Al's Top Rated Films: Alfred Hitchcock

Superbly suspenseful mystery thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, that follows a brash risk-taking photo-journalist named L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies, who's wheelchair-bound after risking a dangerous snapshot of an intense car wreck during a race. He's stuck in his apartment while he recovers, and stays entertained thanks to visits from his wise-cracking physical therapist Stella, and his gorgeous and alluring girlfriend Lisa. Being mostly alone and confined to his apartment, he starts spying on his neighbors from his rear apartment window out of pure boredom. After a short while, he witnesses suspicious actions by his neighbor and costume-jewelry salesman Lars Thorwald, which makes him believe that he murdered his bedridden wife. Jeff continues to investigate the mystery with the help of Lisa and Stella, along with his friend, boss, and police detective Tom Doyle, and a large-lensed camera for better viewing. It all leads up to tension-filled suspense as the story builds to a thrilling and dramatic conclusion. This is hands-down my favorite film from the “Master of Suspense”, Alfred Hitchcock. The story is fantastic, and reaches new heights in production design and cinematography, which peels back compelling complexities with repeat viewings. The film was highlighted with Oscar-nominations for best directing from Alfred Hitchcock, best screenplay from John Michael Hayes, best cinematography, and best sound. It’s one of the many movies that have been robbed of its accolades at the Academy Awards. It’s one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen, and all the characters are interesting and well-developed. The soundtrack/score is also fantastic. James Stewart arguably delivers his greatest and most iconic lead performance of all time. The gorgeous Grace Kelly instantly became one of my favorites actresses with her fantastic starring role. Thelma Ritter also delivered a particularly great supporting performance, along with very nice roles from Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Ross Bagdasarian, Georgine Darcy, Irene Winston, and Jesslyn Fax.

Spectacular action-packed mystery adventure/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, that follows a sharp-witted New York City advertising executive named Roger Thornhill who's kidnapped by a group of spies that are convinced he's a government agent by the name of George Kaplan, following a bout of mistaken identity in the restaurant where they abducted him by gunpoint. He’s then brought to a large mansion, and meets a foreign spy posing as the home’s owner, Lester Townsend. His name is actually Phillip Vandamm, and demands Thornhill give up the information he’s after. When Thornhill tries to explain that he’s not George Kaplan, they don’t believe him. They quickly conclude that he won’t cooperate, they force him to drink a giant bottle of bourbon, and attempt to get him to drive off a cliff to make his murder look like a drunken accident. Their plan fails and Thornhill miraculously gets away before getting picked up by police for being intoxicated and driving recklessly. Nobody believes Thornhill’s story about these so-called mysterious men trying to kill him (including his mother). After he's implicated in a murder as the mysterious George Kaplan, he goes on the run from a band of ruthless spies trying to kill him, and also from the authorities who are trying to arrest him. The outstanding Oscar-nominated screenplay from Ernest Lehman boasted superb dialogue, hilarious comedy, and powerful/thrilling drama. The production is epic in every way, which is highlighted by Oscar nominations for best art direction and best film editing. The casting couldn’t be more perfect. Cary Grant arguably delivered his all-time best lead performance. It’s the first film of his I’ve seen, and it made me a life-long fan of his. Eva Marie Saint also had a fantastic starring role. She and Cary Grant arguably have some the steamiest chemistry of any couple in a Hitchcock film (which is always a debate). James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Philip Ober, Martin Landau, Josephine Hutchinson, Adam Williams, Robert Ellenstein, and Ken Lynch have great supporting roles among many others.

Groundbreaking and superbly done horror/mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that truly impacted the way horror films were made forever. The story follows a Phoenix secretary named Marion Crane who steals $40,000 in cash from her real estate boss's client after she was instructed to deposit it in the bank. Embarking on a new life for herself, she goes on the run as the police start to investigate her disappearance. After getting caught in a rain storm late at night, she finds herself at the secluded and deserted California-based Bates Motel, where she meets the quiet, lonely, and mysterious owner and manager, Norman Bates. After hearing maniacal screams from the house on a the hill above the hotel, he explains it was his ill mother, and shares his eccentrically sheltered life story with her while they eat dinner in the hotel office. While Marion quickly learns he’s a bit of an oddball, there’s actually a much darker and horrifying mystery to Norman’s life that Marion will soon discover. Outstanding story with extremely innovative cinematography, camera angles, lighting, and fantastic production design; as evidenced by its Oscar nominations for directing, cinematography, and art direction. The story unfolds perfectly thanks to excellent dialogue and a perfect cast, and also includes a fantastic musical score. Anthony Perkins arguably delivers the greatest lead performance of any Hitchcock film as Norman Bates, and was completely robbed of any Oscar win or nomination. Janet Leigh also delivered an excellent Oscar-nominated starring role. Vera Miles, Martin Balsam, John Gavin, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Vaughn Taylor, Frank Albertson, Patricia Hitchcock, John Anderson, Mort Mills, and others also had excellent supporting roles.

Outstanding and masterfully done crime drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, that follows a former tennis star named Tony Wendice who discovers that his wealthy wife Margot has been cheating on him with and author named Mark Halliday. He then meticulously plans to murder Margot so he can inherit her fortune. Margot and Mark know somethings amiss when a letter shared between them goes missing and Margot is blackmailed to get it back. Meanwhile, Tony invites a former college colleague to their apartment while she's away, and blackmails him to murder her so he can get away with a clean alibi. Tony believes his plan to be the perfect crime as long as everything goes as planned, which turns out to be littered with imperfections that puts his clean getaway in jeopardy. Fantastic story that is kept superbly focused with the entire film being shot in a single apartment, and features a slim and powerful cast. What really makes it great is Hitchcock’s masterfully done suspense, and he presents his very best with this film. That alluring suspense is driven by compelling dialogue and beautifully crafted series of plot-twisting events. The cinematography, camera angles, and casting all adds up to another Hitchcock classic. Ray Milland delivered a shockingly excellent lead performance. He stole the show with his witty and bloodthirsty personality. Grace Kelly also delivers one of her all-time best lead performances. Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams also delivered fantastic starring roles. George Leigh and Patrick Allen also had nice supporting roles.

Outstanding and unique horror/mystery from Alfred Hitchcock that starts as a witty romantic comedy and follows a beautiful, wealthy, and well-known socialite named Melanie Daniels who meets a handsome lawyer named Mitch Brenner in a pet store. Mitch recognizes her infamously childish antics from the tabloids, which creates an awkward, but chemistry-filled first meeting. Melanie takes a liking to him and enjoys his challenging demeanor, and decides to do a little investigative work to find out where he’s traveling to for the weekend. Shortly after, we find Melanie driving out to Mitch’s seaside hometown of Bodega Bay to surprise him and his kid-sister Cathy with a pair of lovebirds from the pet store where they met. Shortly after their surprise meeting, the story takes a dramatic and terrifying turn, which finds unexplained attacks by swarms of birds who begin to aggressively kill the local townspeople in a ruthlessly slaughterous manner. Soon there are hundreds of thousands of blood-thirsty birds killing more victims by the hour, and it becomes seemingly impossible to escape the town alive as the number of birds continue to multiply. Fantastic story with a great blend of styles and genres, remains strikingly entertaining from the first minute of the film, and boasts great Oscar-nominated special effects. This movie really brought the horror genre to new heights with its use of seemingly harmless creatures in such a vicious manner, and the cast was perfect throughout. While Tippi Hedren catches some flack from many Hitchcock fans, she delivered an outstanding lead performance and was simply perfect for the role. Rod Taylor matched her magic with an excellent starring role, and they had great chemistry together. Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright, Ethel Griffies, Charles McGraw, Ruth McDevitt, Lonny Chapman, Joe Mantell, Malcolm Atterbury, Richard Deacon, and others have very nice supporting roles.

Spectacularly crafted film-noir drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set after World War II in April 1946, South America. The story follows the American daughter of a Nazi spy named Alicia Huberman, who was recently convicted of treason against the United States. She’s deeply troubled by the situation, and turns to alcohol and the entertainment of men to ease her pain. That's how she meets an American government agent named T. R. Devlin, who enlists her help to gather information against a group of Nazi scientists operating out of Rio de Janeiro, after a steamy introduction. A romance blossoms between the two and complicates how far she must go to collect the damaging evidence, which could also put her in life in danger. Excellent story with some great plot twists, suspense, and arguably the best lead cast of any Hitchcock film. Cary Grant and the gorgeous Ingrid Bergman both arguably deliver the best lead performances of their careers. The mix of their steamy chemistry mixed with the thrilling spy/espionage storyline worked beautifully all around. The outstanding production was highlighted by a fantastic Oscar-nominated screenplay from Ben Hecht. Claude Rains also notably delivers one of his career-best Oscar-nominated starring roles. Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, Moroni Olsen, Ivan Triesault, Fay Baker, Wally Brown, Charles Mendl, Ricardo Costa, Garry Owen, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent mystery/psychological thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a former San Francisco police detective named John "Scottie" Ferguson, who was forced into an early retirement following a treacherous brush with death, leaving him with an irrational fear of heights and an extreme case of acrophobia and vertigo. Soon after, he reluctantly takes a job to help an old college friend named Gavin Elster, and is tasked to follow Gavin’s gorgeous wife Madeleine due to her strange behavior. As he moves forward with the investigation, Gavin’s fears of Madeleine being possessed by Madeleine's great-grandmother Carlotta has merit, and accurately fears she may unknowingly commit suicide since she’s in a state of amnesia and can’t remember certain life-threatening events that take place. Throughout the story, John becomes more fascinated with Madeleine, which turns to pure obsession that leads up to a dreadful plot-twisting incident. This film is often cited as being Hitchcock's best film, and I believe it is partially due to the controversial subject matter concerning the portrayal of Madeleine’s character, and women in general. While those flaws are evident, it arguably makes the film a bit more interesting. The film also boasts an excellent production highlighted by Oscar-nominations for best art direction and best sound. James Stewart plays a complex, injured, and often times contentious character, and delivers one of his finest lead performances. The beautiful Kim Novak also delivered a fantastically complex starring role, and remains the most iconic of her career. Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, and Ellen Corby also had very nice supporting roles.

Outstanding film-noir crime drama/psychological thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a young profession tennis star named Guy Haines aboard a train, who wants to end his marriage with his promiscuous wife Miriam so he can marry the beautiful daughter of a US Senator named Anne Morton. While talking the subject over with an eccentrically persuasive passenger named Bruno Antony on the train, Bruno divulges his psychopathic plan for the perfect murder swap. He then suggests that he will kill Miriam for him, while Guy kills Bruno's father, whom he viciously hates. The idea is that there are no motives to be found, and they should be able to get away with their murderous plans unscathed. After a bit of convincing, Guy agrees to Bruno’s plan, which inadvertently sets fourth a deadly chain of events when the plan goes dreadfully haywire. Excellent and uniquely done story with a great production highlighted by noir-filled Oscar-nominated cinematography. It’s definitely one of my favorites from Alfred Hitchcock. Farley Granger delivered an excellent lead performance, but it was Robert Walker who had the standout starring role with his deranged and maniacal interaction with Farley. They both made a great duo. Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock, Kasey Rogers, Marion Lorne, John Brown, Norma Varden, and Robert Gist also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic psychological film-noir drama/mystery from Alfred Hitchcock set in the 1930s, and follows a troubled rich widower named Maxim de Winter, who’s on vacation in the French Riviera when he meets a beautiful young woman (who remains unnamed) at the Monte Carlo hotel he’s staying at. She works as a lady's companion to a wealthy and unpleasant woman named Mrs. Van Hopper, and she is an extremely shy, uneasy, and inexperienced girl from a lower-middle class background. They immediately hit it off and fall in love, which leads to them getting married and traveling back to Maxim's family large estate and home in Cornwall (South West England) to live a happy life together. She immediately feels inferior and self-conscious concerning Maxim's luxurious house full of servants, and soon becomes psychologically troubled at the hands of his strong and menacing housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who is still passionately dedicated to Maxim's first wife who passed away (Rebecca) and intently loathes her presence in Maxim's home. Tensions continue to ramp up until a mystery surrounding the late Rebecca’s presence makes itself known. Superb early Alfred Hitchcock, which happens to be his first American film. The superb production is highlighted by Oscar wins for best picture of 1941 and best cinematography; and also received Oscar nominations for best direction from Alfred Hitchcock, best screenplay from Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison, best art direction, best film editing, best special effects, and best music score from Franz Waxman. Is that wasn’t enough, the casting is the greatest part of the film. This is my first time seeing Joan Fontaine (Oscar-nominated) in a lead role, and she was really magnificent. Her innocent, uneasy, excitable, and often times awkward character was perfect for the role. She had some impeccable interaction with Laurence Olivier (Oscar-nominated), who was also superb. Judith Anderson (Oscar-nominated) also delivered a fantastic starring role. George Sanders, Gladys Cooper, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, and Florence Bates also had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.

Fantastic crime drama mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set in the late 1930s, and follows a wealthy English tourist named Iris Henderson who's traveling by train in continental Europe. Before the train arrives, she makes friends with a kind old lady named Miss Froy at the hotel she’s saying at, and they end up traveling together on the train. After having tea in the dining car and returning to their passenger car, Iris falls asleep; and when she makes up, she finds that Miss Froy has mysteriously vanished. Oddly, everyone that Iris knew that previously come in contact with Miss Froy claims they never met or seen such a person, and attempt to convince her that it's all in her mind. Just when she thinks she may be starting to go a bit crazy, a kind gentleman she met at the hotel named Gilbert Redman believes her story after seeing some evidence that correlates to her overview of the events, and he helps her to solve the mystery of Miss Froy’s disappearance. Excellent mystery all around with lots of twists and turns throughout, and a fantastic plot-twisting ending. This is easily my favorite film from Alfred Hitchcock’s early British-era of films, and also includes an excellent production and cast. Margaret Lockwood delivered a fantastic lead performance. Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, and May Whitty also delivered excellent starring roles. Cecil Parker, Linden Travers, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Emile Boreo, Googie Withers, Sally Stewart, Philip Leaver, Catherine Lacey, and others also had very nice supporting roles.

Outstandingly unique war drama set in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II in the early 1940s. The story follows several survivors from a variety of different backgrounds on a small lifeboat after an American merchant ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat; resulting in the sinking of both crafts. Tensions are high from the get-go, but they soar when they end up saving a man who turns out to be a German from the sunken U-boat that destroyed the American ship, who claims he can't speak English and appears to be suspiciously peaceful. Heavy debates go on about how trustworthy the German could possibly be; but is later revealed he was the German U-boat's captain, speaks perfect English, and proves to be an immense threat to everyone on board. This film was brilliantly focused with the entire film take place on the lifeboat, and remains extremely entertaining throughout the picture. Hitchcock brilliantly toys with the audience into feeling sympathy for the German Nazi in a complex web of dialogue and character motivations, and that controversy makes the film even more powerful and interesting. The excellent production was highlighted by Oscar nominations for best direction from Alfred Hitchcock, best screenplay from John Steinbeck, and best cinematography. Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, and Canada Lee all delivered excellent lead/starring performances among the slim and effective cast.

Superb crime mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set just before World War I, 1914 London. The story follows Canadian man named Richard Hannay enjoying a show at the London music hall theatre, when gunshots ring out and causes a panic amongst everyone in the venue. He ends up helping a seemingly terrified woman who talks her way into Richard bringing her back to his apartment. He then finds out that she’s a spy named Annabella Smith, and she fired the shots in order to escape from assassins who are trying to silence her after she exposed a secret plot to steal British military information that has something to do with the phrase "The 39 Steps”. Annabella is soon stabbed in the back and murdered, and Richard ends up being the prime suspect in her killing, and subsequently gets tangled up in her dangerous business. He goes on the run in an attempt to prove his innocence, and ends up being helped along the way by a woman named Pamela. Excellent story, thrills, and production all around. This is arguably Alfred Hitchcock’s best British-era film, and I personally love the injection of humor in this era of his films. It definitely gives them another dimension and makes the picture much more entertaining. Robert Donat possessed a lot of that excellent humor, and delivered a fantastic lead performance. Madeleine Carroll also delivered an excellent starring role. Lucie Mannheim, Peggy Ashcroft, John Laurie, Wylie Watson, Godfrey Tearle, and others also had very nice supporting roles.

Fantastic crime drama/mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set in 1951, and follows a retired jewel thief named John "The Cat" Robie who becomes the police's prime suspect in a case of stolen jewels from high-class folks along the French Riviera resort towns. Robie give the police the slip when they attempt to question him, and quickly learns that he’s being framed by a copycat jewel thief, which finds Robie and his old gang of like-minded cat burglars under police suspicious until the copycat is caught. Robie’s only chance to clear his name and prove his innocence is to catch the copycat in the act himself. Robie gets help from the Lloyds of London insurance agent H.H. Hughson to track down the copycat, who gives Robie a list of American tourists who own the most expensive jewelry within the Riviera. Wealthy widow Jessie Stevens and her drop-dead gorgeous daughter Frances are at the top of the list, and Robie immediately makes friends with them in hopes the copycat will attempt to steal their jewels. Before long, a much more complex mystery behind the burglaries is revealed once the Stevens’ jewels are stolen; which is also complicated by a romance between Robie and Frances. Excellent story all around with great dialogue and a highly stylized production that includes plenty of Hitchcock’s signature touches. The stunning visuals and production highlighting the French Riviera were gorgeous, as evidenced by its Oscar win for best cinematography, along with Oscar nominations for best art direction and best costume design. Cary Grant and the enchanting Grace Kelly are a couple of my favorites, especially when it comes to Hitchcock’s filmography. The both deliver superb lead performances and have great chemistry together. Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Brigitte Auber, Jean Martinelli, and others also had very nice roles among the supporting cast.

Excellent crime drama/mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock completely set within the confines of a penthouse apartment in Manhattan, New York City. The story follows two sadistically eccentric and conceited young men named Brandon Shaw and Phillip Morgan, strangling and murdering their "inferior" former prep school classmate David Kentley. They freakishly commit the murder as an intellectual experiment, and want to prove they are sly and cunning enough to commit the “perfect murder” right under everyone’s nose. It’s the perfect time for the experiment, since they are having a dinner party at their apartment for the evening, and they daringly hide the dead body in an old chest that’s also used as the party buffet table. Just when it seems that they will successfully get away with the perfect murder, their former prep-school housemaster and publisher Rupert Cadell arrives at the party, suspects that Brandon and Phillip are up to no good, and begins to piece together the puzzle of their crime. Even though the story seems ridiculously silly, it is very well-written, includes superb dialogue, excellent suspense, and a great cast. The film is also helped by the beautifully focused production and setting, and is widely hailed for its use of very long camera shots. John Dall, Farley Granger, and James Stewart all delivered excellent lead performances. Edith Evanson, Douglas Dick, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, and Constance Collier all have very nice roles among the supporting cast.

Fantastic crime drama/mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, that follows an American doctor named Benjamin "Ben" McKenna, his wife Jo, and their young son Hank, who are on vacation in French Morocco. After arriving in Marrakesh by bus, they are visiting a busy street marketplace when they witness the murder of an Arab man. To their surprise, the man isn’t Arab at all, and is actually a mysteriously eccentric Frenchman they met on their bus ride over, named Louis Bernard. With a knife driven through his back, Ben attempts to help Bernard, who whispers a message into Ben’s ear just before he dies, stating that there will be an attempted assassination of a foreign statesman in London, and that Ben must tell the authorities about "Ambrose Chappell”. Now that other sinister folks have witnessed Ben obtaining Bernard’s mysterious secret, their son Hank is consequently kidnapped over the event. That sets fourth a crazed set of plot-twisting events that finds Ben and Jo desperately working to rescue Hank while they are simultaneously forced to foil the intricate assassination plans of the foreign statesman. Excellent story throughout, which features one of Hitchcock’s larger budgeted and most attractive productions of his career, which was highlighted by its one and only Oscar win for best original song from Doris Day, Jay Livingston, and Ray Evans: "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)”. The casting and excellent acting was the biggest highlight of the film. James Stewart delivered one of his finest lead performances, and had great interaction with Doris Day, who also delivered an exceptional breakout starring role. Christopher Olsen, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Daniel Gélin, Hillary Brooke, Reggie Nalder, Carolyn Jones, and others also had nice roles among the supporting cast.

Excellent political/spy/war thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set just before the start of World War II in August 1939, London. The story follows a young American newspaper reporter of the “New York Morning Globe” named John Jones, who’s been tasked to travel to Europe to report on the conditions concerning the outbreak of the war. His editor is tired of the boring stories coming through lately, and assigns Jones to get the scoop on a secret treaty agreement between two European countries that proposes to prevent World War II. Tensions quickly ramp up when Jones exposes a conspiracy, which adds twists and turns to the story at the hands of ruthless Nazi spies. Excellent story all around with great dialogue, action, and thrills. The great production is highlighted by Oscar nominations for best picture of 1941, best screenplay from Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison, best cinematography, best art direction, and best special effects. The cast was also superb all around. This was the first film I’ve seen starring Joel McCrea, and he delivered an excellent lead performance and held the story together perfectly. Laraine Day, George Sanders, Albert Bassermann (Oscar-nominated), Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Eduardo Ciannelli, Harry Davenport, Edmund Gwenn, Martin Kosleck, Charles Wagenheim, Barbara Pepper, and others had great roles among a fantastic supporting cast.

Terrific psychological film-noir mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set at the Vermont-based Green Manors mental hospital, in the 1940s. The story follows a gorgeous psychoanalyst named named Dr. Constance Petersen. While she is dedicated to her work and typically frigid when it comes to romance and potential relationships, she is instantly enamored with the handsome new hospital director Dr. Anthony Edwardes. They quickly enter into a romantic relationship, and Constance soon notices that Edwardes has a strange phobia surrounding sets of parallel lines against a white background. He later shows mysterious signs of amnesia and paranoia, and confesses that the real Dr. Edwardes is dead and fears he may have killed him. Constance concludes that Edwardes is an innocent man with a psychological complex that she’s determined to crack so he’s able to recover his memories and prove his innocence. Excellent Hitchcock flick all around that boasts superb visuals and camera work, a great production, and a superb cast. The film is highlighted by a superb Oscar winning music score from Miklós Rózsa, and also received Oscar nominations for best picture of 1946, best direction from Alfred Hitchcock, best cinematography, and best special effects. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck both delivered fantastic lead performances and have great chemistry together. Michael Chekhov (Oscar-nominated), Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, John Emery, Norman Lloyd, Art Baker, and others also had very nice supporting roles.

Terrific film-noir crime drama from Alfred Hitchcock, and the first Hitchcock flick to be based on a true story. The story is set in 1953 New York City, and follows a working class jazz musician named Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero who walks into an insurance office to see if he can borrow money from his wife's life insurance policy, when he is mistakenly identified as an armed robber that held up the office twice a few months earlier. It turns out that the real culprit has been robbing several other places in the same neighborhood, and witnesses positively identify Manny as the robber. To make matters worse, his stress and confusion about the situation has him appearing more guilty by the minute, even though he’s innocent and has nothing to hide. Even though the evidence is flimsy, Manny is arrested on charged of armed robbery. Attorney Frank O'Connor sets out to prove Manny’s innocence in a court of law, but more mishaps reveal themselves through a taxing trial. This is a unique Hitchcock film since it is a true story, is shot in documentary fashion, and doesn’t really contain much of Hitchcock’s quirky signature tricks and thrills. That said, it’s a very suspenseful, realistic, and intriguing film that stands as a great addition to his filmography. Henry Fonda delivers one of the finest lead performances of his career, and was perfect playing the innocent, confused, and frightened victim. Vera Miles also delivered one of her best starring roles. Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, and Charles Cooper had nice roles among the supporting cast.

Terrific crime drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a German immigrant named Otto Keller, who works as a caretaker at Sainte Marie's Church in Quebec City, who enters the church to make a confession to the devout Catholic priest Father Michael Logan. To Father Logan’s surprise, Otto confesses to that he accidentally killed his other employer (named Villette) while trying to rob him. Witnesses report that the killer was dressed like a priest, which immediately finds Father Michael Logan becoming the main suspect in the police's investigation. Being as devoted to religion and the church as Father Logan is, he finds himself trapped in a moral dilemma, since it is against the rules to divulge any information taken during a confession; which subsequently prevents him from proving his innocence and clearing his own name. It’s going to take the help another person (good or bad) to reveal the truth behind the murder mystery. This film appears to be less talked about over other Hitchcock films, but it is pure quality through and through, and is still a great viewing in modern times. It's unique that we find out who the murder is immediately, which reveals nice suspense and character details as the story moves along, and leads to a thrilling finish. Montgomery Clift delivers one of his finest lead performances. Anne Baxter also had an excellent starring role. Karl Malden, O.E. Hasse, Brian Aherne, Dolly Haas, and others had great supporting roles.

Excellent film-noir drama/mystery from Alfred Hitchcock set in 1938 England, and follows an innocent young woman named Lina McLaidlaw who meets a handsome, smooth-talking ladies’ man named Johnnie Aysgarth on a train. She initially doesn’t want anything to do with his flirtation advances, but after overhearing her parents talking about her nonexistent love life and unlikelihood of her ever getting married, she kisses Johnny. They get off to a rocky start after Johnny cancels their first date and disappears for a while, but when he shows up the following week, he sweeps Lina off her feet and they immediately rush off to get married (even though her father objects). After they return from their honeymoon, she learns he's a broke gambler who lies and borrows money from friends to live a high-class lifestyle. The lies soon have her paranoid about other activities and motivations he may be hiding, and soon suspects he may plan to murder her after she thinks it’s possible that he killed his business partner. While this doesn’t rank as one of my favorite Hitchcock films, it has a great story, clever writing, and beautiful production highlighted by Oscar nominations for best picture of 1942 and best music scoring from Franz Waxman. The comical Cary Grant and wholesome Joan Fontaine (winning the Oscar for her role) were great together in this film. They both delivered fantastic lead performances and had great chemistry. Auriol Lee, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, May Whitty, and Isabel Jeans also had very nice supporting roles.

Excellent spy/war drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set in Glendale, California, during World War II. The story follows an aircraft factory worker named Barry Kane who is wrongly accused of setting a fire in the manufacturing plant he works for. Kane suspects that a mysterious employee named Fry was responsible, whom he ran into earlier. When nobody has heard of a man named Fry, Kane immediately becomes their top suspect. Kane escapes and goes on the run in an attempt to prove his innocence, which is complicated when he must take a beautiful woman name Patricia Martin hostage. He heads east with her to continue his investigation, while it becomes more dangerous with every passing minute. I’d have to say I feel this is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s more underrated pictures. The story was excellent throughout, has great suspense, action, thrills, and the epic Statue of Liberty ending sequence was superb. Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings both deliver excellent lead performances and share great chemistry together. Norman Lloyd, Otto Kruger, Alan Baxter, Alma Kruger, Vaughan Glaser, Clem Bevans, Murray Alper, Pedro de Cordoba, Billy Curtis, Anita Sharp-Bolster, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent film-noir murder mystery/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, that follows an aspiring young actress named Eve Gill who attends classes at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her life is quickly conflicted when she’s asked to help her friend/peer and crush Jonathan Cooper prove his innocence after he's accused of murdering the husband of his mistress. His mistress is beloved actress and singer Charlotte Inwood, who Jonathan claims is the real murderer. Eve is convinced Jonathan is innocent and wants to do all she can to help, and plans to get a confession out of Charlotte by becoming her dresser and becoming friends with her. Meanwhile, Eve works with police Detective Inspector Wilfred O. Smith, who works hard on the case as a romance blossoms between the two. Once the case draws closer to a conclusion, a much larger mystery presents itself. While this isn’t one of my favorite Hitchcock films, it’s undoubtedly a great film with excellent suspense, a great story, and an excellent cast. Both Jane Wyman and Marlene Dietrich delivered excellent lead performances. Michael Wilding and Richard Todd were also great. Alastair Sim, Sybil Thorndike, Kay Walsh, Hector MacGregor, Patricia Hitchcock, and Ballard Berkeley all had great supporting roles.

Very nice film-noir crime drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a mysterious wrongdoer named Charles Oakley who evades entanglements with two detectives waiting outside his New Jersey hotel room, then telegraphs his sister Emma Newton in Santa Rosa, California, to let her know he will be visiting soon. His teenage niece Charlotte "Charlie" Newton is ecstatic to find out Oakley is coming to their small boring California hometown for a visit, who she has always adored. Oakley is a wealthy man, and immediately hands out lavish gifts to the whole family. As time goes on, Charlie begins to suspect something mysterious about Oakley’s behavior surrounding a news story about a man who marries and murders rich widows, which only leads to more dreadful drama and thrills. On paper, the setting for this film is fantastic, which is often cited as being Alfred Hitchcock's favorite film in his own body of work. While there was some very nicely done dialogue thanks to Gordon McDonell’s Oscar-nominated screenplay, this falls well short of my favorite Hitchcock films. There just wasn’t much mystery to it, which makes some of the scenes feel unrealistic. Nevertheless, it has a great production, a great cast, and is often cited as a fan favorite. Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright both deliver great lead performances. Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, and Wallace Ford all had nice supporting roles.

Great thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that follows a sadistic London-based serial killer and rapist who strangles his female victims with neck-ties, and has been aptly nicknamed "The Necktie Murderer" by the press. One of his victims is Brenda Blaney, who is the ex-wife of a troubled bartender named Richard Blaney. He ends up having to go on the run trying to prove his innocence after he is wrongly suspected of murdering her. This film contains more frightening and graphic scenes than Hitchcock film. Very nice thriller for one of his final films, but also not one of his greatest works. Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, and Barry Foster had great lead performances. Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey, Billie Whitelaw, Bernard Cribbins, Vivien Merchant, Clive Swift, Michael Bates, Jean Marsh, Elsie Randolph, and others had very nice supporting performances.

Underrated drama/thriller from Alfred Hitchcock set during the Cold War in 1965, and follows an American physicist and rocket scientist named Professor Michael Armstrong who publicly defects to East Germany after United States government scratched his research project. He initially keeps his reasons a mystery to his assistant and fiancée, Dr. Sarah Sherman, who is appalled by his announcement. It's soon reveled they are on a secret mission to obtain vital information from a prominent East German scientist before making their way back to the United States. This film seems to be plenty criticized among Hitchcock's work for being such a solid and entertaining story. I love Paul Newman, and it was worth watching for his performance alone. He and Julie Andrews don't have a ton of romantic chemistry, but it's sort of unneeded for this type of film in my opinion. Ludwig Donath, Wolfgang Kieling, Günter Strack, Lila Kedrova, Hansjörg Felmy, and others had great supporting roles.