Search - Alfred Hitchcock: Montage of Mysteries on DVD

Do-It-Yourself Saturday Afternoon Triple Feature

C. T. Mikesell | near Eugene, Oregon | 08/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A companion triple-feature to Alfred Hitchcock Thrillers (ASIN: B0000A02V1), this DVD has two strong mysteries and one that's got some suspenseful moments, but isn't really a whodunit. The movies on the disc are:

Rich and Strange: Mostly strange, this movie is the weakest on the DVD. The first two thirds are ostensibly a comedy (though not very funny), as a young British couple set out to test the money-can't-buy-happiness theory. Mostly, though it's an exercise in bad film editing and silent film techniques that will leave you as seasick as poor Fred (the husband in the piece). The movie does pick up in the final half hour, and while the suspense doesn't successfully redeem the movie, the viewer is treated to some shots of the sort that would later make Hitchcock famous (including a bit of black humor involving a black cat). This is the oldest of the three movies, and the print quality is the worst, too.

The 39 Steps: Like The Man Who Knew Too Much on the "Thrillers" disc, this is the masterpiece of this set. This is the undoubtedly the best plotted, best filmed, most suspenseful of the three. The print quality is fairly good, but at times the sound quality left a lot to be desired. Still, if you haven't seen this film, the price is right, and the defects don't detract too much from the experience.

Young and Innocent: Think of it as Andy Hardy Goes to Jail ("C'mon, my uncle's got a barn and we can put on a ... I mean, where we can hide out"). Y&I features a young couple - she's the chief constable's daughter, he's the unjustly accused alleged murderer ... they fight crime - who set out to prove his innocence by catching the "real murderer." Hitchcock would do it better later (or earlier, in the case of The 39 Steps), but this movie is nonetheless enjoyably watchable. Like Rich and Strange, most of the Hitchcockian moments come toward the end of the film.

If you're a fan of Hitchcock's better-known suspense films, this DVD has some enjoyable lesser-known rarities. If you can live with less-than-pristine video and sound quality, give this disc a play or three - odds are you'll find it more than worthwhile."

3 Classic Hitchcock Thrillers

02/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THE THIRTY NINE STEPS: Richard Hannay accidentally gets implicated in England's international spy investigation and must decipher a clue left behind, "The 39 Steps."
YOUNG AND INNOCENT: A traveller finds himself accused of murder, and must set out to prove his innocence.
RICH AND STRANGE: When a couple inherits money from a rich uncle they take a world cruise that quickly becomes full of unexpected disasters."

Well worth the money

Yarby | Medina, OH United States | 04/02/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Why pay $39 for the Criterion Collection, when here you can get "39 Steps", plus two other classic Hitchcock movies. Admittedly, the transfer on "Young and Innocent" is not the best...it seems to get worse toward the end. The other two transfers, while far from perfect, are certainly good enough to make for enjoyable viewing.For those who haven't yet seen "Rich and Strange", you are in for a rare treat, too."