THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

Month: September 2021

  • The 39 Steps Review

    The 39 Steps Review

    • Details 
    • Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 
    • Screenplay by Charles Bennett, Ian Hay 
    • Based on The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915) 
    • Released on June 6 (UK), August 2 (US) 1935 
    • Running time 86 minutes. 
    • Cast Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, and Godfrey Tearle
    The 39 Steps

    The film opens in a packed theater located in London where a show is about to begin. The show is “Mr. Memory,” a man who commits 50 facts a day to memory and encourages the audience to yell out questions to him so that he may prove his talent. Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) is in attendance, asking questions about his homeland in Canada. While the show is still going on, a fight breaks out, and suddenly a shot rings through the crowd. The audience begins fleeing the theater, and Hannay finds himself holding a woman who seems to be shaken up. 

    The woman asks for him to take her back to his place, and once they arrive, she informs Hannay that she was the one who fired the shot. She says her name is Annabelle Smith, and she is a spy on the run who needed a distraction to escape. She tells him that she uncovered plans to steal British military information and says the phrase “The 39 Steps.” Later that night, while Hannay is in bed, Smith comes into his room for what looks like could be some intimacy. However, when Smith proclaims, “they’ll come for you next,” she falls over dead revealing a knife in her back. In her hands, she holds a map with a house in the Scottish Highlands circled. 

    Hannay decides to flee his apartment in disguise, so the killers outside do not end him next. He boards a train with plans to find the place on the map. While on the train, he discovers that he is wanted for the murder of Smith. He approaches an officer, seemingly to turn himself in and explain the situation, but hears the officer tell someone, “There is enough evidence to hang the man.” Now, fearing for his life, Hannay gets back on the train just as it pulls out of the station. The next thing he knows, the police are searching each car on the train looking for him. Hannay ducks into a train car, and to trick the authorities, he kisses the lone woman (Madeleine Caroll) in the car with him. The police enter anyway, and she tells them who Hannay is, forcing him to escape. 

    He makes his way to the house on the map where a large gathering is taking place. The police, who have been chasing him the entire time, follow him to the house. The owner, however, sends the law away, fooling them into thinking Hannay is not there. The owner, Mr. Jordan, sits down with Hannay after all the guests have left to listen to his story. When Hannay tells him everything, he also reveals that the spy’s leader is missing his little finger’s top joint. Jordan raises his hand to show that he is missing that join and shoots Hannay.

    Hannay, however, was wearing an oversized coat with a book inside it, and the book stops the bullet saving his life. Deciding it is time to turn himself in, Hannay goes to the local sheriff, who he met at Jordan’s gathering. Unfortunately, the sheriff does not believe him and handcuffs Hannay. Again, having to flee for his life, Hannay jumps through a window to escape. He runs into a large meeting, and the people confuse him for being the speaker. He gets up in front of everyone and gives a grand speech but is recognized by the woman from the train car that he kissed, Pamela. Pamela goes straight to the police and turns him in. 

    As they take Hannay away, he begs Pamela to make some phone calls shedding light on the treason taking place. She refuses to do so, but the police say that she must come back to the station with them as well to help build a case against Hannay. The police handcuff Pamela to Hannay and leave but go in the wrong direction. At this moment, Hannay discovers these are not police at all, but members of the spy organization set on killing him. 

    The 39 Steps (1935)

    He escapes again, but this time with Pamela handcuffed to him. She struggles to stay, but Hannay, fearing for his life, forces her to run off with him. Later that night, as Hannay is sleeping, Pamela slips the cuffs off her hand and sneaks out of the room. She then overhears a telephone conversation by the men chasing them, confirming they are spies. 

    The next day, Pamela, now believing Hannay’s story, heads back to London to inform the police only to be told no documents have been stolen, and she sent out not being believed. The law, however, follows her because they think now that she is going to lead them to Hannay. She enters a large theater that just so happens to be Mr. Memory’s show. Hannay is there, and the police grab him only as he sees Jordan. At that moment, Hannay understands that Mr. Memory memorized all the documents for Jordan and is going to flee the country with them. Hannay shouts out, “What are the 39 Steps?” to which Mr. Memory replies, “The 39 Steps is an organization of spies, collecting information on behalf of the Foreign Office off,” and then BAM, he is shot. Hannay, along with some police officers and Pamela, rushes to Mr. Memory. The latter is dying and has just enough life left to explain, in great detail, the design for a silent engine. 

    The 39 Steps was Alfred Hitchcock’s second break-out success, after The Man Who Knew Too Much. Hitchcock was giving a green light on almost any film he wanted to do because of this success. His approach to treating anxiety and fantasy together on the same screen and his directing skills were made history when the cast began explaining how he would get them into character. Hitchcock handcuffed Donat and Carroll together for hours before filming, telling them he lost the key. He did this for them to get an idea of what being trapped together would feel like in hopes that it would translate to the screen, which it did. The film was so good that while screening it with the author of the novel the film was loosely based on, Hitchcock leaned over and asked the author what he thought of the film. The response was, “it’s fantastic, I can’t wait to see how it ends.” 

    A true master of his craft, Hitchcock built something with this film that is still used in movies today, the idea of a wrongfully accused man with nowhere to go and no one to listen. Screenwriter and director Robert Towne are quoted as saying, “It’s not much pf an exaggerating to say that all contemporary escapist entertainment beings with The 39 Steps.” 

    The 39 Steps

    Watch “The 39 Steps” on TheLastPicture.Show

    Written exclusively for TheLastPicture.Show by Jacob Ruble

    Disclosure: The links on this page are “Affiliate Links” and while these are shown at no costs to our viewers, they generate commissions for our website(s)

  • Easy Virtue (1928)

    Easy Virtue (1928)

    Easy Virtue

    After directing the film adaptation of Downhill, Gainsborough convinced Hitchcock that he should lead another play to film adaptation, this time for the play Easy Virtue. This play was also one of Noel Cowards’ creations, so it was a no-brainer to pair it with Hitchcock once again. Hitchcock, however, was hesitant to direct another adaptation as one suspects even this early in his career, he was looking for a story that would fit his voice a little better. However, the powers won over in the end, and he was attached to Easy Virtue. 

    The film is about a man named Aubrey Filton. A man who is sure his wife is stepping out on him to have an affair with a young artist (seems to be a theme with these early films). Filton decides he has no other option than to sue his wife for divorce on the grounds of being unfaithful. All through the wife, Larita, swears her innocence in the court, the jury sided with the husband and allowed the divorce to happen. The facts are, however, that Mr. Filton is an abusive alcoholic. He only thinks that the affair happened because of an altercation he had with the artist. The fight occurred while the artist, Claude, was painting a portrait of Larita. He felt for her as he could see the abuse she was receiving from her drunk husband. Claude writes Larita a letter begging her to leave her husband and run away with him with perhaps selfish intentions. Larita declines, but while doing so, her husband walks in and begins to fight with Claude. Claude then fires a gun at Aubrey and misses the first shot. A fight breaks out, and, in the end, Claude doesn’t miss his second shot. The bullet wounds but does not kill Aubrey. He finds the letter Claude wrote Larita, and therefore he thinks she is having an affair. After the court’s side with the husband, Larita’s reputation is ruined, and she flees to the French Riviera. 

    Easy Virtue
    Easy Virtue

    It is here that she meets a wealthy younger man named John Whittaker. They quickly fall in love and get married after only knowing each other for a short time. After the marriage, they make their way back to England so that the newlyweds can spend time with John’s family and allow the Whitakers to get to know the new member of the family. Most of the family seem to really enjoy Larita; however, John’s mother has suspicions about her new daughter and feels like she knows her from someplace but cannot place where. When the mother learns that they were married quickly without knowing each other’s pasts, she voices her concerns but is asked to get along with Larita for Johns’s sake. She obliges to this but only when they are around the company. In privacy, she still finds out who the bride is and what stories her past holds. All the snooping eventually makes life unbearable for Larita, leaving her wanting to move back to France with John. Unfortunately for Larita, however, the mother has turned the whole family against Larita, including John. Now, on the verge of a second divorce, Lorita’s past is finally uncovered as John’s sister finds an article explaining who Lorita was once married to. The mother is furious and worried about what her friends will think. Hence, she tries to force Lorita to stay hidden while entertaining some guests. After all the hell that she has gone through, Lorita decides she will no longer hide from things. That night while everyone is at Whittaker’s home, Lorita makes a grand entrance embarrassing the family. She chooses the divorce from John is what’s best and does not fight this time in the court. At the end of the film, when she is met with all the reporters ready to run her name through the mud once more, Lorita exclaims, “Shoot! There’s nothing left to kill.” 

    This is a well-written story with some top-notch acting. The tale is of sadness and despair that too often happens in a “he said she said” world. One where the truth is often only as accurate as the gossiping crowd allows it to be. As the story unfolds, it is hard not to feel overwhelming empathy for Lorita. Every turn seems to bring nothing but heartache and ridicule for her. However, Hitchcock was not fully invested in the production of Easy Virtue. The fingerprints one would want to see on a Hitchcock movie are just not present in this one. It seems to be a throwaway of sorts for the director. It is nothing to say it is anything less than a great movie as all the components are there. There is just something missing from it that would classify it as a Hitchcock classic. A film worth a watch and accepting of one’s admiration simply falls short of achieving the Hitchcock standard. 

    Written exclusively for TheLastPicture.Show by Jacob Ruble

    Disclosure: The links on this page are “Affiliate Links” and while these are shown at no costs to our viewers, they generate commissions for our website(s)

  • Easy Virtue (1928)

    Easy Virtue (1928)

    EASY VIRTUE – 1928 MOVIE DIRECTED BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK

    After directing the film adaptation of Downhill, Gainsborough convinced Hitchcock that he should lead another play to film adaptation, this time for the play Easy Virtue. This play was also one of Noel Cowards’ creations, so it was a no-brainer to pair it with Hitchcock once again. Hitchcock, however, was hesitant to direct another adaptation as one suspects even this early in his career, he was looking for a story that would fit his voice a little better. However, the powers won over in the end, and he was attached to Easy Virtue. 

    image-4

    The film is about a man named Aubrey Filton. A man who is sure his wife is stepping out on him to have an affair with a young artist (seems to be a theme with these early films). Filton decides he has no other option than to sue his wife for divorce on the grounds of being unfaithful. All through the wife, Larita, swears her innocence in the court, the jury sided with the husband and allowed the divorce to happen. The facts are, however, that Mr. Filton is an abusive alcoholic. He only thinks that the affair happened because of an altercation he had with the artist. The fight occurred while the artist, Claude, was painting a portrait of Larita. He felt for her as he could see the abuse she was receiving from her drunk husband. Claude writes Larita a letter begging her to leave her husband and run away with him with perhaps selfish intentions. Larita declines, but while doing so, her husband walks in and begins to fight with Claude. Claude then fires a gun at Aubrey and misses the first shot. A fight breaks out, and, in the end, Claude doesn’t miss his second shot. The bullet wounds but does not kill Aubrey. He finds the letter Claude wrote Larita, and therefore he thinks she is having an affair. After the court’s side with the husband, Larita’s reputation is ruined, and she flees to the French Riviera. 

    image-5

    It is here that she meets a wealthy younger man named John Whittaker. They quickly fall in love and get married after only knowing each other for a short time. After the marriage, they make their way back to England so that the newlyweds can spend time with John’s family and allow the Whitakers to get to know the new member of the family. Most of the family seem to really enjoy Larita; however, John’s mother has suspicions about her new daughter and feels like she knows her from someplace but cannot place where. When the mother learns that they were married quickly without knowing each other’s pasts, she voices her concerns but is asked to get along with Larita for Johns’s sake. She obliges to this but only when they are around the company. In privacy, she still finds out who the bride is and what stories her past holds. All the snooping eventually makes life unbearable for Larita, leaving her wanting to move back to France with John. Unfortunately for Larita, however, the mother has turned the whole family against Larita, including John. Now, on the verge of a second divorce, Lorita’s past is finally uncovered as John’s sister finds an article explaining who Lorita was once married to. The mother is furious and worried about what her friends will think. Hence, she tries to force Lorita to stay hidden while entertaining some guests. After all the hell that she has gone through, Lorita decides she will no longer hide from things. That night while everyone is at Whittaker’s home, Lorita makes a grand entrance embarrassing the family. She chooses the divorce from John is what’s best and does not fight this time in the court. At the end of the film, when she is met with all the reporters ready to run her name through the mud once more, Lorita exclaims, “Shoot! There’s nothing left to kill.” 

    image-6

    This is a well-written story with some top-notch acting. The tale is of sadness and despair that too often happens in a “he said she said” world. One where the truth is often only as accurate as the gossiping crowd allows it to be. As the story unfolds, it is hard not to feel overwhelming empathy for Lorita. Every turn seems to bring nothing but heartache and ridicule for her. However, Hitchcock was not fully invested in the production of Easy Virtue. The fingerprints one would want to see on a Hitchcock movie are just not present in this one. It seems to be a throwaway of sorts for the director. It is nothing to say it is anything less than a great movie as all the components are there. There is just something missing from it that would classify it as a Hitchcock classic. A film worth a watch and accepting of one’s admiration simply falls short of achieving the Hitchcock standard. 

    Written exclusively for our company by Jacob Ruble

    Source – https://thelastpicture.show/

  • Downhill (1927)

    Downhill (1927)

    DOWNHILL – 1927 MOVIE DIRECTED BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK

    Downhill, otherwise known as “When Boys Leave Home” in the United States, is a silent film released in 1927 based on the play, Downhill. When released, it became the fourth film for the now renowned director Alfred Hitchcock. It is incredible to go back and see how Hitchcock’s style was evident in even his earliest films. Of course, as time went on and he grew as an artist, his styles would become cleaner and take on their most authentic form. However, going back and watching the early films is a treat to watch the growth throughout his career. 

    Downhill (1927)

    The film’s first title card explains to the audience that they are about to witness a bond between two best friends. Best friends that made a pact to look out for each other at all costs. It is a pact that one friend follows through with. 

    The audience is then taken to a rugby game in progress. The star player is the film’s main character. A young man named Roddy Berwick is played by Ivor Novello. Novello was also one of the writers for the play the film is based on. He wrote the play with Constance Collier. Novello was mainly known for his musical and playwriting abilities. Still, his acting skills can be witnessed in a handful of films, including Hitchcock’s other film, The Lodger, which came out the same year as Downhill. 

    Downhill (1927)

    After the rugby game, Roddy is carried away on the shoulders of his teammates. That is when the character of Tim Wakeley (Robin Irvine) is introduced. Tim is Roddy’s best friend and the one he made a pact with, a friend desperate to receive a scholarship to attend Oxford University. According to his father, it is the only way Tim will be able to afford the school. Tim then goes out to eat with his sister, where he is slipped a note from one of the servers, Mabel (Annette Benson), letting him know she will be alone later that night. From the look on Tim’s face, it is clear he is excited about this news! Roddy comes into the dining hall just as the prayer is beginning. Mabel tries to make him laugh while the prayer occurs, and his father happens to see this and is not pleased with him. Later that night, Roddy and Tim go to the shop that Mabel told them about where she would be alone. They start with some music, and soon Roddy and Mabel are dancing. After a customer comes into the shop, Roddy decides to step aside and let Tim try his hand at dancing with Mabel. The dancing leads to Tim and Mabel kissing. It was evident throughout this scene that Mabel would instead be kissing Roddy; however, he brushes her off, which angers her. When the boys leave the ship, she invites Tim to come back when the store is closed. Things really seem to be going great for this small group of young people. 

    Downhill (1927)

    A few days later, both boys are called into the headmaster’s office, where they find Mabel sitting and waiting. Mabel reveals to the headmaster that she is pregnant and that Roddy is the father. Tim is the real father but cannot say this because he would be expelled and lose his scholarship. In an attempt to live up to his pact with Tim, Roddy accepts the lie and is kicked out of school. Mabel says that Roddy’s father is “rolling in money. He has to see me through it,” revealing her actual reasoning for casting the blame on him. 

    Roddy is expelled from school and told to leave immediately. He leaves and goes back home, but he is met with upset parents, and his father refuses to believe he is innocent of the allegations. Frustrated that things are not going his way, Roddy decides to leave home. Not long after leaving home, Roddy becomes an actor at a local theater. Soon, Roddy receives a large sum of money after a family member passes away. Due to this influx of income, he catches the eye of the lead actress, Julia (Isabel Jeans), at the theater he is now working, and they get married. Things seem to be looking up for Roddy. However, Julia is not the most faithful wife and has a side relationship with another actor at the theater. Once Roddy spends all his money, it’s not long before Julia leaves him. 

    Downhill (1927)

    Now alone again and trying to figure out his place in the world, Roddy becomes a “companion” for older women. He is earning money but at what cost to his mental health. Because of this strain on his morals, he decides to leave this lifestyle. It doesn’t take long for him to hit complete rock bottom and become swallowed in a shadow of depression and self-loathing. When a group of people decides to help him get back home, he arrives to a father excited to see him. While Roddy was away, his father learned the truth about Mabel and regrated sending his son out. 

    One thing that stands out in this film is the lack of title cards throughout the story. Hitchcock used his attention to detail to allow the story to play out on the screen without the need for title cards. This was a bold attempt that ultimately paid off in the end. It allows the viewer to develop their own ideas about what is playing out on the screen while still having enough subtle cues to keep the story moving in the correct direction. This is such a great watch, even if the copy is not composed as mine was not. I would like to see the film with the original sound to see how it differs from my first experience. 

    Written exclusively for our company by Jacob Ruble

    Source – https://thelastpicture.show/