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The Manxman follows a couple of childhood friends: poor fisherman Pete (Carl Brisson) and rising lawyer Philip (Malcolm Keen), both of which are unknowingly in love with the same woman, Kate (Anny Ondra). When Pete's advances are rejected by Kate's father, he decides to go abroad to make money while leaving Philip to take care of Kate. Meanwhile, Philip and Kate end up in love and unable to tell the truth when Pete returns. Now wealthy, Pete manages to hold Kate to her promise of marrying him much to her dismay, while Philip tries to deal with it.
Through the years, both Philip and Kate try first to deceive everybody, as they try to hide their relationship from everyone for fear of it being deemed inappropriate. When Pete reappears, they both agree to keep hiding it since Kate had promised herself to Pete. But their deceiving isn't enough to keep Pete from guessing that something is wrong with his wife.
I thought this effort was solid. The story is full of Hitchcock trademarks of lies, deceit, and mistrust, and I suppose the overall story would've been quite progressive at that time. Keen and Ondra were pretty good as the leads, while Brisson was ok, but not as good as his co-stars. As for the film, I think it was a bit too long and overdrawn (more than 2 hours) which probably hampered its effect. But still, I thought it was pretty bleak for a story of such times.
Grade:
THE MANXMAN
(1929, Hitchcock)
(1929, Hitchcock)
"See, Kate. You waited for him, and the Lord's spared him for you. And he's come home again, hearty and flush o' money."
The Manxman follows a couple of childhood friends: poor fisherman Pete (Carl Brisson) and rising lawyer Philip (Malcolm Keen), both of which are unknowingly in love with the same woman, Kate (Anny Ondra). When Pete's advances are rejected by Kate's father, he decides to go abroad to make money while leaving Philip to take care of Kate. Meanwhile, Philip and Kate end up in love and unable to tell the truth when Pete returns. Now wealthy, Pete manages to hold Kate to her promise of marrying him much to her dismay, while Philip tries to deal with it.
Through the years, both Philip and Kate try first to deceive everybody, as they try to hide their relationship from everyone for fear of it being deemed inappropriate. When Pete reappears, they both agree to keep hiding it since Kate had promised herself to Pete. But their deceiving isn't enough to keep Pete from guessing that something is wrong with his wife.
I thought this effort was solid. The story is full of Hitchcock trademarks of lies, deceit, and mistrust, and I suppose the overall story would've been quite progressive at that time. Keen and Ondra were pretty good as the leads, while Brisson was ok, but not as good as his co-stars. As for the film, I think it was a bit too long and overdrawn (more than 2 hours) which probably hampered its effect. But still, I thought it was pretty bleak for a story of such times.
Grade: