Free on IMDb

Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsBlackmail (1929) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Charles Bennett (play)
Alfred Hitchcock (adaptation)
more
Release Date:
6 October 1929 (USA) more
Tagline:
See and Hear It - Our Mother Tongue As It Should Be Spoken
Plot:
Alice White is the daughter of a shopkeeper in 1920's London. Her boyfriend, Frank Webber is a Scotland... more | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
Restored Silent Movies To Be Screened in London Square -- Free
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 16 October 2007)
User Comments:
Hitchcock's first sound film more (57 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Anny Ondra | ... | Alice White | |
| Sara Allgood | ... | Mrs. White | |
| Charles Paton | ... | Mr. White | |
| John Longden | ... | Det. Frank Webber | |
| Donald Calthrop | ... | Tracy | |
| Cyril Ritchard | ... | Mr. Crewe (the artist) | |
| Hannah Jones | ... | Mrs. Humphries (the landlady) | |
| Harvey Braban | ... | The Chief Inspector (sound version) | |
| Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop | ... | The Detective Sergeant |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
84 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Spain:T | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1989) | Iceland:L
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Much of the film was originally shot silent; when sound became available during the course of shooting, director Alfred Hitchcock re-shot certain scenes with sound, thus making it the Master of Suspense's first talkie. There was one complication with this change, however. Leading lady Anny Ondra had a thick German accent which was inappropriate to her character, Alice White. Joan Barry was chosen to provide a different voice for her, but post-production dubbing technology did not exist then. The solution was for Barry to stand just out of shot and read Alice's lines into a microphone as Ondry mouthed them in front of the camera. This is generally acknowledged as the first instance of one actor's voice being dubbed by another, even though the word "dub" is technologically inappropriate in this case. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the artist is talking to the landlady, his walking stick is tucked under his arm. When he turns around, it is hanging on his forearm. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Det. Frank Webber:
Well, we finished earlier tonight than I expected.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Lodger (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Sonny Boy more
FAQ
Are the first eight minutes supposed to be silent?Why are the picture and sound so bad?
Is this film really in the public domain?
more
more (57 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Blackmail (1929) moreRecommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Rear Window | Strangers on a Train | The Spider Returns | The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog | The Black Widow |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |


One of Hitchcock's early films, it was one of the first films to come out of England with sound during the end of the silent film era. An interesting film, we see several great shots of dolly's with the early staircase scene. Several well shot montages with wonderful dissolves and sound bridges. For 1929, Hitchcock shows the world with the film that he's a talented film maker. A risky scene, the audience gets to watch the main actress of the film undress behind her curtains. While the murder is never seen, the provocative and private scene of her undressing is present. Another interesting note, the main character of the film is the murderer! Throughout the film, the audience judges whether or not she is an innocent murderer or a killer. Hitchcock makes an early name for himself with this film with toying with the audience throughout the suspense of the film.