5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrills and Chills From The Master, September 26, 2006
This review is from: Alfred Hitchcock Double Feature Volume One - Sabotage / The Man Who Knew Too Much [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Sylvia Sydney, who graced the screen for more than 70 years stars in "Sabotage". Younger viewers may remember Miss Sydney as "Juno" in Beetlejuice" or "Grandma" in "Mars Attacks". If you have never seen any of her earlier works(this one from 1936), you are in for a real treat. In this terrific thriller, she is Mrs. Verloc. A lovely woman who is slowly becoming suspicious of her husband's(Oscar Homolka) strange activities.And with good reason, he is involved in a deadly conspiracy.
It is the eve of WWII, and people in Britain are becoming aware of Nazi activity. Various occurrences of Sabotage seem to be popping up around the cities. Small at first, a black out is the first sign, but when a bomb explodes and kills everyone on a bus, the evidence points to Mr. Verloc.Scotland Yard detective Ted Spencer(John Loder)is on the case and must catch the culprit before he kills again. And of course, along the way falls for the beautiful Mrs. Verloc. Hitch does a great job(as always) at keeping us involved with the characters, the story, and keeping the suspense going. You'll recognize his signature traits all through the film."Sabotage" is based on a novel by Joseph Conrad who also wrote "Heart of Darkness".
Where's Hitch....Sorry, the elusive Mr. Hitchcock does not seem to make an appearance in this one.
If your looking for this on DVD there is a nice double feature of this one with "The Lodger" a marvelous early silent thriller also from Hitch. Enter B00000JNVC into the DVD search.
From 1934.."The Man Who Knew Too Much"(He remade this one in 1956). A great thriller about a carefree family on a winter holiday, who unwittingly become involved in an assassination plot. The Lawrences are having a wonderful time, but when their dear friend is shot, he reveals to them a plot to assassinate an important statesman before he dies. The would be killers kidnap the young daughter of the family in order to ensure their silence.Working with the police is out of the question and the Lawrences must take matters into their own hands as they try to rescue their daughter and stop the murder, which is to take place at the glorious Albert Hall.
Hitch keeps the suspense going through out with an edge of your seat climatic scene. Watch for one of his famous trademark staircase scenes in this early film.The film stars Leslie Banks and Edna Best as the Lawrences, and Peter Lorre at his most menacing!
Where's Hitch: Sorry Hitch watchers, again there doesn't seem to be any appearance by the master.
This film is also included in a pretty nice VHS set from Front Row "Alfred Hitchcock 4-Pack". That set also includes others of his early British films "The Thirty-Nine Steps"(1935), and "The Secret Agent"(1936), and "The Lady Vanishes"(1938). Enter B00005M2JS into search to get to it.
Enjoy.....Laurie
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Good films from The Master; dubbed from a submaster., May 3, 2001
This review is from: Alfred Hitchcock Double Feature Volume One - Sabotage / The Man Who Knew Too Much [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Both of these films are good early Hitchcock, but Saboteur is a slower, more character-driven drama in the same vein as The 39 Steps, with just a touch of Suspicion thrown in. Sylvia Sidney turns in a great performance as a woman who only thought she knew her husband. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935) is a fast-paced, witty film with an emphasis on action and suspense, and for my money (not much in this particular case) is miles ahead of the 50's remake in every way except for the cast. Still, any movie with Peter Lorre as a primary villain is going to hold my interest. If you enjoy The Lady Vanishes by Hitch, you'll love this movie, too. From a technical standpoint, the quality of these tapes is not very good, so deduct a star if you are demanding in viewing public domain-style VHS. But they are watchable, and hey, you'll save some ching.
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