Blackmail (film)

Movie
German title	blackmail
Original title	Blackmail
Country of production	Great Britain
original language	English
Publishing year	1929
length	84 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Alfred Hitchcock
script	Alfred Hitchcock Benn W. Levy (dialogues) Michael Powell
production	John Maxwell for British International Pictures
music	Hubert Bath
camera	Jack E. Cox
cut	Emile de Ruelle
occupation
Anny Ondra : Alice White Sara Allgood : Mrs. White Charles Paton : Mr. White John Longden : Inspector Frank Webber Donald Calthrop : Tracy Cyril Ritchard : Crewe, the artist Hannah Jones : Landlady Harvey Braban : Chief Inspector

Blackmail (Original title: Blackmail ) is a British crime film by Alfred Hitchcock from 1929. It was based on a play by Charles Bennett and was one of the first British sound films .

action

Frank Webber is an ambitious young police officer at Scotland Yard . He is in a relationship with Alice White, whose father runs a newspaper and tobacco shop in Chelsea , London . After an argument, Alice secretly meets with another man, the painter Crewe, in his studio apartment. When Crewe becomes intrusive and tries to rape her, Alice picks up a bread knife in self-defense and stabs him. Alice escapes from the crime scene undetected, but leaves her gloves behind. After the murder is discovered, Frank is put in charge of the investigation. When he finds one of the gloves, he removes the incriminating evidence to protect Alice.

Just as Frank confronts Alice in the newsagents, the crook Tracy shows up and shows that he has observed Alice, is in possession of the second glove and also knows about Frank's attempt to cover up. He wants to blackmail the two of them. Just as Tracy is about to dictate his terms, Frank receives a call: Crewe's landlady has seen Tracy at the crime scene, which makes him a suspect. With testimony against testimony, Tracy escapes, fearing that a criminal's testimony will not hold up in court. He escapes to the British Museum , where he finally falls to his death from the roof, pursued by the police. Before Alice finds out that the case is now over, she rushes to Scotland Yard and wants to surrender. She has remorse that an innocent person has to atone for what she did. Frank can intercept her in his supervisor's office and dissuade her from her plan.

background

The film was not originally intended as a sound film; shooting began as a silent film . The film producers ( British International Pictures ) decided, however, while production was running, to make the film the first British sound film. This decision had a significant impact on the film, as a considerable part of the project had already been filmed without sound at that point. Some of these scenes have now been re-shot with sound, but some have remained silent in their original form. Furthermore, the leading actress Anny Ondra, who came from Galicia, had a very heavy accent that did not fit her role.

Since some scenes with her were already "in the can", it was decided that Ondra should continue to play her role, but only move her lips during her missions. Your text was spoken synchronously from the off by the actress Joan Barry . This undoubtedly made Ondra's acting look a little awkward.

Since the sound film version of this film is very famous, it is widely available for the home video market. The completed silent film version was released in cinemas shortly after the sound film version in 1929. In fact, the silent film version ran longer in cinemas and was more popular in its day because most movie theaters in England were not yet set up for sound films. Despite the popularity of the silent film version, the landmark sound film version was best remembered in film history. The silent film version is rarely seen these days, although both versions were released on a German DVD by ArtHaus in 2002 .

criticism

• Lexicon of the international film : Not very carefully in the plot outline, also little worked up psychologically, but Hitchcock confidently tests the possibilities of criminal tension.
• Protestant film observer : This first English sound film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is not only interesting in terms of film history, but also a well thought-out and well-designed crime film.

Cameo

Hitchcock is reading a book on the subway and is disturbed by a boy.

Web links

• Blackmail in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Blackmail at screenonline

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Extortion. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .  
2. ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 502/1962