Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Number Seventeen (1932)

Number Seventeen (1932) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 18 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   1,523 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Contact:
View company contact information for Number 17 on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Crime | Mystery | Thriller more
Plot:
A gang of thieves gather at a safe house following a robbery, but a detective is on their trail. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
another early, unnecessary detour for the Master more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Leon M. Lion ... Ben

Anne Grey ... Nora - the Girl
John Stuart ... Barton - the Detective
Donald Calthrop ... Brant - Nora's Escort

Barry Jones ... Henry Doyle
Ann Casson ... Rose Ackroyd
Henry Caine ... Mr. Ackroyd
Garry Marsh ... Sheldrake
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Number 17 (USA)
more
Runtime:
63 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | UK:U | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | UK:Approved (British Film Censors)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Alfred Hitchcock did not want to make this film. He had wanted to direct a prestige production of John Van Druten's play "London Wall," but to punish Hitchcock for the financial failure of his previous film Rich and Strange (1931), British International Pictures head John Maxwell took him off "London Wall" and put him on "Number Seventeen" instead. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the opening scene, Barton's hat blows past the gate, but he steps inside the gate to pick it up. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Ben: Oh! Oh, Gawd! Oh, Gawd! Oh, Gawd! Oh!
Fordyce/Barton: How do you feel? Now, where's that candle? Here, have some of this.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Agatha Christie: Poirot: The ABC Murders (#4.1)" (1992) more

FAQ

Why are the picture and sound so bad?
Who is Ben Bolt?
Who is George Robey?
more
18 out of 26 people found the following comment useful:-
another early, unnecessary detour for the Master, 3 February 2005
5/10
Author: dustybooks from United States

NUMBER SEVENTEEN is one of the very few films Alfred Hitchcock made that has aged poorly. It's bizarre to find a movie he made that doesn't improve on a second viewing; even JAMAICA INN and THE SKIN GAME get better the more you look at them. Here's an unfortunate exception. While it doesn't lack merit as a rollicking little caper, the story is too confusing for the film to be enjoyed, and surprisingly enough the direction is clumsy and the whole thing ends up rather incoherent.

There may be a reason for this. Hitchcock made this in a hurry to get to a project he was eager to work on, RICH AND STRANGE, one of his most offbeat and personal films (actually released before this one). As a result, this very short and very stagy little comedy/thriller feels like the work of someone who didn't really care. While this is something that rarely happens in his catalog as director, you can sense the same thing to a lesser extent in STAGE FRIGHT and THE SKIN GAME, yet the technical competence of the former and the fine source material and performances of the latter make those more fun and interesting to see than this.

The real crime here is witnessing the failure of one of Hitch's only stabs at an old-dark-house mystery; it's a severe disappointment that he didn't explore the potential of the story to a greater degree. NUMBER SEVENTEEN is locked into its time and doesn't have anything close to the resonance of BLACKMAIL. To a fan of the director, it's essential but a bit off-putting.

One good point is the closing chase sequence, which takes up a major chunk of the movie's second half (the total running time is only an hour). Despite the obvious use of miniatures, it's amusing to see the director play with buildup and action in an otherwise dismal effort.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Number Seventeen (1932)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Spider Returns Woman in Distress Odd Man Out The Night of the Hunter Basic Instinct
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Crime section IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.