Stage Fright (1950)

A movie like "Stage Fright" is a bit of a strange product. It is directed by the remarkable Alfred Hitchcock, it has loads of talented actors, & it contains a plot ("the stage") that has very interesting potential. Sadly, that potential is never realized as the film just wanders about.For a basic plot summary, "Stage Fright" sees Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) drawn into a murderous situation surrounding her love interest Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) & his controlling lover Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). Also thrown into the mix is Detective Smith (Michael Wilding), who struggles to decipher the strange circumstances surrounding an acting troupe.The trouble with this movie is that it is just "blah" all the way through. The plot is a familiar murder mystery, with its climax coming just minutes into the movie. The rest is a uninspiring mix of prolonged dialogue and (in a rare Hitchcock miss) very little actual suspense.Despite the acting talent, I can't remember watching any other Hitchcock movie that falls flatter in that regard. Never once did I feel as if I was drawn into any of the characters whatsoever.Simply put, "Stage Fright" is a subpar Hitchcock effort that ranks among the lowest of his wide collection of works. Only a decent twist at the end gives this movie any sort of exciting jolt whatsoever. A stodgy old "thriller" that just doesn't hold up in any way, shape, or form.

It's been a long time since I've seen a film that really isn't all that good but that I nevertheless enjoy quite a lot. STAGE FRIGHT has a plot that is really rather silly. From the start, it's all quite implausible and yet entertaining. At first I found Jane Wyman terribly miscast as an American with two British parents living and working in London of all places. By the end of the film, I was able to buy into her role and found that she came through it pretty well. Dietrich, always rather problematic in my view, was nevertheless fascinating to watch in a role that reminded me of her character in Witness For The Prosecution. Todd was always a stiff actor and still he did a pretty good job in the role of the psychotic. Wilding was predictably strong and Alistair Sim really steals the show - he's great to watch. The ending was bizarre and still I decided that I rather liked all the nonsense - it's a very dated story that's a lot of fun in the most basic sort of way.

Jane Wyman plays Eve Gill. She's an actress living in England. A man she loves (Richard Todd) is accused of killing the husband of an actress he's romancing (Marlene Dietrich). He didn't do it but the police don't believe him. Eve helps him hide out while she tries to find evidence to clear his name. The wonderful Alastair Sim pops up as her father and the sadly underused Michael Wilding is a detective investigating the case.It's a little too long and I could have lived without hearing Dietrich do THREE songs but still worth catching. There's many clever twists and turns in the plot and Wyman, Dietrich and Sim are excellent in their roles. Also it's beautifully directed (of course) with some great set pieces. Worth catching.

Alfred Hitchcock directed this mystery thriller that stars Jane Wyman as Eve Gill, who helps her friend Jonathan Cooper(played by Richard Todd) when he is accused of murdering his lover's husband. The woman in question is actress Charlotte Winwood(played by Marlene Dietrich) who is being interrogated by the detective investigating the case, who also talks to Eve. Strangely, they find themselves falling in love, as the real murderer turns out to be an unpleasant surprise... Disappointing film once again has a good cast(to be expected from Hitchcock) but a disjointed story that ultimately leads nowhere, made semi-infamous because of, what turns out to be, a controversial "flashback".