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Jamaica Inn

Play trailer Poster for Jamaica Inn 1939 1h 39m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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54% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 36% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After the death of her mother, young Mary travels to the Cornish coast seeking her Aunt Patience. Stranded on a windswept, isolated road, Mary meets Humphrey Pengallan, who kindly escorts her to the Jamaica Inn. There, Mary meets her aunt and bullying uncle, Joss Merlyn—who secretly leads a band of pirates that pilfers the goods from wrecked ships. Suspicious, Mary turns to Pengallan for help, only to discover another dark secret.

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Jamaica Inn

Critics Reviews

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Otis Ferguson The New Republic 12/27/2023
In spite of some creaky motivation, it is true enough in general outline and in the part of Laughton absolutely genuine, meaningful beyond Stevenson (and probably the book itself). It has suspense and a good run of motion. Go to Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker 07/06/2022
A forgettable, generally forgotten Hitchcock gothic. Go to Full Review Stephanie Zacharek Village Voice 02/03/2015
Laughton is compelling from the first instant: His Pengallan is at least five of the seven deadly sins rolled into one, a cheerfully loathsome creature with wide-set eyebrows and a multitude of chins ... Go to Full Review Kristin Battestella InSession Film 07/25/2023
While suspenseful if you aren’t familiar with the story, this never fully achieves a truly gothic ominous. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/27/2020
3.5/5
Hitchcock claimed he felt like a referee on the film, unable to reign in Laughton. But to his credit, Laughton mutates a potentially stuffy villain into a terrifically offbeat, perversely repellant portrayal. Go to Full Review Craig J. Clark The Dissolve 05/18/2015
3.5/5
It could have come across as strictly a work-for-hire gig, but it displays enough Hitchcockery to show he wasn't as disengaged from the material as he would later claim he was. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bill T. @btreakle Feb 12 “Jamaica Inn “ This film the Jamaica Inn Is a 1939 film starring Charles laughton Maureen O’Hara Robert Newman Marie Ney and Leslie Banks. In this movie Maureen O’Hare plays a niece to a sister who owns an inn called the Jamaica inn in Cornwall. She is an orphan and goes to live with her aunt in Cornwall only to discover that her aunt is married to a scoundrel. Pretty sure this is one of marine o’hara’s earlier films she is so young in this but she plays a great role and a good supporting cast and it's probably one of my favorites of the early talking movies in black and white of course. If you like Alfred Hitchcock and you like Maureen O’Hara then you’re definitely gonna like this film I’m not going to give too much away and enjoy See more Will G @Wgoodeve 02/07/2025 An early Hitchcock film. It’s about a wealthy man and some scoundrels who spend some time at an Inn in England. The acting was good. There were nice scenes of ships arriving. This was remade recently. See more Terry M @RT94717813 11/02/2024 Daphne du Maurier and Alfred Hitchcock, both of Rebecca fame, what could go wrong? Well, everything really. Dodgy cinematography, even for the time. Charles Laughton hamming it like Matt Lucas. Slow paced. Give this one a hard pass. See more Steve D @RT35616104 01/10/2024 Only passable despite the talent. See more SICKS6SIX S @sicks6six 02/17/2023 THE PUBLIC CRITICS SCORED THIS FILM AT 35% I MUST HAVE BEEN WATCHING A DIFFERENT FILM FROM THEM, LAWTON'S ACTING IS GREAT, AND HE DRAGS YOU ALONG WITH HIM RIGHT TO HIS UNTIMELY DEMISE, OR IS THAT TIMELY DEMISE? See more 02/12/2022 This movie wasn't really as bad as it seems. Some parts of it may drag a little bit, but overall it was tense and easy to follow. Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara are a good pairing and they both do a great job. See more Read all reviews
Jamaica Inn

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Cast & Crew

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Charles Laughton

Sir Humphrey Pengallan

Maureen O'Hara

Mary

Leslie Banks

Joss Merlyn

Emlyn Williams

Harry

Robert Newton

James "Jem" Trehearne

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Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn (1939) Jamaica Inn (1939) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After the death of her mother, young Mary travels to the Cornish coast seeking her Aunt Patience. Stranded on a windswept, isolated road, Mary meets Humphrey Pengallan, who kindly escorts her to the Jamaica Inn. There, Mary meets her aunt and bullying uncle, Joss Merlyn—who secretly leads a band of pirates that pilfers the goods from wrecked ships. Suspicious, Mary turns to Pengallan for help, only to discover another dark secret.
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Producer
Erich Pommer, Charles Laughton
Screenwriter
Daphne Du Maurier, Sidney Gilliat, Joan Harrison, Sidney Gilliat, Alma Reville, J.B. Priestley
Distributor
Paramount Pictures, LS Video, Kino Video, Reel Media International [us]
Production Co
Mayflower Pictures
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 13, 1939, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 9, 2016
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Mono
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