IMDb > Rich and Strange (1931)
Rich and Strange
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Rich and Strange (1931) More at IMDbPro »

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Rich and Strange (1931) -- Believing that an unexpected inheritance will bring them happiness, a married couple instead finds their relationship strained to the breaking point.

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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   1,509 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Dale Collins (novel)
Alfred Hitchcock (adaptation)
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Contact:

View company contact information for East of Shanghai on IMDbPro.

Plot:

Believing that an unexpected inheritance will bring them happiness, a married couple instead finds their relationship strained to the breaking point. full summary | full synopsis

NewsDesk:

The Forgotten: Loose Talk
 (From The Auteurs. 4 November 2009, 9:03 PM, PST)

User Comments:

Quite Interesting more (38 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:

East of Shanghai (USA)
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Runtime:

UK:92 min | USA:83 min | Canada:81 min (Ontario)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (1931) (cut) | UK:U (2000) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Canada:G (Ontario) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The title comes from Ariel's song in "The Tempest": "Full fathom five thy father lies, / Of his bones are coral made, / Those are pearls that were his eyes: / Nothing of him that doth fade, / But doth suffer a sea-change / Into something rich and strange." more

Goofs:

Continuity: In an early scene, Emily is shown using a marker to draw a caricature of herself into a photograph with Commander Gordon. The photo is shown again two more times in the movie, and each time the drawing is slightly different. more

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fred Hill: Hello Em.
Emily Hill: Hello Fred. I think you'll like me in this dress when it's done. Oh, have you broken your umbrella?
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Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Story of 'Frenzy' (2001) (V) more

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne more


FAQ

Where does the title come from?
Where is Hitchcock's cameo?
Is this available on DVD?
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22 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Quite Interesting, 24 July 2001
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

This change-of-pace from Hitchcock is quite an interesting film, often pleasantly witty and at other times a bit unsettling in its observations on human nature. It won't appeal to those looking for Hitchcock-style suspense (although there is one such sequence), but it is worth watching for some other reasons.

The story is about Fred and Emily Hill, an average couple living a routine middle class life. The opening sequence, which is very nicely done using many of Hitchcock's silent film skills, immediately makes you feel the boredom and shallowness of Fred's world, while being amusing as well. Suddenly Fred receives word that a rich relative is giving him a large sum of money so that he can see the world, and the Hills are off on an extended trip to several foreign countries. The substance of the movie is in the ways that their new-found wealth and the many unfamiliar environments affect them and their marriage. Their new world is one of a couple of possible meanings of the title "Rich and Strange", in addition to the Shakespeare allusion.

The cast is very small, and consists of actors little known today, but they are generally good and make their characters believable. As the Hills encounter hazards, temptations, and adventure, the question is whether they have really changed or learned anything from their experiences - the amusing last scene gives one possible answer, and along the way there are a lot of other subtle points.

While not at all like Hitchcock's more famous films, in a different sense it is all Hitchcock - a distinctive movie, and carefully crafted. While only a minor effort among his many masterpieces, it is still worth a look for those who enjoy older comedies.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (38 total)

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