Jamaica Inn (1939) - Laughton leads playful criminal antics in underrated Hitchcock pic

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A nonchalant, pistol-toting star Charles Laughton dominates this drama-promising poster for Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn

On the South-English coast near Cornwall lies the Jamaica Inn, around where in 1820 arranged shipwrecks, ship-looting and corruption from a group around local squire and justice of the peace Pengallan spread havoc.

 

Jamaica Inn is written by Sidney Gilliat (Wee Geordie (1955)) and Joan Harrison (Nocturne (1946)), with J.B. Priestley (Snoggl (1993, TV movie)) contributing additional dialog, adapting the same-titled 1936 novel by Daphne du Maurier (The Scapegoat (1957)), and directed by English master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock (The Pleasure Garden (1925)), whose 24th feature it was. It was Hitchcock's first of three Du Maurier adaptations he did (the others being Rebecca (1940) and The Birds (1963)) and his last film before heading to America, (although he returned to make films now and again in the UK since.)

Freed of the more or less foolish mix-up romances and tongue-in-cheek elements of his preceding English output, Hitch here spins a more hard-boiled theatrical drama with a colorful Charles Laughton (Salome (1953)), who also co-produced the film, in the overshadowing lead as the villainous, detestable Sir Humphrey Pengallan. The rascals at loose here may be small time crooks, but the portrayals are very good nonetheless. The story has many twists, and the ending, in traditional Hitchcock style, is grand (in more ways than one!) and spectacular.

 

Related posts:

Alfred Hitchcock: Frenzy (1972) - Hitchcock's great, morbid tie killer thriller 

The Birds (1963) - Hitchcock spearheads horror sub-genre and innovative special effects in great, odd film
Dial M for Murder (1954) - Hitchcock's 3D thriller is hindered by theatrics

I Confess (1953) - Hitch's great drama of a Father caught by the confessional vow 
The 39 Steps (1935) or, Murder and High Jinx!  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Reportedly 200k £

Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain

[Jamaica Inn premiered 12 May (London) and runs 108 minutes. Hitchcock tried to get out of making the film and later said it was among his most unhappy as a director. This was especially due to the difficulties of working with star/co-producer Laughton, and also because Hitchcock had an aversion to costume films, which he believed himself unable to do. Shooting took place in England, including at the actual Jamaica Inn. The film is said to have turned 'a small profit'. Du Maurier also publicly disliked the film due to its disloyalty to her novel. Hitchcock returned with Rebecca (1940). Laughton returned in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). 12k+ IMDb users have given Jamaica Inn an average 6.3/10 rating.]

What do you think of Jamaica Inn?

The Birds (1963) - Hitchcock spearheads horror sub-genre and innovative special effects in great, odd film

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Stunningly elegant poster for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

The Birds is one of British master director Alfred Hitchcock's last films, (he had 5 more in him to be exact.) It is an unusual film in many respects, mainly because it is a huge movie of a freak animal attack, something that hadn't been seen before at all to the best of my knowledge. But something that became a popular sub-genre of its own after this; from shark attacks in Jaws (1973) to piranha-attacks in Piranha (1978) and even bee-attacks in The Swarm (1978), people have relished the idea of animals going berserk on us ever since.
The Birds, which is based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier (Rebecca (1940)), mixes comedic tongue-in-cheek-playful romance with sudden terror, as the film turns into a full-blown horror survival story.
The choice not to have a score for the movie is unusual as well, but it makes for some tense, uncomfortable moments of silence several times, - but also to some loud bird attacks that start to claw in our ears and overstay their welcomes a time or two.
As always, Hitchcock's camera is mobile and story-telling in itself, and ever so elegant, so that merely watching Birds feels like a luxury. Again here with Robert Burks (North by Northwest (1959)) behind it.
In Birds, Hitch also has the advantage of very beautiful localities; San Francisco and up the coast to the small coastal town of Bodega Bay. All in ravishing, full but still natural Technicolor. And the matte work and yellow screen composites are amazingly realistic.

Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor meet cute in a bird shop in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

The woman who takes the trip is played by Tippi Hedren (Marnie (1964)) in her screen debut, and she is one elegant and spunky lady. We like her straight away, and Hitch gets us into her romantic prank wonderfully. The object of her affection is played by Rod Taylor (The Time Machine (1960)), who also has charisma, presence and intelligence as well as the good looks to match her. Their chemistry bounces off the screen, and in supporting roles, Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy (1989)) is good as the restrained matriarch, and Suzanne Pleshette (The Fugitive (1964-65)) makes a fine school teacher.
Another device that I think Birds more or less invented is the diner scene debate, in which every-day people gather to share outlooks on the ominous, possibly apocalyptic even, attacks. It's a great scene, and it is followed by lavish amounts of mayhem and catastrophe.

The details:

- Because The Birds is a special effects movie as much as anything else. The difficulties involved in making this film are truly incredible, as CGI wasn't invented, and Hitch and his crew were the best in the world and not about to lower their bars. This was a mountain of a movie effects-wise, and it gets pulled off impressively, not least thanks to the bravery of all the cast members, who often took real bird attacks on camera for the shots. It all helped earn the film its only Oscar-nomination (Best Special Effects), (but it lost to Cleopatra (1963).)
The birds and why they attack SPOILER remain a conundrum, the way Hitchcock and screenwriter Evan Hunter wanted it, to prevent the film from being science fiction, and I think they were totally right. As much as I enjoy it, though, the birds themselves never terrify me; - the whole scenario is just too odd for that, I think. Or perhaps I just can't get afraid of birds. There is a freaky thing about it anyway though, something that creeps under your skin about the random chaos, which is anxiety-provoking and might give nightmares, but terror when I see the birds, - it doesn't happen.
The Birds isn't among my favorite Hitchcock's, but it is an odd and great film.

Hitchcock was quite the humorist and loved marketing stunts such as doing these stills:

Related review:

Alfred Hitchcock: The 39 Steps (1935) or, Murder and High Jinx!

Watch the long, but truly great trailer for the film, starting with a lecture of birds by the master himself, the great movie-maker and showman, Alfred Hitchcock

Cost: 3.3 mil.
Box office. 11.4 mil. 4
= Big hit

What do you think of The Birds?
Other animal attack movies that you love (or just want to highlight)?
What are your favorite Hitchcock films?