Number 17

Starring:Henry Caine, Donald Calthrop, Ann Casson, Anne Grey, Barry Jones, Herbert Langley, Leon M. Lion, Garry Marsh, John Stuart
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Studio: Westlake Budget
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Golden Era of Silent Hitchock Film
A Good Value for Hitchcock Fans
Wait for the new Hitchcock releases.
Half wonderful, all of great historical interest
Imperdible...

Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The 39 Steps / Jamaica Inn / Young and Innocent / The Manxman / The Secret Agent / Number 17 / The Ring / The Skin Game / The Cheney Vase)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) / Blackmail / The Farmer's Wife / Murder! / Sabotage / The Lodger / Easy Virtue / Rich and Strange / The Sorcer's Apprentice [TV Episode])
Alfred Hitchcock's Bon Voyage & Aventure Malgache
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Under Capricorn
Number 17/The Ring

ASIN: B00000JQSP
Release Date: 1999-07-24

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock's 1929 remake of the 1916 U.K. drama The Manxman is no picnic: lives are destroyed, careers ruined, and hopes dashed. One of the director's harshest works, this silent film concerns two old school chums on the Isle of Man, Pete (Carl Brisson) and Phil (Malcolm Keen), who both love the same woman, Kate (Anny Ondra). Phil has been reared and educated to become an aristocrat--a successful lawyer and eventual judge. Pete, by contrast, is happy as a fisherman but cannot win Kate until he earns his fortune. (He also doesn't know how Phil really feels about his girl.) When word comes that Pete has died overseas, Phil and Kate consummate their passion, only to find that the news of their friend's demise has been greatly exaggerated. What follows is a doomed effort by the lovers to paper over what they've done: Pete marries Kate, all right, but Kate and Phil's deception not only doesn't go away, it just gets deeper. Hitchcock explores, though not too subtly, his developing preoccupation with shared guilt and secret selves, and he layers in strong hints of ever-deepening motivation behind so much self-destruction. (A suggestion that blue-blooded Phil is really using the barmaid Kate as a shield against his destiny is not only provocative but amplifies the tragedy.) Much of the film is set-bound, but there are also astonishing moments of Hitchcock working out early versions of visual ideas fulfilled up to 30 years later in such films as North by Northwest and Psycho. --Tom Keogh

Description

7 DVD SET INCLUDES:
The Secret Agent
The Skin Game
Number 17
The Ring
Jamaica Inn
Young and Innocent
The Cheney Vase
The Manxman
The 39 Steps

B&W/683 min.

Customer Reviews:

The Golden Era of Silent Hitchock Film.......2003-02-12

This is a tragic, woeful tale! Do not expect to leave this film unscathed by the brutal knife edge of Hitchcock. He wields the weapon of suspense and trauma even here, so very early in his career.

We are also introduced to the fine actor, Carl Brisson. His performance alone garners the worth of four stars. Each facial expression, every gesticulation is worth a thousand words in the medium of silent film, and Mr. Brisson flawlessly provides them all. He is, essentially, the backbone of this dreadully long, droll, tragedy.

You'll notice the pacing and editing of the movie are frustrating, however, in its entirety, i still believe this film works. It's a Lily in Winter: rare, rare, rare. I only wish Mr. Brisson had produced more than three films before his untimely (and early) death.

And you'll want this as a reminder that the fruits of Hitchcocks genius were in the larval stages and just absolutely fascinating to watch.

A Good Value for Hitchcock Fans.......2001-08-30

These DVDs (and The AH Collection II) are quite a good value. Iým a big Hitchcock fan, and before I bought them I had only seen cheapo VHS versions of a few of the movies (except for The Lady Vanishes and The 39 Steps, of which I had the Criterion editions). Anyway, I got the two box sets here on Amazon (theyýre also now available in one big set with 14 DVDs), and Iýve watched through all of them.
The first thing you need to know, and then promptly forget about, is that Tony Curtis provides an introduction to each DVD, and man is it brutal! There are a lot of pictures that were publicity stills for his later movies or his TV series, and Tony says things like, ýHitch liked to shock people. You know what itýs like when you have a good twist at the end of a film? Hitch had a lot of those. Shocking!ý His comments rarely relate to the movie. Anyway, I watched all the intros, but it was painful.
Several of the DVDs also have trailers for later Hitchcock films, all in horrible condition. Which makes the transfers of the actual movies all that much better, since theyýre quite acceptable. The worst transfer is the earliest film, The Lodger, and the worst movies are The Manxman and Easy Virtue. Besides that, it was a pleasure watching them. None of the films are at the level of the two Criterion releases, and there are certainly lines and scratches throughout, but you can enjoy them. The sound is generally okayývery little screeching as I recall from the VHS copies Iýve seen. Thereýs really no bass response at all, but thereýs not a whole lot of scratching either.
I think (a) except for the two Criterion ones, theyýre the best copies out there, (b) if youýre a Hitchcock fan, theyýre required viewing and you wonýt be disappointed in the movies themselves, and (c) at about $... a DVD, and with three or so of the discs containing a second, silent film (none of the silents stand alone on a DVD) and two of the discs containing an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (in probably the worst condition youýve ever seen them, especially if youýve been spoiled by the Universal-released episodes), theyýre a tremendous bargain.
Note, these arenýt all of Hitchcockýs early movies. Several, such as Champagne and Juno and the Paycock, arenýt out on DVD at all. Also note that these arenýt all mystery/suspense films. The Farmerýs Wife is a comedy, The Ring is a boxing/love story, Easy Virtue, Skin Game, and The Manxman are melodramas, and Jamaica Inn is a period piece. But itýs neat to finish one of these and then watch, say, The 39 Steps and see an early glimpse into the director Hitch would later become.
One painful caveat: The Farmerýs Wife, a silent comedy, was quite entertaining, but it was also nearly an hour longer than its 97-minute listed running time. Everytime I thought the farmer would finally choose a wife, another plot twist came up. After 2+ hours I started to consider hitting the FF button. I read somewhere that itýs a common error in silent films to have them run at the wrong speed--unfortunately this one runs too slow. If you can forego the music, Iýd consider watching it in a slight fast forward mode!

Wait for the new Hitchcock releases........2001-07-21

These DVDs are "Laserlight" releases which mean that they have very poor quality picture and sound.Wait for the new Hitchcock Box sets which have clear picture and sound plus documentaries and other extras.The superb Criterion versions are also a good choice.If it's introduced by Tony Curtis,then it's Laserlight,avoid it!

Half wonderful, all of great historical interest.......2000-12-02

Note: this review refers to the 14-DVD boxed set and not just to Volume 1.

No film buff and certainly no film major should be without the boxed set of 14 DVDs that Laserlight has issued under the umbrella title of . The DVDs are organized in no particular order, some containing only one film, some two, while two of them have a full film and an episode from the old "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series of the 1950s. They all have a trailer of more recent Hitchcock films and they all have an embarrassingly bad introduction by Tony Curtis, whose connection with these films and with English enunciation is vague at best.

The gems of the collection are "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), "The 39 Steps" (1935) and "The Lady Vanishes" (1939). Of the earlier talkies, "Young and Innocent" has the quintessential plot of an innocent man and a girl who somehow winds up with him being chased by the police. "Rich and Strange" (1932) is not a thriller but has a shivery sequence as a couple on a sinking boat sees the water seeping into their cabin--just before it stops sinking.

"Jamaica Inn" (1939) has an over the top performance by Charles Laughton (whose dialogue is hard to follow even on this restored version) and the first appearance of Maureen O'Hara. And for once, Robert Newton plays the Good Guy. "Sabotage" (1936) is based on a Joseph Conrad tale and has the famous scene of the boy on a bus with a bomb on his lap. (Later, Hitchcock commented he should not have let it go off.) "Secret Agent" (1936) gives us a young John Gielgud as a spy who kills the wrong man, Peter Lorre in a very bizarre role (helped or hindered by his drug-taking on and off the set), and the suavest villain of them all--Robert Young!

"Number 17" (1932) is one of the films Hitchcock did not want to film, and he gave us a great spoof on the genre of the spooky houses, diamond smugglers, and derring-do. "Murder" (1930) boasts a super cool Herbert Marshall as a jurist who reluctantly says guilty at a woman's murder trial and then spends the rest of the film proving her innocent.

More fascinating is "Blackmail" (1929), which existed in silent and talking versions. We have the latter and the often commented upon scene in which Hitchcock plays with the soundtrack so that only the word "knife" can be heard during the last part of a long monologue. Another trick he was forced into was the use of a British actress reading out the lines of the foreign-born heroine.

"The Skin Game" (1931) is weakest of the talkies included in this set; and indeed the dialogue is almost impossible to understand.

Of the silents, "The Lodger" (1927) is in the worst shape but it shows very clearly the influence of the silent German film on Hitchcock's early (and later) technique. Of course the long takes of a face staring into the camera are laughable today; but this is an historical document and demands a certain degree of detachment. "The Ring" (1927) does strain credibility, while it shows Hitchcock's love for show business of any sort, even circus freakshows and boxing.

"The Manxman" (1929) is slow and predictable with its love triangle, a misreported death, and the return of the husband. "Easy Virtue" (1927) is based on a Noel Coward play, which it follows only half way through the film, and shows a sympathetic view of the "woman with a past"--in this case, a divorce--together with a condemnation of those who cannot accept her. More Social Studies than good drama here.

However, "The Farmer's Wife" (1928) is quite funny once the somewhat jerky widower offers himself to three unlikely women while his housekeeper loves him in silence and has to assist him in his wooing spree.

One feature of these DVDs you will probably not need is the ability to hear the talkies in English, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese; or to subtitle the dialogue cards in the silents in the last three languages.

A strange feature of these DVDs is that they immediately take you into the film rather than into the menu. This should be changed in future printings.

So all in all, I would guess you would want to see some of the talkies many, many times, some of the silents less often, and some of them never again. But once more, this is a very valuable set for students and just plain lovers of film history, especially the part played in that history by Hitchcock.

Imperdible..........2000-09-25

En esta era de la tecnología y el gusto por lograr las mejores imágenes y los mejores efectos, esta colección nos lleva a darnos cuenta que las grandes obras de arte se deben edificar a partir de eso, "El Arte". Y esto es precisamente lo que demuestra este box set. El arte de la cinematografía puesta en las manos del genial Hitchcock. Ni que hablar de la producción: Siete discos, cada uno en su propio estuche, excelente sonido, y todo el material subtitulado (includo extras, introducción y trailers), además de que los discos son multizona. Cabe destacar que esto no fue obra de una gran empresa sino de LaserLight Video, pero es algo que los grandes estudios deberían tomar como ejemplo, hartos ya de ver películas con extras sin subtítulos. Si a eso le sumamos el costo del set, nos encontramos con una joya que no podemos desperdiciar. Muy recomendable.

Average customer rating:

Poor pucture quality.
Another of Alfred Hitchcock's well written Screenplays!
Marred by poor technical quality
Interesting, to say the least....
Fun with Alfred

Number 17/The Ring
Starring: Carl Brisson , Lillian Hall-Davis , Ian Hunter , Forrester Harvey , and Harry Terry
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Rich & Strange/ The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Skin Game
Blackmail/Easy Virtue
Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The 39 Steps / Jamaica Inn / Young and Innocent / The Manxman / The Secret Agent / Number 17 / The Ring / The Skin Game / The Cheney Vase)
Sabotage and The Lodger

ASIN: B00000JQSC
Release Date: 1999-07-24

Description

A band of criminals pull off a jewel robbery and stash their loot in what they think is a safe house. The train-and-bus chase sequence at the end is not to be missed. In "The Ring" a boxer must fight an opponent in love with his wife.

Includes an intro by Tony Curtis and the trailer for the 1953 Hitchcock film, "I Confess"

Menus: English • Spanish • Chinese • Japanese
Subtitles: Spanish • Chinese • Japanese

B&W/98 min.

Customer Reviews:

Poor pucture quality........2007-02-10

I'm actually a fan of "NUMBER 17", I like Hitchcock's use of light & shadow to create the mood. Yes it is a little slow & stagey, but I get engrosed by the visuals.

And there lies the problem with this Laserlight/Delta DVD. The picture quality is horrible, full of digital artifacting that makes the picture appear to freeze in sections then play again. The details get lost in the pixilation. How can you enjoy a visually engrosing movie if it looks terrible.

I have an old Japanese Laserdisc of this movie, and it looks much better!
Japanese videos are NTSC format, so they will play on U.S. televisions. I would rather watch the Japanese Laserdisc with Japanese subtitles on screen that this awful Laserlight/Delta DVD.

And about "THE RING", Studio Canal / Lionsgate has released a nice 35mm mastered copy in a DVD box set: Alfred Hitchcock, The Early Years of the Master.

Another of Alfred Hitchcock's well written Screenplays! .......2004-09-07

As a life-long fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I've read most of his screenplay/books. He's truly one of the Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery, Thriller "Movie" Leaders! I can thank him for my creative writing today! He is one of the Leading Great's of today's Sci-Fi Movies, you can not expect his "technoloy" to follow today! His first completed film was in 1925! Imagine that! With his education at the St. Ignatius College in London England so many years ago, (the college-a School of Engineering) he was great in his time! Born in 1899, his untimely death in 1980, his last film (which he directed only) was in 1976, he was great! His Screenplay-The Ring is the best! Take a look! He more than deserves my five star rating and my lifelong respect!

Marred by poor technical quality.......2004-04-16

Laserlight claim to have used the best available source material for the "best possible" transfer to DVD. I find this hard to believe. The picture lacks black/white contrast, is noticeably cropped and slightly rotated in the field of view. If you can get hold of a UK Universal copy of 'Number 17', you won't have any of these problems. (American readers beware that if you get a UK video it will be in PAL VHS format.) I haven't seen any other copy of 'The Ring', but I suspect the same criticism will hold.

I rather like both these films. The Ring is very much a 1920s period-piece, but Hitchcock throws in occasional odd filming angles that seem ahead of their time. Number 17 does have a plot (despite disbelief elsewhere!), and there's a summary on the box. The scene where the hero and heroine are handcuffed to the bannister of a gallery in the Number 17 house is very Hitchcock. Worthwhile, but it needs a better transfer than this.

Interesting, to say the least...........2003-02-06

I tend to dwell more on the technical side of the these Hitchcock Laserlite DVDs, than the movies themselves and this one may end up being that way for no better reason than the fact that this movie is just plain confusing! My recent viewing of the film "Number 17" was only the second time I'd ever seen it and I can easily assure any reader of this essay that I am more confused than I was after the first viewing. I can't decribe the plot because I don't really know what's going on. It starts with a tramp and a seeming gentleman finding a dead body in an old house, then the victim's daughter happens upon the two men, the body disapears, some jewel theives come to the house and cause havoc, then somehow they all (including the dead man who's not dead) end up in a train which leads to the grand finale: a chase between the train and a tour bus that comes out of nowhere. The special minerature effects at the end have often gotten flack for looking fake, but I believe now, as I did with my first viewing, that they don't look any worse than King Kong's stop motion animation on top the Empire State Building.

The second feature, "The Ring," is a lesser known and surprisingly entertaining Hitchcock silent drama about a circus ticket girl torn between two potential lovers: one a prize fighter, the other his sparring partner who happens to be the only man that can beat him. The plot sounds typical and forgettable, but don't let that fool you. Hitchcock adds a lot of very innovative visual flair to the film and the acting is pretty passionate not overly dramatic as a lot of silent acting performances tend to be.

The DVD transfer of "Number 17" is fair. The sound is full of annoying hiss which can be reduced by turning off the surround sound and turning up the bass up on your stereo, the contrast is annoyingly jumpy (too bright in some scenes and too dark in others,) however, it does remain flat for the most part, which is better than scenes being washed out all the time like some film transfers. Of "The Ring," I understand that not everyone can handle the silent treatment, but the intelligently chosen mucial accompaniment by Laserlite makes the movie an easy one to get through, even though the film was transferred at a slow speed, making the movie about 15 miutes longer than it was intended to be.

Rumor is Hitchcock was forced to do "Number 17" and even though it's far from his best film, it's almost just as far from his worst film too, and since it's obscure enough that it probably wont get a full-on restoration any time soon, it deserves a better treatment than what Laserlite has given it. But, to Laserlite's defense is the fact that they didn't have to release it at all and the low price tag on the disc plus the addition of "The Ring" makes it a good collectible for the budget-minded Hitchcock nut.

3 stars to Hitchcock for his confusing but, at times, entertaining film "Number 17," and his entertaining Silent treat "The Ring" and 3 stars to Laserlite for trying but not trying harder.

Fun with Alfred.......2002-11-30

I haven't seen The Ring - these comments apply to Number 17. This feels like a series of short films, each with their own texture, rather than a coherent whole. The opening sequence is a demonstration of the power of silent film (with the right music) to create tension - nothing has happened yet, but the suspense climbs tremendously: classic Hitchcock! Later sections are more relaxed, and Hitchcock indulges in some jokes at the viewer's expense, before finishing off with a full-on action finale - and the shoddy special effects may have been part of Hitchcock's playfulness. I really think he had a great time making this film, and I had a great time watching it.

Average customer rating:

Number 17
Starring: Henry Caine , Donald Calthrop , Ann Casson , Anne Grey , and Barry Jones
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Westlake Budget
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008G2IBU
Release Date: 2005-03-29

The Alfred Hitchcock Collection (Murder, Number 17, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Sabotage, Secret Agent)

Average customer rating:

Yes, but ....
Poor Quality DVDs
Madacy - worst DVD producer ever
DVDs won't play
Technical Difficulties

The Alfred Hitchcock Collection (Murder, Number 17, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Sabotage, Secret Agent)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304870191
Release Date: 1998-07-29

Amazon.com

This set of five titles from the British phase of Alfred Hitchcock's early career serves as an outstanding reflection on the great director's evolving preoccupations and pet themes in the 1930s. The earliest inclusion is the 1930 Murder, starring Herbert Marshall as a famous stage actor who takes it upon himself to investigate a murder for which a young actress has been wrongly convicted. Clever and witty, the film finds Hitch exploring the blurry dualisms of reality and illusion, guilt and innocence, and watching and doing. The 1932 Number 17 is Hitchcock in a particularly playful vein. A bit bored by the "old dark house" Gothic tone of the story, he uses the film as an opportunity to push the limits of camera mobility, the emotional underpinnings of shots, and the sheer fun of using model trains and other vehicles to create climactic chases. In the 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, the director matches a sophisticated tone with a gut-wrenching tale of a child kidnapped by spies. A fascinating study in contrast with Hitch's 1956 edition of the story (the one starring James Stewart and Doris Day), this film highlights both his interest in the burden of secrecy as well as his youthful efforts at visual experimentation. The 1936 Sabotage is a stunning story of a naive woman's revenge-killing of her husband, a German spy, and the subsequent cover-up of her deed both by fate and by a police detective who chooses to keep quiet about her guilt. Finally, the 1936 Secret Agent, starring John Gielgud, Robert Young, Madeleine Carroll, and Peter Lorre in an espionage story of concealed identities and assassination, is dense with ideas about lies and the brutality of the hidden. A few features later, Alfred Hitchcock belonged to Hollywood, and the American cinema took a giant leap forward. But in this boxed set can be seen the blueprint of his genius. The prints of the films used in this set are serviceable and probably comparable to average 16mm classroom or museum presentations. The DVDs also include Hitchcock filmographies, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Yes, but ...........2000-03-28

I love Hitchcock, but .... The big disappointment in this set is that all of the movies look like they were copied from old videotapes -- they're out of focus and have an amazing number of dropouts, flashes, and flickers. Save your money. Tape them from late night cable.

Poor Quality DVDs.......2000-02-21

The contrast on the films can be poor. Limited special features not necessarily related to the film on the disk. No way to display the time or what chapter you are watching. It seemed that no effort was taken to ensure a good print was used to master from. Gosh, I wish I had the money I had spent on these discs so I could get decent copies of these movies.

Madacy - worst DVD producer ever.......2000-02-19

The editorial review from Amazon.com states, "The prints of the films used in this box set are serviceable and probably comparable to average 16mm classroom or museum presentations." All I can think is that Mr. Keogh is lying or didn't actually watch the discs. The transfers are among the worst ever on DVD, which is typical of all Madacy titles. The films on the discs are unfortunately great - too bad they're unwatchable. Avoid this collection like the plague, and wait for re-releases from reputable distributors.

DVDs won't play.......2000-01-23

Like the other reviewer, I could not get any of the disks in the set to play. I returned the set to the store (OK, I confess, I didn't buy them from Amazon) and they were able to play one on their machine. They refunded me anyhow. I emailed Madacy and they said they would send me another set, but nothing has shown up after three weeks. I'll avoid this distributor in the future.

Technical Difficulties.......2000-01-07

The warnings given by other reviewers cannot be amplified enough -- I could not play any one of the five disks and had to return the package. For all I know, Madacy just stuck a bunch of blank disks in the package.

Alfred Hitchcock Collection, Vol. 5: Number 17

Average customer rating:

Well worth seeing
Hitch called it a 'disaster': he was wrong.
Good and Worth Seeing, but Not his Best.
Suspence and model trains collide in this action thriller

Alfred Hitchcock Collection, Vol. 5: Number 17
Starring: Leon M. Lion , Anne Grey , John Stuart , Donald Calthrop , and Barry Jones
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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I Confess
Lifeboat (Special Edition)
Under Capricorn
The Skin Game
Stage Fright

ASIN: 6304870256
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Amazon.com

The technical challenges of this 1932 "old dark house" mystery are largely what appealed to Alfred Hitchcock, who uses a staircase quite inventively to create a series of emotional and dramatic thresholds from which to tell a story (adapted from a play) about a policeman, a hobo, and a gang of jewel thieves. Besides the technical temptations of filming in the house, Hitch turns (as he often did in the early days) to models to create an exciting chase-climax between a train and a bus. A very minor work, indeed, but revealing of the director's early interest in transcending dull material with exercises in what he termed "pure cinema." The print of the film used in the DVD release is serviceable and probably comparable to an average 16mm classroom or museum presentation. The DVD also includes a Hitchcock filmography, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Well worth seeing.......2002-11-23

I liked this film. While there are some weakness, particularly the final chase scene which was obviously a train set, overall the movie is quite good.
The story focuses around a stolen necklace, and a series of colourful characters, including a cockney who was a scene stealer, a deaf mute woman, a rather nosy lead actor and a number of "bad guys". Well worth watching, particularly if you keep in mind that this film is over 70 years old, and still holds its own

Hitch called it a 'disaster': he was wrong........2002-01-28

'Number Seventeen' offers early proof of Hitchcock's mastery of, and thriving in, confined spaces. The first two-thirds of the film takes place in an abandoned townhouse, whose physical and atmospheric character - its vast emptiness, with corpses and killers lurking in the shadows; its three-storey staircase on which the events take place, giant silhouettes flashing on the wall; its maze-like landings and rooms concealing unexpected surprises; its rotting woodwork, threatening to collapse the whole house; its forbiddingly geometric exteriors - has much more presence than the atrocious actors, prattling on with some nonsense about stolen diamonds in a plot that was obviously based on a stilted, but popular play.

The film begins with one of those bravura silent Expressionist sequences Hitchcock was so fond of in his early films. On a blustery night, our first image is of a stray hat blowing into the screen, eventually followed by its owner, the film's enigmatic hero. He stops at the grounds of a large house, with an ancient 'For Sale' sign; curious, he enters. The half-comic, half-terrifying Grand Guignol that follows, intercutting shadows, candles, mysterious strangers, doors opening and shutting, slow creeps up staircases, is extraordinary. Even furing the interminable dialogue scenes that follow, Hitch overcomes boredome with brusque but witty editing and compositions. There is one more terrific set-piece indoors, when the hero and the nominal heroine are tied by villains to a landing banister at the top of the house, which suddenly collapses.

You can tell Hitch is itching to get out for some fresh air, though, and jumps at the chance to follow the crooks on their getaway train. Here begins one of the greatest chase sequences in the cinema. The hero is pushed off the train, commandeers a coach full of passengers and at lightening speed, chases the train across country. Due to some bumbling and accidents.., the train has lost its driver and is hurtling towards destruction. The crosscutting of the two interrelated movements, and the mix of cinematic formalism and 'human-interest' stories, is breathtaking. And, brilliantly, it doesn't end there...

Good and Worth Seeing, but Not his Best........2001-06-16

Actually, this movie deserves more than two stars but less than three. This is quite an enjoyable movie but small details kept it from beind a compleate three or 3 1/2 stars.

First of all(although as the movie progressed it got a lot better), It is a tad bit difficult to make out what Ben (Leon M. Lion) is saing. Still this got better and I must say that Lion's character is hilarious!

Second of all the movie is a bit hard to follow. It took several veiwings for me to understand it all, and there is still one thing that bothers me about it.

Where did the young girl dissappear to at the very end of the movie? I don't know why that bothers me but it does a little.

Though it is easy for me to ignore little details like this and enjoy a good movie.

The special effects that bothered some people didn't bother me. I thought it was good for the time it was made even if I could tell how they did it.

My advice is that if you get the chance watch it and don't worry about small details that don't exactly fit together.

Suspence and model trains collide in this action thriller.......1999-07-07

This is a fun, suspenseful, cryptic movie. Eight strangers come together in a dark, creepy house by an English railyard, Three intend to make off with a stolen piece of jewelry.

The acting is good and the story advances quickly from murder mystery to thriller.

Two segments make this movie worth watching. First there is the empty house. Hitchcock, through slow-moving cameras and great use of lighting, creates a haunting atmosphere and builds nearly unbearable suspense.

Customer Reviews:

Great cinephotography, Hitchcock lighting triumphant.......2005-05-19

The lovely shots of the steam engine Doncaster make this film a bit of a railway classic. Lots of atmospheric frames, dramatic lighting.
The story (was there one!) and acting are not strong points, but it is a chance to see Hitchcocks early work at a bargain price - then compare to say The Birds.
Number 17 was the house number where the story starts and mostly takes place in, apart from the lovely race between the train and the bus.
If the train looks vaguely familiar, it was a close relative of the Flying Scotsman, a Pacific- here owned by LNER.