Jean Hagen's voice in Singing in the Rain dubbed by Debbie Reynolds, Ondra's voice was completely dubbed over by Joan Barry.
Best performance in the film by far is that of Donald Calthrop as the blackmailer. He played many such slimy roles in early British cinema.
Can't say this was a great film even with a couple of distinguished firsts attached to it. The plot is just a bit much, but Hitchcock certainly gave lots of evidence of what he would give the public over the years.