Jamaica Inn (1939)

In Cornwall, around 1800, a young woman discovers that she's living near a gang of criminals who arrange shipwrecks for profit.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Sidney Gilliat (screenplay), Joan Harrison (screenplay),

Stars:

Charles Laughton, Horace Hodges, Maureen O'Hara

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Laughton	...	Sir Humphrey Pengallan
Horace Hodges	...	His Butler
Maureen O'Hara	...	Mary - His Niece
Hay Petrie	...	His Groom
Frederick Piper	...	His Agent
Herbert Lomas	...	His Tenant
Clare Greet	...	His Tenant
William Devlin	...	His Tenant
Jeanne De Casalis	...	His Friend (as Jeanne de Casalis)
Mabel Terry-Lewis	...	His Friend (as Mabel Terry Lewis)
A. Bromley Davenport	...	His Friend (as Bromley Davenport)
George Curzon	...	His Friend
Basil Radford	...	His Friend
Leslie Banks	...	Joss Merlyn
Marie Ney	...	Patience - His Wife

Storyline

Set in Cornwall where a young orphan, Mary, is sent to live with Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss who are the landlords of the Jamaica Inn. Mary soon realizes that her uncle's inn is the base of a gang of ship wreckers who lure ships to their doom on the rocky coast. The girl starts fearing for her life.

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Plot Keywords:

inn | ship | cornwall | orphan | shipwreck | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

La posada maldita

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayflower Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 90 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Hitchcock's last film with John Longden and Clare Greet. John Longden played Captain Johnson in this film. John Longden worked with Hitchcock in six films - Blackmail, Juno and Paycock, Elstree Calling (in the short sketch directed by Hitchcock), The Skin Game, Young and Innocent, and Jamaica Inn. Clare Greet worked with Hitchcock in 8 films. Clare Greet played Granny Tremarney (One of Sir Humprey's tenants) in this film. Clare Greet worked with Hitchcock in 8 films - Number 13 (Hitchcock's unfinished film), The Ring, The Manxman, Murder!, Lord Camber's Ladies (Alfred Hitchcock as the producer), The Man Who Knew too Much, Sabotage, and Jamaica Inn.

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Goofs

When Trehearne and Sir Humphrey are sharing a drink, the Squire drinks holding the glass with his left hand and sets it down using his right.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Captain: Can you make out the beacon light?

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Crazy Credits

and introducing Maureen O'Hara

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Connections

Referenced in Blue Murder: Tooth and Claw (2009)

User Reviews

A classic for Laughton fans

While this picture is not one of Hitchcock's more memorable pieces, it is nevertheless well worth a look simply to view the acting genius of Charles Laughton. The man is larger than life as the revolting yet oddly fascinating Sir Humphrey and provides the audience with far more insight into the character than a lesser actor might have done. This is not simply a one-dimensional villain that we are so used to seeing in British movies of this period. In addition to a superb reading of the script, Laughton is clearly ad-libbing in various scenes, further breaking down hitherto scrupulously maintained boundaries between audience and actor. I urge anyone who is weary of today's usual line-up of blockbuster big names to observe a true master at work and wonder where it all went wrong!