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 - Under Capricorn
It’s Day Five of Alfred Hitchcock Week here at iMovieCinema. Today’s feature is a 1949 film, Under Capricorn. The film stars Michael Wilding, Joseph Cotten, Ingrid Bergman, and Margaret Leighton. Hitchcock makes a couple of cameo appearances in this film.
The screenplay was written by Hume Cronyn and James Bridie, and is based on a novel by Helen Simpson.
The film is set in 1831 Australia, where Charles Adare (Wilding) arrives with his uncle, the new governor, and is befriended by an ex-convict (Cotten).
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.
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.
Alfred Hitchcock Week - The Lady Vanishes
It’s Alfred Hitchcock Week here at iMovieCinema - seven films in seven days. We’re kicking off the week with a 1938 film, The Lady Vanishes.
The movie begins in the fictional European country “Bandrika,” where an avalanche has blocked the railroad tracks, and stalled the plans of a collection of travelers who are on their way to England. The travelers include a wealthy young woman, Iris (portrayed by Margaret Lockwood); an elderly woman, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty); and a musicologist/folkorist, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). When the train journey resumes, Iris notices that Miss Froy is missing. Iris and Gilbert proceed to investigate Miss Froy’s disappearance.
Other cast members include Paul Lukas, Cecil Parker, Linden Travers, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Mary Clare, Philip Leaver, Catherine Lacey, and Googie Withers.
Watch for a cameo appearance by Hitchcock in this film.
Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in My Favorite Brunette
In My Favorite Brunette, a 1947 romantic comedy/mystery, Bob Hope portrays photographer Ronnie Jackson, who is pals with the private detective Sam McCloud (Alan Ladd) in the office next door. Dorothy Lamour portrays Carlotta Montay, who goes to the detective’s office and mistakes Hope for the detective.
Also in the cast are Lon Chaney, Jr., Peter Lorre, Frank Puglia, John Hoyt, Charles Dingle, Reginald Denny, Ann Doran, Willard Robertson, Jack La Rue, and Charles Amt. Bing Crosby makes a brief appearance, too.
The film was directed by Elliott Nugent, and produced by Daniel Dare.
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.
