Alfred Hitchcock Week - The Man Who Knew Too Much
We’ve reached the final installment of Alfred Hitchcock Week. Today’s feature is a great film - the 1934 (made in Britain) version of The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Starring in the film are Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, and Frank Vosper. Also in the cast were Hugh Wakefield, Pierre Fresnay, Cicely Oates, D.A. Clarke-Smith, and George Curzon.
In the 1934 version, the plot involves a British couple whose daughter is kidnapped while they are vacationing in Switzerland.
Hitchcock remade the film in the USA in 1956. The latter version starred James Stewart and Doris Day.
Alfred Hitchcock Week - Young and Innocent
The sixth featured film in iMovieCinema’s Alfred Hitchcock Week is a 1937 film from Hitchcock’s Britain years, Young and Innocent. (In the United States, the film had the title, The Girl Was Young.)
The film stars Nova Pilbeam, Derrick De Marney, and Percy Marmont. Other members of the cast include Edward Rigby, Mary Clare, John Longden, George Curzon, Basil Radford, Pamela Carme, George Merritt, J.H. Roberts, Jerry Verno, H.F. Maltby, and John Miller. As he did in many of his films, Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance in Young and Innocent. The screenplay is based on the novel, A Shilling For Candles, by Josephine Tey.
The plot involves a man (De Marney) who is accused of murder, and who goes on the run to prove his innocence.
Alfred Hitchcock Week - Jamaica Inn
Alfred Hitchcock Week continues here at iMovieCinema with our fourth featured film - Jamaica Inn, starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara and Emlyn Williams.
This 1939 film is an adaptation of Daphne DuMaurier’s novel, Jamaica Inn. Sydney Gilliat wrote the screenplay. The story is set in Cornwall, where a young Irish girl goes to live with her innkeeper uncle and aunt. The girl comes to the realization that a gang of smugglers/pirates is headquartered at the inn.
Alfred Hitchcock Week - Stage Fright
Here’s the third of our featured films during Alfred Hitchcock Week - the 1950 film, Stage Fright.
This film features a star-studded cast, including Jane Wyman, Richard Todd, Marlene Dietrich, and Michael Wilding, as well as Alastair Sim, Kay Walsh, and Sybil Thorndike. Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance.
Jane Wyman portrays a young actress who attempts to help a friend who is accused of murder. The film is based on a novel, Man Running, by Selwyn Jepson.
Winterset - Film Adaptation of Maxwell Anderson Play
The 1936 film, Winterset, is a screen adaptation of the play by Maxwell Anderson. Three performers who were in the Broadway play - Burgess Meredith, Margo, and Eduardo Ciannelli - were also in the film. Members of the film cast also included Mischa Auer, John Carradine, and Stanley Ridges. The film was directed by Alfred Santell.
The story follows the efforts of Mio Romagna (Meredith) to track down the truth about the circumstances surrounding the execution of his immigrant father Bartolomeo Romagna (Carradine) for crimes (murder and robbery) that he didn’t commit.
Alfred Hitchcock Week - The 39 Steps
We continue our Alfred Hitchcock series with our Movie of the Week, The 39 Steps.
This 1935 film is a screen adaptation of a novel by John Buchan, The Thirty-nine Steps. Robert Donat portrays Canadian Richard Hannay, who attends a music hall show where meets a girl, Annabelle Smith (portrayed by Lucie Mannheim) who says that she is a spy and is being pursued by foreign agents.
Also in the cast are Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft, and John Laurie. Watch also for a cameo appearance by Hitchcock.
Lombard and Stewart in Made for Each Other
James Stewart and Carole Lombard star in Made for Each Other, a 1939 film about a couple who marry after knowing each other for a day.
The film was directed by John Cromwell and produced by David O. Selznick.
Also in the cast are Charles Coburn, Lucile Watson, Eddie Quillan, Alma Kruger, Ruth Weston, Donald Briggs, Harry Davenport, Esther Dale and Russell Hopton.
Charles Laughton in Captain Kidd
Today’s movie list starts off with Captain Kidd (1945), starring Charles Laughton as the notorious Captain Kidd. The film was directed by Roland V. Lee, and produced by Benedict Bogeaus and James Nasser.
Also in the cast were Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, John Carradine, Gilbert Roland, John Qualen, Sheldon Leonard, William Farnum, Henry Daniell, and Reginald Owen.
Enjoy the movie!
Movie of the Week - Kansas City Confidential
Our Movie of the Week for March 17 - 23 is a film noir offering, Kansas City Confidential, directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne. This 1952 film was produced by Edward Small.
Joe Rolfe (portrayed by John Payne) is framed for an armored car heist, and goes to Mexico to find the people who framed him.
The cast also includes Coleen Gray, Preston Foster, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam, Dona Drake, Mario Siletti, Howard Negley, Carleton Young, Don Orlando, and Ted Ryan.
James Cagney in Great Guy
We round out our St. Patrick’s Day selections with Great Guy, starring James Cagney.
In this 1937 film, Cagney plays Johnny Cave, an inspector in the New York Department of Weights and Measures who battles valiantly against corruption.
Other cast members included Mae Clarke, James Burke, Edward Brophy, Bernadene Hayes, Edward McNamara, Robert Gleckler, and Joe Sawyer.
John G. Blystone directed the film, and Douglas MacLean was producer.
