The Manxman

Starring:Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen, Anny Ondra, Randle Ayrton, Clare Greet, Wilfred Shine, Nellie Richards, Harry Terry, Kim Peacock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Studio: Delta
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
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
In this silent, romantic melodrama, Hitchcock explores the story of a fisherman named Pete and a lawyer named Philip. The two have been best friends since childhood, and now both are in love with the same woman, the beautiful Kate. Made in 1929, this was Hitchcock's last silent film.

Menus: English  Spanish  Chinese  Japanese
Subtitles: Spanish  Chinese  Japanese

Description

THE MANXMAN- Poor fisherman Pete falls in love with Kate, the daughter of a landlord on the Isle of Man. Pete decides to leave on his ship to earn some money and then to marry the girl. RICH AND STRANGE- Fred and Emily Hill, a happy young married couple, inherit money and decide to take a world cruise. On board ship their new-found fortune goes to their heads... THE SKIN GAME- The Hillcrests are a wealthy family who have held their country estate for many generations. But they will now enter battle... MURDER!- Diana Baring, an actress in a touring company, is discovered near the scene of the crime when a woman is found murdered. THE RING- 'One Round' Jack Sanders is a young boxer traveling the country with a boxing booth in a fair.

Customer Reviews:

BETTER TO INVEST IN THE UK RELEASE.......2007-05-31

This surely is a great set, but you would be better off getting the UK release The Early Hitchcock Collection (available from Amazon.co.uk), with the same transfers and 4 more films missing here: Champagne (a very rare film in the canon), The Farmer's Wife, Blackmail and Number Seventeen. That set is an absolute must for anyone interested in the film career of Alfred Hitchcock, with some of his earlier British films (including 4 silent movies), lovingly restored and with some wonderful extras, most notably an hour long documentary on early Hitchcock. It's amazing how great these movies look on this new masters (infinitely better than all previous releases, that can now be easily dismissed). I just hope that Studio Canal and Optimun Classic get round to release soon the rest of the British films, particularly The Lodger, the first true Hitchcock work only available so far in unwatchable transfers. Some of these films may not be great works of art, up to the standard set by the master in his later opus, but in all of them can be found moments and ideas which speak loud of a real genius in working process. Don't miss it!

Impressive.......2007-02-10

The 5 films contained in this artfully crafted 3-disc set are really the best versions ever released on US home video. This collection contains the remastered versions from Studio Canal that look and sound incredible. While some say "not Hitchcock's best" these early films are of great interest to both collectors and fans and those interested in the master's early technique. The documentary, while brief, is insightful and well done. Highly recommended.

Hitch finds his "voice".......2007-02-09

First the good news--we get a solid transfers of early Hitchcock with some minor and major classics early in his career. Studio Canal has done a nice job with these and while the transfers aren't scratch free, they look quite good given the age of the source material and quite a bit better than some of the earlier releases of public domain sources. This boxed set (once you open it) looks like an old bound copy of a script. The outside has a photo of Hitch (which reminds me of a deathmask)from the Universal archive.

The first two films in the set "The Ring" and "The Manxman" were made the year after the success of "The Lodger" (which would been shelved when studio executives thought it a disaster. Luckily, Michael Balcon stepped in a man who championed Hitch early in his career and the film was a wild success). "Murder!" is an early talkie (sadly the German version isn't included. It would have been nice to see for comparison sake as it was shot with a different cast on the same sets). In the early days of film alternate versions were shot for other markets where they might be popular usually with a different director. Hitch spoke German since he worked early on in that country shooting films and absorbing much of the early German expressionist styles that he would reference throughout his career)so directed it himself. "The Skin Game" and "Rich and Strange" (the latter an early Hitchcock classic) are also included. A pity that "Blackmail" (Hitch's first talkie that was also shot to be shown as a silent film) isn't included as well.

The bad news is that we don't get any feature length commentary tracks by Hitchcock historians and film scholars (which is just as well if these things bore you). We do, however, get a new 15 minute featurette focusing on Hitchcock's early life, his collaboration with his wife Alma (who is often overlooked--we must remember that it was team Hitchcock collaborating which consisted of Hitch, his wife Alma and whomever their current favorite writer was)and the development of his early style. It features interviews with USC Hitchcock Professor Drew Casper, director Peter Bogdanovich, Hitch's daughter and screenwriter/film historian Steve Haberman. We have a generous amount of clips from the set illustrating their points. I do wish that "The Lodger" had been included in this set but that's a pretty minor point (although honestly it does belong here as an example of his developing sense of style). Also missing is Hitch's "Number 17" which would have been a natural to include in this set even though the plot is a bit confusing, it's a fun ride.

This is an excellent collection of early minor classics as Hitch developed his film style. It's clear that he was influenced by seeing other directors such as Fritz Lang and FW Murnau but he had already begun to develop his own distinctive voice as a film director. This is a good set to get and is a pretty inexpense handsome package for fans.

Early Hitchcock restored........2007-02-09

I'm very glad Canal has invested in restorations for these early Hitchcock films. There probably isn't much money in these restorations as the films have been in public domain for decades and can be found in every DVD bargain bin. They look very good for their age but I question some of the "foley" work added to the soundtracks. In the sound films, it is obvious that tinkling glass sound effects and other little audio nuances have been mixed in to the old mono track.

The films will be primarily of interest to an avid Hitchcock fan, with their subjective camera tricks and embellishments, early examples of the Hitchcock style. "Murder" yields some interesting moments, such as the melodramatic musical cue of "Tristan and Isolde", later used as a basis for Bernard Herrmann's "Vertigo" score.

Looking forward to a second volume from Canal.

Early semi-classics RESTORED from 35mm........2007-02-09

Throw out those Madacy & Laserlight DVD's! The U.K. Studio Canal 35mm Masters are here, professionally released with little artifacting by Lions Gate!
I would have given this DVD box set 5 stars except that 1) These are not Hitchcock classics, they are good examples of his early work but they are no Psycho, 2) While mastered from 35mm, they did not get the Criterion treatment of removing scratches & dirt specks. Still this is a great improvement over previous releases of these titles. I only wish "NUMBER 17" was in this set, that early classic deserves the Studio Canal treatment.

This set features a mix of silent films & early sound British films. There is also a nice 15 minute bonus on disc 3 that explains the difficulties of filming sound films in 1930 and how Hitchcock got around the problems.

Disc #1 : Two Silent Films
"THE RING" (1927) - Two boxers fall in love with a girl named Nellie. Very visual, early signs of Hitchcock's style.
"MANXMAN" (1929) - Hitchcock's last silent film! A Love story about two fishermen & a landlord's daughter.

Disc #2 : Two early sound films
"MURDER" (1930) - the 104 minute U.K. version, good suspence drama. A jurer re-thinks his verdict and investigates the crime himself.
"SKIN GAME" (1931) - Based on a John Galsworthy play, a little stagy. A traditional family battles a (then) modern family over land. Not as racey as the title would suggest.

Disc #3 : One more "talkie" and a bonus feature
"RICH AND STANGE" (1931) - Unexpected riches don't bring happiness for a married couple. A tale with a moral.
"THE HITCHCOCK WAY" (2007) - 15 minute documentary interviewing Alfred's daughter and surviving crew members as well as film historians. Of special interest is the explanation of how difficult it was to work in early sound films and how Hitchcock got around the problems in 1930.

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...

The Manxman
Starring: Carl Brisson , Malcolm Keen , Anny Ondra , Randle Ayrton , and Clare Greet
Director: 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: B00000JQSM
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

In this silent, romantic melodrama, Hitchcock explores the story of a fisherman named Pete and a lawyer named Philip. The two have been best friends since childhood, and now both are in love with the same woman, the beautiful Kate. Made in 1929, this was Hitchcock's last silent film.

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

B&W/111 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.

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)

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

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Average customer rating:

Good movies but NOT the original glorious music!
A different kind of Hitchcock

Farmer's Wife (1928)/Manxman (1929)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: LaserLight DVD
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Alfred Hitchcock: Blackmail/Easy Virtue/Rich & Strange/The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Number 17/The Ring
Alfred Hitchcock's Bon Voyage & Aventure Malgache
Lifeboat (Special Edition)
Under Capricorn

ASIN: B00004YKRC
Release Date: 2003-02-06

Description

Includes:
The Farmer's Wife
The Manxman

B&W/177 min.

Customer Reviews:

Good movies but NOT the original glorious music!.......2007-03-05

As much as I like "The Manxman" I rate this particular collection 3 stars because it does not have the original music. I first saw it in 1996 on my local PBS station and it had beautiful classical music in it, including "Serenade for Strings" by Tchaikovsky and Sarasate's famous "Zigeunerweisen." The reason I bought this is because there is a piece of music that is so utterly gorgeous and I wanted to hear it again or at least find out who it was composed by. I can't remember exactly which scene it starts in, I'm pretty sure it's before the baby's born. To this day I still have the tune in my head and do not know where to find it! I was thinking it was by Tchaikovsky since the majority of the pieces in the film were by him, but I can't seem to find the tune in my vast collection of his works. If anyone knows where I can find the original version of "The Manxman" with the original score please tell me!

A different kind of Hitchcock.......2004-09-16

This is a box set of 2 DVDs which can be bought individually, but together they are a nice little bargain and not at all too bad for the price. I approached these two very different films from the silent film standpoint, not as someone familiar with all of Alfred Hitchcock's work, but I know enough of his more famous work to say that these silent films are quite different from the suspense-thrillers for which he became renowned. For a start, "The Farmer's Wife" is a slow-moving, chatty and comical story about a middle-aged widower who decides to remarry. He goes through the motley assortment of widows and spinsters in his charming English village while all the time the right woman is under his own nose. I found that Hitchcock displayed skill and good knowledge of people/characters in the way this film focusses on the individuals and the interactions between the characters. One annoyance however, is the old music score that at times sounds like a scratchy old phonograph record - very noticeable to us with sensitive ears who are used to good quality digital recordings! But this aside, the music itself is pleasant and suitable, and the film itself quite entertaining.

The second film, "The Manxman" is my personal preference for its deeper drama. Two best friends love the same woman, but the story keeps you guessing what the outcome will be. Fine acting, more good focus on people, their emotions and interactions, and the musical score, being classical and quite suitable to the picture, sounds much better than the one for "The Farmer's Wife". For silent film fans, this 2-DVD set is a nice, somewhat different addition, mainly for the special touch by Hitchcock's masterful direction.

Alfred Hitchock: The Farmer's Wife/The Manxman

Average customer rating:

Alfred Hitchock: The Farmer's Wife/The Manxman

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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