Stage Fright (1950)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Whitfield Cook (screenplay)
Alma Reville (adaptation)

Release Date:

15 April 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Every time I'm beginning to think what color your eyes are, you disappear!

Plot:

A struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence when he's accused of murdering the husband of a high society entertainer.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Actress | Singer | Detective | Dressing Room

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jane Wyman	...	Eve Gill aka Doris Tinsdale
Marlene Dietrich	...	Charlotte Inwood
Michael Wilding	...	Inspector Wilffred O. 'Ordinary' Smith
Richard Todd	...	Jonathan Cooper
Alastair Sim	...	Commodore Gill (as Alistair Sim)
Sybil Thorndike	...	Mrs. Gill
Kay Walsh	...	Nellie Goode
Miles Malleson	...	Mr. Fortesque (as Miles Mallison)
Hector MacGregor	...	Freddie Williams
Joyce Grenfell	...	'Lovely Ducks'
André Morell	...	Inspector Byard (as Andre Morell)
Patricia Hitchcock	...	Chubby Bannister
Ballard Berkeley	...	Sergeant Mellish

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (2004) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Marlene Dietrich demanded to be costumed exclusively by fashion design house Dior. Dior demanded a screen credit and Paramount demanded and received a 25% discount.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Charlotte is testing a black dress, she holds a lit cigarette which disappears between shots.

Quotes:

Det. Insp. Wilfred 'Ordinary' Smith: I once had a cousin who had an ulcer and an extremely funny face, both at the same time. Everybody laughed at him when he was telling his symptoms. His name was Jim.
Eve Gill: That must've been terrible!
Det. Insp. Wilfred 'Ordinary' Smith: Oh, I don't know, Jim is quite a common name.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Hitchcocks on Hitch (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Eve's Rhapsody

Surpising and delightful

I had never heard of this movie before and had low expectations. However, I was amazed at what a wonderful movie it is. Not only is it "Hitchcocky" and suspenseful, it is also humorous and touching. Jane Wyman and Richard Todd did particularly well in this film. I do not usually like Marlene Dietrich, but I have to admit that she did a splendid job as the flamboyant theater star. This movie is set in London, and Hitchcock did a wonderful job of picking out the crew's British actors and actresses such as Alistair Sim and Michael Wilding. Surprisingly he even gave his own daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, a bit part towards the end. It is too bad "Stage Fright" is not more well known, and I highly recommend it.