Hitchcock 'thriller' come courtroom drama has top barrister Anthony Keane (Gregory Peck) hired to defend Maddalena Paradine (Alida Valli) who is accused of murdering her blind husband. Happily married to Gay (Ann Todd), Keane becomes obsessed with Mrs Paradine putting a considerable strain on his marriage.
Not a success and stories abound about the casting with many parts taken by actors Hitchcock didn't want, plus there was apparently a considerable amount of studio interference from David O Selznick who even contributed to the wordy, dull script. The result is quite a mess, albeit because of a few trademark touches by Hitchcock, still watchable, just. Peck is all wrong and plays the role as a fool and a bore, Valli is playing Greta Garbot - who was offered the part and Judge Charles Laughton plays a strangely unpleasant yet pointless role along with a needless and brief turn by Ethel Barrymore as his long suffering wife. Newby Louis Jourdan isn't bad, neither is Charles Coburn, but Ann Todd is easily the best actor on show.
The trouble is, the story as a whole is a long, disjointed mess. Where it's going regarding guilt or innocence is pretty obvious from the get go, but mostly all the relationships don't stack up with the result that you have a problem marriage story, an unconvincing infatuation and a thriller that fails to thrill. Not one of Hitchcock's best.
Not a success and stories abound about the casting with many parts taken by actors Hitchcock didn't want, plus there was apparently a considerable amount of studio interference from David O Selznick who even contributed to the wordy, dull script. The result is quite a mess, albeit because of a few trademark touches by Hitchcock, still watchable, just. Peck is all wrong and plays the role as a fool and a bore, Valli is playing Greta Garbot - who was offered the part and Judge Charles Laughton plays a strangely unpleasant yet pointless role along with a needless and brief turn by Ethel Barrymore as his long suffering wife. Newby Louis Jourdan isn't bad, neither is Charles Coburn, but Ann Todd is easily the best actor on show.
The trouble is, the story as a whole is a long, disjointed mess. Where it's going regarding guilt or innocence is pretty obvious from the get go, but mostly all the relationships don't stack up with the result that you have a problem marriage story, an unconvincing infatuation and a thriller that fails to thrill. Not one of Hitchcock's best.