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Jamaica Inn (Alfred Hitchcock,1939)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton, Charles Laughton
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: On the rugged coastline of Cornwall, England in 1819, a group of murderous criminals operate out of the Jamaica Inn, luring passing ships to their doom on the rocky shore. As the ships flounder and the crew try to swim ashore, the outlaws attack, leaving no man alive to tell the tale of the stolen bounty.
Review: Hitch had made 23 previous feature length films before making Jamaica Inn which is based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel. Hitch would make two more films from Daphne Du Maurier novels: Rebecca (1940) and The Birds (1963). Jamaica Inn marks the last of the films Hitch would make in England before heading off to Hollywood.
This was also one of Hitch's least favorite films. Much of the problem stems from Hitch not having control over the film. The star, Charles Laughton was also the producer and as such, the star of the film had control of the shots.
Jamaica Inn was a box office success, though as part of Hitch's canon, it often finds itself at the bottom of his films. Some of the blame can be attributed to Charles Laughton's choice of performance. Laughton who's one of cinema's greats, choose to play the aristocratic Bannister who's losing his mind, as an eccentric almost comical character. His performance is boisterously larger than life. The exaggerated make up and facial applications dramatically change the actors look, unfortunately it makes him look buffoonish. This works against the story because he's the antagonist that puts the young Irish woman Mary in peril (Maureen O'Hara).
Despite some problems, the film is still a treat to watch. The opening scene of the shipwreck and murder of it's crew is outright disturbing. Hitch really poured effort into these dark scenes and they still pack a punch today.
Jamaica Inn (Alfred Hitchcock,1939)
Cast: Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton, Charles Laughton
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: On the rugged coastline of Cornwall, England in 1819, a group of murderous criminals operate out of the Jamaica Inn, luring passing ships to their doom on the rocky shore. As the ships flounder and the crew try to swim ashore, the outlaws attack, leaving no man alive to tell the tale of the stolen bounty.
Review: Hitch had made 23 previous feature length films before making Jamaica Inn which is based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel. Hitch would make two more films from Daphne Du Maurier novels: Rebecca (1940) and The Birds (1963). Jamaica Inn marks the last of the films Hitch would make in England before heading off to Hollywood.
This was also one of Hitch's least favorite films. Much of the problem stems from Hitch not having control over the film. The star, Charles Laughton was also the producer and as such, the star of the film had control of the shots.
Jamaica Inn was a box office success, though as part of Hitch's canon, it often finds itself at the bottom of his films. Some of the blame can be attributed to Charles Laughton's choice of performance. Laughton who's one of cinema's greats, choose to play the aristocratic Bannister who's losing his mind, as an eccentric almost comical character. His performance is boisterously larger than life. The exaggerated make up and facial applications dramatically change the actors look, unfortunately it makes him look buffoonish. This works against the story because he's the antagonist that puts the young Irish woman Mary in peril (Maureen O'Hara).
Despite some problems, the film is still a treat to watch. The opening scene of the shipwreck and murder of it's crew is outright disturbing. Hitch really poured effort into these dark scenes and they still pack a punch today.