Blackmail (1929)

Alice White is the daughter of a shopkeeper in 1920's London. Her boyfriend, Frank Webber is a Scotland Yard detective who seems more interested in police work than in her. Frank takes ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (from the play by), Alfred Hitchcock (adapted by),

Stars:

Anny Ondra, Sara Allgood, Charles Paton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anny Ondra	...	Alice White
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. White
Charles Paton	...	Mr. White
John Longden	...	Detective Frank Webber
Donald Calthrop	...	Tracy
Cyril Ritchard	...	The Artist
Hannah Jones	...	The Landlady
Harvey Braban	...	The Chief Inspector (sound version)
Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop	...	The Detective Sergeant (as Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop - Late C.I.D. Scotland Yard)

Storyline

Alice White is the daughter of a shopkeeper in 1920's London. Her boyfriend, Frank Webber is a Scotland Yard detective who seems more interested in police work than in her. Frank takes Alice out one night, but she has secretly arranged to meet another man. Later that night Alice agrees to go back to his flat to see his studio. The man has other ideas and as he tries to rape Alice, she defends herself and kills him with a bread knife. When the body is discovered, Frank is assigned to the case, he quickly determines that Alice is the killer, but so has someone else and blackmail is threatened.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | blackmail | detective | knife | glove | 

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Taglines:

See and Hear It - Our Mother Tongue As It Should Be Spoken

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chantaje

Filming Locations:

Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (R.C.A. Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one key shot, the villain Cyril Ritchard is photographed with a thick shadow (caused by the arm of an overhead chandelier) across his upper lip. Hitchcock wanted the image to evoke the old-fashioned, heavily mustached villain found in many silent films. He later called this touch "my farewell to silent pictures".

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Goofs

Alice's hair is different on multiple occasions on switching camera angle close-ups. Most noticeable when Crewe is attempting to assist Alice button the back of her dress...and in Scotland Yard right before Alice and Frank stroll down a long hallway.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Det. Frank Webber: Well, we finished earlier tonight than I expected.

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Connections

Edited into The Squeeker (1931)

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Soundtracks

"Miss Up-to-Date"
(1929) (uncredited)
Words by Frank Eyton and music by Billy Mayerl
Performed by Cyril Ritchard

User Reviews

Blackmail 1929

Saw this for the first time the other night on Turner Classic network. The movie is really is a "proto-Hitchcock" style; You could catch a glimpse of the future "Bruno" (Robert Walker, Strangers on a Train) in the blackmailer. I suppose we can discuss character development and so on, but after all it was 1929,the first British talkie, and therefore at the beginning of a whole new concept. The scenes in the artist's bedroom were certainly risqué by American standards at the time. I understand the movie initially began as a silent film and a silent version was indeed filmed. Probably every future Hitchcock twist and turn in the plot is in there and I found it quite enjoyable.