Stage Fright
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Whitfield Cook; adapted by Alma Reville from a novel by Selwyn Jepson
1950/USA
Warner Bros.
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
Eve Gill: I’m afraid the murderer might come here madam. Might get into the dressing room. Might even murder me madam. I’m surprised you’re not a bit afraid yourself.
This is not one of Hitchcock’s more memorable films but second-tier Hitchcock is still enjoyable. The inclusion of my beloved Alistair Sim kicks it up a notch.
Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) is studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is sweet on fellow student Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd), who is having an affair with married stage star Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). One day Cooper arrives with a bloody dress and tells Eve he witnessed Charlotte murder hr husband. The police are now after him. Eve helps him dispose of the dress and takes him to hide with her father (Alistair Sim).
Eve decides to investigate to prove Charlotte’s innocence by posing as a dresser substituting for her regular. While doing so, she gets to know the Scotland Yard investigator on the case, Mr. Ordinary Smith (Michael Wilding). Eve’s affections gradually start to shift. With Sybill Thorndyke as Eve’s mother, Kay Walsh as Charlotte’s regular dresser. and Patricia Hitchcock as a student.
This film depends on an unusual gimmick that I shall not reveal. Your mileage may vary as to its effectiveness. My husband groaned but it didn’t bother me much. The performances are all very good and I find Sim and Wilding really appealing in anything. Dietrich’s rendition of “The Laziest Gal in Town” is the icing on the cake. Worth seeing.
Trailer
