Easy Virtue

Released Mar 5, 1928

1 hr. 19 min.

Drama

Romance

List

63%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

25%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

An alcoholic's (Franklin Dyall) ex-wife (Isabel Jeans) falls in love with a younger man (Robin Irvine).

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michael d

Reasonably entertaining early Hitchcock.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A shockingly uncompelling plot of a woman's history coming back to haunt here…only her past isn't that bad, the people judging her are implausibly over-critical, her husband is a scared fish of a man, and the entire culture of this world seems interested in this story for no good reason. It's basically The Bachelor without Chris Harrison…and who needs that? The cold-opening in the courtroom is the only part that shows some real Hitchcock genius.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

joel h

I think Easy Virtue would have worked better if we wouldn't have known Larita's background until John's family discovered it. Seeing it all laid out at the beginning of the movie removes much of the suspense. And even at only 80 minutes, the simple story feels too drawn-out.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

These basically weren't Hitch's films, at this stage in his career he was still essentially a Director for hire. There are some fantastic visual touches and tricks in the opening half hour that show the talent he had, the film itself though is fairly dull and flat.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not one of his best, but entertaining nonetheless.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

This is a little bit of a sleeper Hitchcock movie about social shunning, but it was worth it (for me) for the final line, "Shoot! There's nothing left to kill."

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Isabel Jeans

Larita Filton

Robin Irvine

John Whittaker

Franklin Dyall

Aubrey Filton

Enid Stamp-Taylor

Sarah

Violet Farebrother

Mrs. Whittaker

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Anna Smith

Time Out

The first half of the film, an addition detailing events only described in the play, is pure Hitchcock, its combination of conciseness and idiosyncrasy demonstrating his mastery of silent narration.

Sep 9, 2008

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Based on Noel Coward's play, this Hitchcock critique of the the upper class, centers on a disreputable woman, a heroine type that he would return to in later films, such as Notorious and Marnie.

Rated: B-

Nov 12, 2012

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Sticks in the ribs like over baked mush.

Rated: C+

Sep 17, 2010

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

An overlooked film despite the abundance of invention

Dec 15, 2009

Full Review

Sean O'Connell

Charlotte Weekly

The main reason to stop on PBS when the network airs "Easy Virtue" a few months from now is to witness Biel's complete departure.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 19, 2009

Full Review

TV Guide

Coward's strength was sparkling dialogue, which makes his work a poor fit for the silent cinema.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 9, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

An alcoholic's (Franklin Dyall) ex-wife (Isabel Jeans) falls in love with a younger man (Robin Irvine).

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Noël Coward, Eliot Stannard
Distributor: Grapevine Video
Production Co: Gainsborough Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 5, 1928, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jan 11, 2005