England,
1929, 75 min
Shown in 1986 / 2005
CREDITS
- dir
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Alfred Hitchcock
- prod
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John Maxwell
- scr
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Alfred Hitchcock, Benn Levy
- editor
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Emile de Ruelle
- cast
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Anny Ondra, John Longden, Donald Calthrop, Cyril Ritchard
- source
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The National Film Archive, London (1986) BFI, 21 Stephen St., London W1T 1LN, England. FAX: 020-7323-5113 BFI, 613 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141. EMAIL: alloyo@verizon.net.
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COMMENTS
The 1986 screening was presented as Special Programs: Treasures from the National Film Archive (London). The 2005 screening was presented with a new score composed and performed by Alloy Orchestra.
OTHER
A Scotland Yard detective is torn between duty and emotion as he investigates a crime of self-defense committed by his lover. A rogue with access to the facts emerges with a proposition—blackmail. This early Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece displays the reasons he’s earned the moniker “Master of Suspense.” Like so many Hitchcock films, Blackmail exploits a delicate dance of the facts—who knows what when?—and blackmail is that most ticklish of crimes. Characters both use and hide information, hoping to get a leg up on one another. Through it all, Hitchcock remains the ultimate manipulator, delivering his story in delicious dabs, hiding important gambits or even misinforming the audience. As an important part of cinematic history, Blackmail holds the unique distinction of being both Hitchcock’s finest silent film and the first British talkie (the two different versions were made in order to take advantage of theaters that were newly outfitted with sound as well as those that hadn’t quite caught up with the technology). The sound version’s pioneering use of sound effects, interior monologues and strategically placed silences is often studied as a model for the potential of cinematic sound, but the hubbub surrounding such early sound use has sadly overshadowed the silent version. For most, this presentation of Blackmail with its new score composed and performed by Festival favorite Alloy Orchestra offers a rare opportunity to “discover” a Hitchcock film classic.
—Sean Uyehara
FACTOID #73
James Wong Howe was the first cinematographer to receive a tribute at the Festival, October 19, 1974. The legendary lenser photographed such classics as The Thin Man, Pursued, Sweet Smell of Success and Hud.
