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Blackmail (1929)
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Synopsis: Anny Ondra gives an excellent performance as Alice, who, rebelling against the possessiveness of her police boyfriend, flirts with an artist and agrees to pose for him with disastrous consequences. Resisting his advances, she ends up murdering him in self-defense. Her boyfriend, Frank, a... Anny Ondra gives an excellent performance as Alice, who, rebelling against the possessiveness of her police boyfriend, flirts with an artist and agrees to pose for him with disastrous consequences. Resisting his advances, she ends up murdering him in self-defense. Her boyfriend, Frank, a Scotland Yard detective, is assigned to the case and discovers Alice's glove at the murder scene. Unbeknownst to Frank, the other glove was picked up by a blackmailer who's been watching the artist. Based on a play by Charles Bennett, the film was released in two versions: a silent version and a sound version with Anny Ondra's voice dubbed in by Joan Barry. BLACKMAIL was the first sound picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock (in fact, it was the first feature-length British talkie) and was a seminal film in the development of the murder mystery in British film. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Anny Ondra, John Longden, Cyril Ritchard, Sara Allgood
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 10, 2004
DVD Features:
- Region (Unknown)
- Keep Case
- Single Side - Single Layer
- Full Frame - 1.33
Reviews
It's a more than adequate though primitive murder mystery story that's enhanced by a series of marvelous technical innovations for its time.
Slight but entertaining, Hitchcock's last silent film/first talkie (it was released both ways) is today largely a historical curiosity, but still worth seeing.


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