Summary
London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.
Cast
Jon Finch
Richard Ian Blaney
Barry Foster
Robert Rusk
Barbara Leigh-Hunt
Brenda Margaret Blaney
Anna Massey
Barbara Jane 'Babs' Milligan
Alec McCowen
Chief Inspector Tim Oxford
Vivien Merchant
Mrs. Oxford
Billie Whitelaw
Hetty Porter
Clive Swift
Johnny Porter
Bernard Cribbins
Felix Forsythe
Michael Bates
Sergeant Spearman
Jean Marsh
Monica Barling
Madge Ryan
Mrs. Davison
Elsie Randolph
Gladys
Gerald Sim
Mr. Usher the Solicitor in Pub
John Boxer
Sir George
George Tovey
Neville Salt
Jimmy Gardner
Hotel Porter
Noel Johnson
Doctor in Pub
Alfred Hitchcock
Spectator at Opening Rally (uncredited)
Lewis Alexander
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Brian Badcoe
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Michael Bilton
Trial Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Joby Blanshard
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Willy Bowman
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Jim Brady
Juror (uncredited)
Donald Campbell
The Mayor (uncredited)
John Cannon
Murder Scene Policeman (uncredited)
John Cater
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Pauline Chamberlain
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Terence Conoley
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Gerry Cowper
Spectator at Opening Rally (uncredited)
Maxwell Craig
Fruit Buyer (uncredited)
June Ellis
Maisie - Barmaid (uncredited)
Hugh Elton
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Mabel Etherington
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Charles Farrell
Complaining Pub Customer (uncredited)
Harry Fielder
Covent Garden Lorry Driver (uncredited)
Otto Friese
Juror (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Roberta Gibbs
Body in River Thames (uncredited)
Jill Goldston
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
John Golightly
CID Police Photographer (uncredited)
Josie Grant
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Aidan Harrington
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Victor Harrington
Spectator on South Bank (uncredited)
Drewe Henley
Forensics Technician (uncredited)
Hubert Hill
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Ken Hutchins
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Barry Keegan
Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Juba Kennerley
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Roy Lansford
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Ricky Lansing
Market Worker (uncredited)
Tommy Little
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Doreen Mantle
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Mary Maxfield
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Bunny May
Barman (uncredited)
Margaret Nolan
Young Woman (uncredited)
James Payne
Covent Garden Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Bob Ramsey
Man in Pub (uncredited)
Robert Rietti
Doctor (voice) (uncredited)
Phillip Ross
Policeman (uncredited)
Michael Sheard
Jim (uncredited)
Jack Silk
Police Driver (uncredited)
Roy Skelton
CID Man (uncredited)
Colin Spaull
Man (uncredited)
Richard Wyler
Truck Driver (uncredited)
Reg Thomason
Court Official (uncredited)
Susan Travers
Victim (uncredited)
Joseph Tregonino
Pub Patron (uncredited)
Paul Tropea
Boy at the Thames (uncredited)
Bert Vivian
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Pearl Walters
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Rita Webb
Mrs Rusk (uncredited)
Eric Wetherell
Juror (uncredited)
Fred Wood
Pub Patron (uncredited)
Martin Wyldeck
Sir George's Aide (uncredited)
Jeremy Young
Detective (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Novel
Arthur La Bern
Screenplay
Anthony Shaffer
Reviews
John Chard
August 30, 2020
8
Chillingly humorous Hitchcock piece of work.
It's always great to take a revisit to Frenzy some years after your last viewing, to re-evaluate it post haste. As a proud Englishman it gives me great pleasure to see the Master back in England capturing the English time frame of London perfectly, for the film works because we really get the vibe of the place and believe in the characters who frequent the area, Hitch delivers this no problem at all.
The story stands up as genuine thriller material, some crazy fruit loop is strangling women with neck ties and the police are trailing the wrong man...Sound familiar? Well yes it is, but Hitch being Hitch, he manages to bring dashes of humour to go with the tense taut terror unfolding on the screen.
The cast do fine here, and I do believe that the fact that none of the actors are top draw names actually helps the film bring out an uneasy feel, here the interesting fleshing of the characters is one of Hitchcock's great strengths in this particular piece. The villain of the piece stands up as one of the best because he could easily be your best mate, someone you readily turn to in times of need, yet strip away that facade and you get the savage murdering rapist that Hitchcock takes great delight in assaulting our eyes with.
Lovely...Lovely...LOVELY....LOVELY !
Although its rating on the IMDb movie site hovers around 7.5 I have always been led to believe that Frenzy wasn't all that well thought of, with tales of America refusing to embrace the film because of the London sensibility, and tired old arguments about the great man being past his peak etc. I have no idea if any of those statements are true? But what I personally know is that Frenzy is a very good film that has me squirming and laughing in equal measure. So with that it may just be shy of being a Hitchcock classic, but still it stands up as better than what most other thriller directors could ever have hoped to have achieved back in that era. 8/10
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$2,000,000.00
Revenue:
$12,600,000.00
