Stage Fright

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John S This is laughably terrible and full of holes. It looks nice though. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/21/24 Full Review David K I love Hitchcock. But, this one leaves me flat. Not a great sense of suspense but it does have a twist. The question is whether that is enough to hold interest. Not really for me. Maybe it's because my expectation of Hitchcock has been shaped from all of his great films from "The Lodger" to "Psycho". Hey, no one's perfect. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/18/23 Full Review Liam D One of Alfred Hitchcock (Topaz, Saboteur) more underseen movies a film noir that has an intriguing mystery surrounding it Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/06/22 Full Review stu b Not the most celebrated of HItchcock's films, but an ultimately satisfying thriller nonetheless. Marlene Dietrich stars as an acclaimed London actress who murders her husband and then frames her lover for the crime...which prompts the lover's earlier girlfriend, a young ingenue still attending drama school, to go deep undercover in an effort to trick Dietrich into confessing. Well-acted by all--pay particular attention to Alastair Sims' enormously entertaining turn as the ingenue's willing-to-do-anything father--and much more light-hearted than most of the master's films, but chockful of suspenseful moments, too. The ending will leave you gasping--rarely has a thriller led its audience down the proverbial garden path as skillfully as this one--and you'll probably want to view it a second time (and maybe even a third) to see what you may have missed. With Richard Todd as Dietrich's lover, Jane Wyman as the girl, and Michael Wilding as the police inspector who falls for her. Hardly a masterpiece, but still a treat. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/08/22 Full Review j m The plot is hard to follow, but stuff like Hitchcock's memorable cameo makes this film better. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review matthew d Marlene Dietrich and Jane Wyman shine in this less popular Hitchcock classic! Director Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful murder mystery Stage Fright (1950) is a play on whodunits like other Hitchcock favorites with a romantic singe to it. Hitchcock returned to London to direct and produce Stage Fright about murder, romance, blackmail, and plays. What better location than London? Hitchcock's direction is sterling as always with his leering, creepy camera movements and frames that hint at reveals. He completely fools you with his enthralling direction and playful jabs at the murder mystery genre. Hitchcock mastered suspense thrillers and Stage Fright is no exception with intriguing clues, reveals, twists, and complications in every scene. Writer Alma Reville's adaptation of author Selwyn Jepson's novel is fascinating in the vivid details and piling clues that lead to Stage Fright's shocking finale. I love Jepson's sizzling romantic dialogue and sly twisting of words about plotting murder, covering up a killing, and blackmailing behind the scenes. Wilkie Cooper's cinematography is phenomenal with up close and personal close-up shots with intriguing framing that hints the audience in on a character's thoughts and realizations. Wilkie's wide shots give you such a grounded understanding of each room and building's layout. You're never lost in any location. Terence Verity's art direction is gorgeous from the faces in shadowy light and how Wilkie and Verity frame these characters in moody darkness. Stage Fright is certainly one of Hitchcock's best looking pictures. Marlene Dietrich is sultry with an effervescent glow about her as she acts delighted about her husband's murder and revels in her widow years. Marlene is simply wondrous in her perfect femme fatale performance as the antagonist of Stage Fright. Her singing is very fun to hear too. Jane Wyman is adorable and engaging as a young lady attempting to solve a murder as if she's Sherlock Holmes. Wyman has never been so much fun to watch as in her sympathetic role in Stage Fright. Michael Wilding is much improved after his dreadful acting outing in Hitchcock's worst film Under Capricorn. Wilding is charming, likable, and intelligent as the detective smitten with Jane Wyman. Richard Todd is convincing as a man on the run after trying to help his love out of a murder rap. Alastair Sim is hilarious as Wyman's beguiling father. Sybil Thorndike is funny as Wyman's clueless mother. Kay Walsh is fun as the greedy blackmailing dresser. Edward B. Jarvis' editing is really sleek with these super fast cuts for close-ups for emphasis right after far wide shots of a character reacting that are really effective. You're always feeling things in the moment with the characters. Stage Fright flies by and does not feel like 110 minutes long. Composer Leighton Lucas' score for Stage Fright is dreamy with romantic piano melodies and a sweeping intensity for the suspense thriller sequences. Sound designer Harold V. King does interesting things to fade in and out of Marlene's singing. In all, Stage Fright is definitely worth seeking out as it remains an underappreciated Hitchcock classic. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Stage Fright

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