Hitchcock Trivia

[MarkMiller]

You've got me on your question about Hitchcok and Dreyer. Regarding Richard Thorpe I have an ironic answer--Thorpe directed the original "Night Must Fall" with Robert Montgomery which was supposed to be much better than its remake with Albert Finney in 1964. He also did The Crowd Roars (1938), A Date with Judy (1948), Jailhouse Rock and Tip on a Dead Jockey (both 1957). If nothing else he must have been good with big stars.

[MrWriteLA]

Walter Slezak appeared in both Dreyer's silent film "Mikael" (1924) and Hitchcock's "Lifeboat."

[RobertEmmettHarron]

Walter Slezak is the man! Spot on, Mr. Write. (And I knew you'd nail the answer immediately, by the way.)

 

Responding to Mark Miller: Thorpe was in an-house director for MGM, just like Curtiz was at Warner Bros., so it was quite natural that he helmed his share of major releases with high-wattage stars in Leo's backyard. I've just found his films to be incredibly lacking in anything like tension or pace; which is extraordinary given the 'can't miss' potential of something like "Night Must Fall." It's a rather tedious film though, and much too long, even though Robert Montgomery and Dame May Whittey are wonderful in it. All you need to do though is think about what Hitchcock might have done with the property and the deficiencies of Thorpe should be readily apparent.

I cede the floor to Mr. Write for the next question.

[MrWriteLA]

What three Hitchcock actors are also credited in his films for talents other than acting... and in what films?

[coolrob1955]

My local Public Television station has (or had), a weekly show called 'Moonlight Theater', showing mostly old or 'Classic' movies.

 

A few years ago they showed the Hitchcock movie 'Frenzy'. Imagine my surprise (shock), when the rape scene (fairly graphic and very nasty) arrived, and I realised that this was the original 'R' rated, unedited, theatrical version. I nearly choked on my popcorn.

 

I thought that this may be the start of a courageous new trend by PBS to show original, unedited movies. I was wrong, they had simply gotten hold of the wrong version.

 

Regards

[MrWriteLA]

> What three Hitchcock actors are also credited in

> his films for talents other than acting... and

> in what films?

 

HINT: In all three cases, the credit was for writing.

[JackBurley]

Well, Hume Cronin adapted Under Capricorn... oh, and Rope. Is that who you mean?

 

It's funny, I thought one was an older woman; like Florence Bates or Patricia Collinge, but I can't quite place it. Am I on the right track?

[CineSage_jr]

Cronyn.

 

Author A.J. Cronin wrote the novel The Citadel, among others.

[MrWriteLA]

Yes, Hume Cronyn was one. But neither of the other two is a woman.

 

Unlike Hume, both were well known as writers of other media than film scripts... arguably even better than they were known as actors.

[RobertEmmettHarron]

I think perhaps it could be Constance Collier and Ivor Novello, who wrote the play "Downhill," which Hitchcock filmed in 1928.

Am I right, sir?

[MrWriteLA]

I'll give you credit for Novello, though I'm not sure he gets on-screen credit for that, never having seen it. (He also contributed a song to "Elstree Calling," but I have no knowledge of it being a segment that Hitchcock directed.)

 

But no, he's not one of the two others I'm thinking of. Nor is Constance.

[RobertEmmettHarron]

I'm feeling like a glutton for punishment, so I'll take another crack at this.

Robert Benchley wrote some of his own dialogue (or maybe all of it, can't recall) for Foreign Correspondent.

That may be the man you are thinking of, but I'll admit I'm baffled regarding the woman. I wonder if it might be Jay Presson Allen, who wrote the screenplay of Marnie? I know she was well-acquainted with Hitchcock, and I vaguely recall reading at one point that she had perhaps done a TV show or some other project with him. If that's not so, my apologies. (If only the answer were Walter Slezak!)

[RobertEmmettHarron]

Oh, I am a perfect idiot! I just posted my reply and then looked again at the original answer given via Hume Cronyn. Neither writer was a woman -- golly, but I could have sworn that said there was one man and one woman. Apologies to all concerned. In that case, I'll amend my answer and say the writers in question are Benchley and Emlyn Williams, who is credited with some dialogue on the 1934 version of the Man Who Knew Too Much.

[MrWriteLA]

You got it, Robert! And the ball's in your court.

[MrWriteLA]

Their characters' lovers/husbands are all suspected of or are murderers? They're all under 5'7"?

[RobertEmmettHarron]

Ya know, I think those things are both true. Of course, they also are all women and they all made 'talkies.'

Seriously, though, what I had in mind was the fact that Hitchcock wasn't the only master of suspense who employed these lovely ladies. (In film argot, we call this a 'hint.')

[MrWriteLA]

Well, then it must be that they were all directed by Fritz Lang:

 

Sidney in "Fury"

Fontaine in "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"

Baxter in "The Blue Gardenia"

Dietrich in "Wancho Notowious"...er, "Rancho Notorious"

[RobertEmmettHarron]

Yes, yes, yes, yes!

 

Fritz Lang is the link, and you've got to wonder just which director would be more grueling to work for. Perhaps if I'd added Peter Lorre to the list if would have helped.

 

Next question.

[MrWriteLA]

This one's easy.

 

What makes "Stage Fright," "Strangers on a Train" and "Psycho" stand apart from Hitchcock's other films?

[JackBurley]

The appearance of his daughter?

[MrWriteLA]

(Deleted duplicate post. Don't you just hate that?)

 

Message was edited by:

MrWriteLA

[MrWriteLA]

You got it, Jack! (Knew you would.)

 

Your go.

[inglis]

What did Grace Kelly have dangling behind her back when she went over to snoop in Raymond Burr's Apt and James Stewart was watching her from his apt In Rear Window? This is for all you Hitchcock fans out there.

[MrWriteLA]

> What did Grace Kelly have dangling behind her back

> when she went over to snoop in Raymond Burr's Apt and

> James Stewart was watching her from his apt In Rear

> Window? This is for all you Hitchcock fans out there.

 

It was a key.

 

Inglis, just to clue you in on the way things generally work here...and we appreciate your participation... unless the thread is created specifically by someone who wants to use it to ask their own questions, the one who answers the last question correctly is the one who gets to ask the next one.

 

It just tends to make things less messy, so everyone's not asking questions all over the place and we know what answers go to what.

 

:-)

[inglis]

I had not known about your rules it just said Hitchcock trivia and the Author of this post is somebody else.I have a post with famous lines and I have no problems with anybody asking whenever and it is not messy .Sorry I invaded your space and thanks for letting me ask a question .I am just having fun