STAGE FRIGHT A Review by JP January 8, 2015 Just after being freed from controlling producer David O. Selznick & then 2 experimental films (Rope & Under Capricorn) failing to be understood, director Alfred Hitchcock regained his audience with “Stage Fright” (1950). An undeniably amusing, show-stealing, glamorous performance by one of Hollywood’s best acting divas, Marlene Dietrich (Witness for the Prosecution, Judgment at Nuremberg) , set the “stage” – as it were – for a very young, newly-Oscar-awarded Jane Wyman (Falcon Crest, Pollyanna) in a complex tale of murder, trust, envy, and lies. Though the next near 15 years would become the highlight of Hitch’s career, this underrated gem deserves props for its atypical plot & twists far ahead of its time. Comedy, intrigue, romance (meh, not too much), and suspense coalesce to keep a thriller aged 65 years entertaining into this, the next millennia. Cheeky British character actors Alastair Sim (The Green Man) & Sybil Thorndike (The Prince and the Showgirl) add to the comic relief nicely. A small role by Alfred’s daughter, Patricia “TRANQUILIZERS*” Hitchcock (Strangers on a Train, Psycho), is always enjoyable for a laugh. Michael Wilding (Under Capricorn), looking like the ‘50s Alan Cumming, investigates the death of a diva’s husband…and the love of a mousey young woman. Richard Todd (Asylum – 1972) (and his Ban Roll-on eyes) rounds out the cast as the recurring Hitchcockian cliché: the wrongly-accused suspect…but with a extra trait which voids the cliché. In signature fashion, Hitch begins this tangled web off-step, lets Diva Dietrich command the spotlight – particularly with her saucy, Cole Porter-written number “Laziest Girl in Town” – or as Marlene sang it: “Toowwwwwwnnn” – weaves an increasingly-engaging & funny script into classic film candy. Some elements of the film Hitch would later regret including the cause of a climax unfit for the classic it should have become due to an earlier deception. Still, this undervalued prelude to Hithcock’s “Strangers on a Train” deserves more credit than it received. Always a fun watch! * - Patricia Hitchcock’s small role in 1960’s “Psycho” had her as a secretary with TMI syndrome, sharing with Janet Leigh’s character about using tranquilizers. “Freddy (her fiancé) would’ve been furious if he knew I’d taken tranquilizers!” FUNNY FACT: Marlene Dietrich would reference this film in later stage shows when playing “Laziest Girl in Town” with the following introduction: “I did this one for Hitch…cock.”
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 08:05:25 +0000
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