Let's Fold Scarves

The Wrong Man (1956)

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Wrong Man (1956)

The Wrong Man is is an excellent film but so so different from the usual fare from Hitchcock.

Henry Fonda really inhabits the role of an ordinary man which is impressive for a film star of twenty years standing. The domestic scenes are particularly sweet. The chilling matter of fact style of the film as Manny is arrested, interviewed, and locked up is really effective.

The scene between father and son is really beautifully written and performed:

Hope you never have to go through anything like I did. If you ever do, I hope you've got a son just like mine to come back to. I never knew what my boys meant to me till right now.

Vera Miles’ descent into despair is really well done in that you can see how injustice can wear down the mental health of a well adjusted person.

Vertigo (1958)

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Vertigo (1958)

My problem with Vertigo is that I’m supposed to admire it but I don’t. I think it’s a nasty story with one of my least favourite actors (Stewart) being nasty. He’s nasty to Midge even though he is aware of her feelings and he’s cruel to Judy who is inexplicably in love with him. I get the themes of masculinity and control and the inability of men to see women as people in their own right but I don’t actually want to watch it! Therefore my favourite part of the film is watching Scotty following Madeleine around San Francisco when everything is intriguing and pretty.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Man Who Knew Too Much melee

This is terrible. I don’t think I have moaned so much at the screen as characters do the stupidest of things in the slowest way possible.

I love “Whatever Will Be” even though its exclusion is just silly and it is all because Doris Day was cast in this film that a good few of this film’s issues lead on from that and so all the good things in the original (not least the role that 1934’s Jill plays in that film’s climax) are removed so that instead of an exciting shootout and Bob working to rescue Betty and rooftop thrills we get a dawdling Ben rescuing Hank (Hank!) in a dull manner. Which brings me to the other reason this is awful, James Stewart was a big movie star and the film had to put him front and centre. And his character is patriarchal to a disturbing degree - I don’t think it would be possible for me to like a film that does what it does to Jo. The 1934 film wasn’t also not bothered about starry niceties so was happy to spread the focus around to the minor characters.

Hitchcock may well have said “Let’s say the first version is the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional.” but he was talking nonsense unless by professional he means a man who works for money rather than love.

The back projection is as shoddy as usual - why is it so bad in Hitchcock’s films? He was so meticulous in all other aspects of his films that it is baffling.

I did like the Hitchcock melee in the taxidermists - I love a Hitchcock melee.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

To Catch a Thief (1955)

To Catch a Thief is sometimes colossally boring and is the worst for Hitchcock cringe. Fireworks for gawd’s sake. Cary Grant breaks my rule for March-October relationships only because he was so attractive and I would (have). Grace Kelly looked amazing at two points - the first time we see her with her mother when she looks like a goddess and later with water slicked hair. And we all shuddered when she was driving didn’t we

The best thing about the film were the performances of Jessie Royce Landis and John Williams. Both were great in support.

The main problem with this is that Frances should have been the imitation cat because otherwise it’s not that interesting a reveal and it would have been fun.

The Trouble With Harry (1955)

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Trouble With Harry (1955)

The Trouble with Harry reminded me of an episode of one of Hitchcock’s TV series with higher production values. That’s not a compliment. The cast were lovely. I doubt that the audiences of the fifties wondered where Arnie was most of the time but I did. I prefer Hitchcock to make funny films not actual comedies.

Under Capricorn (1949)

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Ingrid Bergman and Micharl Wilding - Under Capricorn

I can never stop staring at Ingrid Bergman. She was extraordinary.

I am surprised at how much I liked Michael Wilding in this and in Stage Fright. He was really charming.

I liked Hitchcock’s camera work and the story was intriguing albeit not a million times different from Gaslight. I also liked its unusual setting but a few days after watching it it has receded quite a bit from my memory.

Rear Window (1954)

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Rear Window (1954)

The kissing scenes between James Stewart and Grace Kelly make my toes curl. He is old enough to be her dad and looks like it too. Also he’s James Stewart who I have a hard time liking.

However, what a fab film this is. The last twenty minutes are very exciting and tense. The dialogue around what Lars Thorvald is up to is funny and snappy. Thelma Ritter is splendid (as usual). I love the individual stories that make up the apartments around the courtyard really enrich the film. It’s a lot of fun and really is one of Hitchcock’s best.

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Dial M for Murder (1954)

I have a bee in my bonnet about Grace Kelly and her pairings with older men in her films. This gorgeous young woman never got to share the screen with handsome young (or even youngish) men and that’s a shame.

She spends her time in this film being tortured. It’s no fun despite being ingeniously made.

I Confess (1953)

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Montgomery Clift and O. E. Hasse in I Confess

Montgomery Clift was attractive and very intense (and very hairy - a bonus). Anne Baxter had an annoying whispery mode of acting. I like that the killer was actually called killer, I mean Keller. Otherwise it’s a bit of a downer after the funny Stage Fright and the funny in a different way Strangers in a Train. I get that Michael can’t tell on Keller but at the very least he could have said in court that he was taking confession from someone.

I can’t say I’ve seen many films shot in Quebec so there’s that.

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Strangers on a Train - Bruno murders Miriam

I used to devour anything by Patricia Highsmith but now I feel that it’s all rather nasty and sordid and unpleasant. And this film is too. The murder of Miriam reflected in her own glasses is brilliantly grotesque and utterly tasteless.