Cat. No. DVDM 1663: BLACKMAIL ~ ANNY ONDRA / SARA ALLGOOD / JOHN LONGDEN. FORCE ENT. FV1498.
FORMAT: PAL REGION: 4.
BLACK & WHITE RUNNING TIME: 83 MINS.
REVIEW: Alfred Hitchcock’s first thriller since The Lodger, Blackmail received added recognition for being both Britain’s and Hitchcock’s first sound movie. Production had already begun on this film in 1929 when midway through Hitchcock was asked to reshoot some scenes with dialogue. Two versions of the film exist – one silent, one with sound. This is the all-talking version and the one which was a greater commercial success. Technically, Blackmail was Hitchcock’s most advanced film up to that time. Anny Ondra, the leading lady, was a Polish born Czech, and her voice necessitated dubbing as her English was not very good. She mouther her lines while out of camera her understudy Joan Barry spoke them into the microphone.
A young lady (Ondra) has an argument with her detective boyfriend (John Longden). She is picked up by an artist (Cyril Richard) who invites her back to his flat. When he attempts to rape her, she bludgeons him to death with a knife. A glove left behind in her artist’s abode is picked up by the detective on the case, who also happens to be the girl’s boyfriend. Complications arise when a blackmailer enters the scene, and tells the girl that he knows her terrible secret.
DVD
