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What This Set Contains

Liang Wen Feng | Guangzhou, China | 08/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set contains the following films:
1) Champagne (1928)
2) Easy Virtue (1927)
3) Farmer's Wife (1928)
4) Jamaica Inn (1939)
5) Juno and the Peacock (1930)
6) Manxman (1929)
7) Ring (1927)
8) Skin Game (1931)
9) Young and Innocent (1937)
10) Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1962)
11) Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Cheney Vase (1955)

My rating is based solely on content. I don't own the set. I just get frustrated when companies don't tell you what's in the set. I looked it up on the website "allmovie"."

Very Basic Transfers

Terry Carroll | Canada | 12/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This set does give you many Hitchcock early movies which are not available elsewhere, but the transfers are very crude. Despite what it says at the start of each disc, these are not restored in any way. There is a lot of evidence that the transfer was done from TV video tape sources. Juno and The Paycock for instance (a truly boring film if there ever was one!) has a tracking error at the top of the screen throughout that is very annoying if one can sit through the film. At one point, the action stops for a second, and repeats what went on for the last minute. I am watching "Champagne" at this moment, and find that there is a tracking mistake, or "dirty head" problem thoughout at least the first half of the movie, right across the middle. They also have used music much more appropriate for say Faust or some very serious Garbo silent, rather than a light comedy. I finally shut it off.
On the plus side, this is "the only game in town", and the DVD set was very inexpensive. If there ever is a proper set with the movies cleaned up, these DVDs will be used for mini fizbies by me."

Silent and early-sound era Hitchcock

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 12/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"HITCHCOCK FAVORITES, from ST. CLAIR, is comprised of nine films Hitch made in Britain (four are silent), plus two episodes of his renowned 1950's TV anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." All of these are in wide circulation among companies that specialize in public domain material. A distinguishing feature of this particular multi-pack are the extras provided: movie posters, A radio show episode and several Hitchcock film trailers.

The HITCHCOCK COLLECTION, also from ST.CLAIR, is the ideal companion to this DVD box. The two packs in combination will give the Hitch fan a majority of the films made prior to Hitchcock's leaving England for America in 1940.


ST. CLAIR DVD multi-packs are reasonably priced, and offer fine quality video/audio transfers of unrestored public domain material. Discs are single-side recorded, plastic storage cases fairly sturdy, liner notes appear on box's back cover.

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

DISC ONE--
(6.2) Jamaica Inn (UK-1939) - Charles Laughton/Maureen O'Hara/Robert Newton
(7.1) Young and Innocent (UK-1937) - Nova Pilbeam/Derrick De Marney/Percy Marmot
(5.7) The Skin Game (UK-1931) - C.V. France/Helen Haye/Edmund Gwenn
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS:
(#268) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (S.7, ???) - Diana Dors/Brandon De Wilde/Larry Kert

BONUS: Hitchcock Movie Posters


DISC TWO--
(6.2) The Manxman (UK-silent-1929) - Carl Brisson/Malcolm Keen/Anny Ondra
(4.7) Juno and the Paycock (UK-1930) - Barry Fitzgerald/Maire O'Neill/Edward Chapman
(6.1) Champagne (UK-silent-1928) - Betty Balfour/Gordon Harker/Jean Bradin
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS:
(#13) The Cheney Vase (S.1, 12/25/55) - Carolyn Jones Darren McGavin/George Macready/Ruta Lee

BONUS: Mr. and Mrs. Smith (radio episode)


DISC THREE--
(6.3) The Farmer's Wife (UK-silent-1928) - Jameson Thomas/Lillian Hall-Davis/Gordon Harker
(5.8) Easy Virtue (UK-silent-1928) - Isabel Jeans/Franklin Dyall/Ian Hunter
(6.2) The Ring (silent-UK-1927) - Carl Brisson/Lillian Hall-Davis/Ian Hunter

BONUS: Hitchcock Movie Trailers--
The 39 Steps
The Birds
North by Northwest
Rope
Spellbound
Topaz
Torn Curtain"