Get your Hitchcock fix with his early work.
I am a massive Alfred Hitchcock fan, so I was incredibly excited to read that his third movie, The Lodger: A Story of London Fog, had reached the public domain. It's a 1927 British silent thriller starring Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, and Ivor Novello.
Hitchcock's third feature film, and first thriller film, was released on Feb. 14th, 1927 in London and on June 10th, 1928 in New York City. The film is based on the 1913 novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes and the play Who Is He? co-written by Belloc Lowndes.
The Lodger entered the public domain this year, which means you can watch it. But you will have to do your own work to find it or copy it for free now.
Check it out below.
What is The Lodger About?
So what is this movie about? The plot follows a hunt for a Jack the Ripper-like serial killer in the darkness of London after dark. Hitchcock's first thriller established him as a director who had some cache with his name. He also began to nail his signature style, with staircase shots, eyes, and other of his auteur flares.
The film journal Bioscope wrote about the movie, "It is possible that this film is the finest British production ever made".
Of course, keep your eyes peeled for the first ever Hitchcock cameo in a film. In this film, he is sitting in a newsroom in one shot, and, in another, standing in a crowd as the leading man is arrested!
Let me know what you love about this movie in the comments.
Your Comment