Search - Legends of Hollywood: Alfred Hitchcock on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 9/17/2023...

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - Old School Alfred Hitchcock Black and White that was not great but also not terrible.

A dozen doses of danger

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded on six dual-sided DVDs, the LEGENDS OF HOLLYWOOD: ALFRED HITCHCOCK collection is comprised of a dozen early films (including three silent features) by the Master of Suspense. Also included are two episodes of the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV show. As with all of BRENTWOOD's budget-priced product, video and sound quality is primarily dependent on source material-- their transfers show no sign of restoration or enhancement.

MOVIE MINUTIAE:

BLACKMAIL-- A silent movie reworked as a talkie. Both versions circulated simultaneously in 1929. There are several sequences in the newer film that clearly came from the silent flick-- these scenes are overdubbed with music, extraneous voices and sound effects.

THE LODGER-- Earliest Hitchcock film that survives in complete form. Based on the first book to offer a solution to the Jack the Ripper murders.

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH-- Hungarian-born Peter Lorre's first English language role. He barely spoke English so Lorre learned his lines phonetically.

MURDER!-- This movie contains the first use of a person's thoughts as voiceover. A German language version called "Mary" was filmed simultaneously on the same sets.

THE RING-- Boxing movie was the follow-up to "The Lodger." Two fighters vie for the affections of the same woman. Not a suspense film. Story written by Hitchcock.

SABOTAGE-- Based on Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent." Hitch was forced to retitle this as "Sabotage" because his previous release was called "Secret Agent."


Vintage murder mystery fans are sure to enjoy SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S SHERLOCK HOLMES - 10 Movies. The super-sleuth is portrayed here by Basil Rathbone, Christopher Lee, Raymond Massey, Reginald Owen and Arthur Wontner.

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Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(7.0) Blackmail (UK-1929) - Anny Ondra/Charles Paton/Cyril Ritchard
(6.1) Champagne (UK-silent-1928) - Betty Balfour/Gordon Harker/Jean Bradin
(4.7) Juno and the Paycock (UK-1930) - Barry Fitzgerald/Maire O'Neill/Edward Chapman
(8.1) The Lady Vanishes (UK-1938) - Margaret Lockwood/Michael Redgrave/Paul Lukas/Dame May Whitty
(7.4) The Lodger (silent-UK-1927) - Ivor Novello/Marie Ault/Arthur Chesney (uncredited: Reginald Gardiner)
(6.9) The Man Who Knew Too Much (UK-1934) - Leslie Banks/Edna Best/Peter Lorre
(6.3) Murder! (UK-1930) - Herbert Marshall/Norah Baring/Edward Chapman
(6.1) Rich And Strange (UK-1931) - Henry Kendall/Joan Barry/Percy Marmot
(6.2) The Ring (silent-UK-1927) - Carl Brisson/Lillian Hall-Davis/Ian Hunter
(7.2) Sabotage (UK-1936) - Sylvia Sidney/Oskar Homolka/Desmond Tester
(6.7) Secret Agent (UK-1936) - John Gielgud/Peter Lorre/Madeleine Carroll/Robert Young/Lilli Palmer
(7.1) Young and Innocent (UK-1937) - Nova Pilbeam/Derrick De Marney/Percy Marmot


BONUS-- Two episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"

(#13) The Cheney Vase (S.1, 12/25/55) - Carolyn Jones Darren McGavin/George Macready/Ruta Lee
(#268) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (S.7, ???) - Diana Dors/Brandon De Wilde/Larry Kert"