Hitchcock s initial 3 films: The Pleasure Garden , The Farmers Wife , and Easy Vitue in one stunning 3 DVD SLIMLINE BOX SET for the first time! — Includes the director s first two hard to find films produced and shot in Ger... more »many!
Re-mastered from original studio negatives with Digital Dolby Music Soundtracks.
A must for all Hitchcock and suspense drama fans!
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The Pleasure Garden
The film takes a look at the world of showgirls in the "Wild" 20's telling a story of love, sex, passion, infidelity and murder. Hitchcock has adapted the novel by Oliver Sandys with emotion and suspense. This very first work of Hitchcock is an exciting thriller with high tension guaranteed right to the end.
Movie history
"The Pleasure Garden" was actually Hitchcock's second film, but the first to be completed. Hitchcock's first film, "Number 13 ", could not be completed because of financial issue with the original production company. "The Pleasure Garden" went onto to be a highly regarded and critically acclaimed film after its release. This second Hitchcock film also experienced initial setbacks in filming as the director and crew had difficulties finding co-producers in Britain willing to provide financing for a film of a novice director. Eventually a German production company, the Munich Lichtspielkunst Emelka was found and the film was made as a German production at Munich-Geiselgasteig studios, with the outdoor shots filmed later in Italy. The movie s premiere, and with it the first public screening of a Hitchcock film ever, was on the 3rd of November 1925 in Munich.
The Farmers Wife
A widowed farmer decides it is time for him to re-marry. He solicits the advice and guidance of his housekeeper, and investigates the possibilities of several candidates. None of these girls appear to be the right match, and show only little interest in him at best. Gradually, the farmer realizes that his housekeeper could possibly be the right one for him!
Movie History
The Farmer's Wife was as a successful stage play in London that caught Hitchcock's interest. He was attracted by the idea to replace the rich dialogue and static stage version with the versatility of modern film techniques. Alfred Hitchcock would later re-implement several of these acquired skills to other film projects successfully i.e. Lifeboat, Rope, Dial "M" for Murder, and Rear Window. Due to the illness of his cameraman John J. Cox during filming, Hitchcock was also forced to take on the role of cameraman and to shoot most of the film himself. The majestic outdoor shots were filmed in Wales, and the premier screening was in March 1928 in London.
Easy Virtue
A young and beautiful woman, Larita Filton, is cheating on her alcoholic husband with a young artist. No longer capable of living with his tortured feelings, nor the immoral attitude of his beloved, the young lover commits suicide. Filton s marriage ends in divorced with Larita fleeing to France where she continues her immoral life with no remorse. Eventually she marries again and leaves her new husband for spurious reasons. Hitchcock film deftly portrays Larita as a woman without any decency or morality, a controversial and challenging subject for the time.
Movie History
One of Hitchcock's favourite themes of crime and punishment, and the truth or morality of guilty individuals is central to this classic film. The main character Larita is portrayed as a completely morally depraved woman living outside the norms of society. Notably, it is the first time the figure of the possessive, manipulative and ruthless destructive mother appears in film. Hitchcock went on to use this character type in his futures films again and again. In 2009, Stephan Elliott created a new version of this story.« less
