Summary
A wealthy and sheltered young woman elopes with a charming playboy and soon learns of his bad traits, including his extreme dishonesty and lust for money. Gradually, she begins to suspect that he intends to kill her to collect her life insurance.
Cast
Cary Grant
John D. 'Johnnie' Aysgarth
Joan Fontaine
Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth
Cedric Hardwicke
General McLaidlaw
Nigel Bruce
Gordon Cochrane 'Beaky' Thwaite
May Whitty
Mrs. McLaidlaw
Isabel Jeans
Mrs. Newsham
Heather Angel
Ethel the Maid
Auriol Lee
Isobel Sedbusk
Reginald Sheffield
Reggie Wetherby
Leo G. Carroll
Captain George Melbeck
Billy Bevan
Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Faith Brook
Alice Barham (uncredited)
Violet Campbell
Mrs. Barham (uncredited)
Leonard Carey
The McLaidlaw's Butler Burton (uncredited)
David Clyde
Trunk Man (uncredited)
Clyde Cook
Photographer (uncredited)
Alec Craig
Hogarth Club Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Carol Curtis-Brown
Jessie Barham (uncredited)
Vernon Downing
Benson (uncredited)
Rex Evans
Mr. Bailey (uncredited)
Edward Fielding
Antique Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Gavin Gordon
Dr. Bertram Sedbusk (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare
Inspector Hodgson (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock
Man Mailing Letter (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffmann
Mrs. Wetherby (uncredited)
Kenneth Hunter
Sir Gerald (uncredited)
Dorothy Lloyd
Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Aubrey Mather
Executor of General Laidlaw's Will (uncredited)
Nondas Metcalf
Phyllis Swinghurst (uncredited)
Rita Page
Secretary (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright
Postmistress (uncredited)
Clara Reid
Mrs. Craddock (uncredited)
Maureen Roden-Ryan
Maid - Winnie (uncredited)
Donald Stuart
Photographer (uncredited)
Denis Tankard
Footman (uncredited)
Pax Walker
Maid - Phoebe (uncredited)
Ben Webster
The Registrar William Howe (uncredited)
Elsie Weller
Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Constance Worth
Mrs. Fitzpatrick (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Novel
Anthony Berkeley
Screenplay
Samson Raphaelson
Screenplay
Alma Reville
Screenplay
Joan Harrison
Reviews
Geronimo1967
June 25, 2022
7
Could this be Cary Grant as his most benignly menacing? The story itself is really nothing particularly new - a sort of "Gaslight" meets "Rebecca" style story that sees shy young heiress "Lina" (Joan Fontaine) hook up with debonaire "Johnnie" (Grant) and after a whirlwind romance the two are wed. His friend "Gordon" (Nigel Bruce) appears for a visit and soon some holes begin to emerge in her new husband's backstory. Further investigation reveals that lying is not something he has much difficulty with and after a few bumps on their road and when she discovers a letter from their insurers suggesting he was trying to borrow on her life policy, she begins to fear for her own life... Hitchcock's storytelling - at times the camerawork makes us feel like a peeping Tom - and Franz Waxman's tension-laden score add loads to this strongly character driven effort. Bruce shines as the jovial gent to whom "Lina" takes rather a liking, Fontaine herself treads the cinematographic line between reason and paranoia with some considerable skill - but it is Grant who really stands out. His character is likeable, plausible and if you've ever read Anthony Berkeley's rather wordy book "Before the Fact" then you'll recognise that his portrayal is really pretty spot on - can we believe him, do we (want to) believe him - and at the end, well.... It's great this. Well worth the watch.
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$1,103,000.00
Revenue:
$4,500,000.00
Keywords
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