Alfred Hitchcock’s “Blackmail” (1929)

Every once in a while we have a moment of wonder about our favorite artists, filmmakers. It’s a thought that tends to lead us seeking an answer, it’s the curiosity of knowing and seeing the development of talent starting from the very beginning. Now, “Blackmail” (1929) may not be Alfred Hitchcock’s first motion picture, in fact there had been NINE (9) previous films under his belt. So why do we come back to “Blackmail” to note the start of a near-perfect career in cinema?

Blackmail Movie Poster 1929

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Produced by: John Maxwell

Starring: Anny Ondra, John Longden

Running Time: 84 minutes

Plot

Alice White (Anny Ondra) plays a young woman, boyfriend to a Scotland Yard detective and daughter of a shop-keeper in early 1920’s London. Detective Frank Weber (John Longden), is far too obligated to his work to give Alice and their relationship the attention they both need. One evening, Frank takes Alice out on a date, however she also agrees to see another man unknown to Frank. Alice agrees to go back to this man’s studio flat later that evening in which he forces himself upon her. In a frightful attempt to save her life, she desperately kills the man with a large bread knife. Upon discovery of the body, investigations ensue and Frank is put in charge of the investigation. When Frank realizes Alice is the murderer, so too does another man…leading us to Blackmail.

When Hitchcock originally set out to direct “Blackmail” (first picture to be produced in Britain under BIP) his intention was to produce it silently. It wasn’t until a late screening of Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer” did he get the notion that his producers would inevitably require this to be a “talkie” picture. It wasn’t until the production was completed, or “wrapped” that John Maxwell had decided to schedule reshoots in order to be able to properly dub in bits of dialogue. Hitchcock, was disgusted with the thought of only a small part of the film having dialogue, had shot the entire picture with sound…as well as a silent version for the theatres not up to date with sound.

This film was critically acclaimed, considered to be among the first to pioneer the talkie picture in Britain and throughout Europe. Hitchcock had gone on to establish himself as one of the most prestigious filmmakers of the era. Establishing many of the “Hitchcock” trademarks we all know and love today (Blondes in distress, landmarks and off camera suspense). It’s these traits that we keep going back to in our quest to find the answer to why we see “Blackmail” as the true beginning of Hitchcock’s career in motion pictures.   It truly is the first picture to allow Hitchcock the ability to stretch his artistic wings and produce a film which not only captured the essence of the story but created an uneasy-feeling of suspense in which has made him famous.

For any Alfred Hitchcock fan this is a must see.

4.5 Knocks out of 5

 

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