Rope (1948)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Hume Cronyn (adapted by)
Patrick Hamilton (from the play by)
(more)

Release Date:

28 August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The guest who's dead on time

Plot:

Two young men strangle their "inferior" classmate, hide his body in their apartment, and invite his friends and family to a dinner party as a means to challenge the "perfection" of their crime.

Plot Keywords:

Party | Friend | Murder | Apartment | Chest

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Dick Hogan	...	David Kentley
John Dall	...	Brandon - His Friend
Farley Granger	...	Phillip - His Friend
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Wilson - Their Housekeeper
Douglas Dick	...	Kenneth - Their Rival
Joan Chandler	...	Janet - David's Girl
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Mr. Kentley - David's Father (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Constance Collier	...	Mrs. Atwater - David's Mother
James Stewart	...	Rupert Cadell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Walking in Street After Opening Credits (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Hume Cronyn		(adapted by)
Patrick Hamilton		(from the play by)
Arthur Laurents		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
Sidney Bernstein	....	producer (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
David Buttolph		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
William V. Skall		(director of photography)
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Perry Ferguson

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol
Emile Kuri

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Ed Voight	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director
Claude Archer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)
John More	....	props (uncredited)
Joe Trusty	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Al Riggs	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Emmons	....	operator of camera movement
Eddie Fitzgerald	....	operator of camera movement (as Edward Fitzgerald)
Paul Hill	....	operator of camera movement (as Paul G. Hill)
James Potevin	....	lighting technician (as Jim Potevin)
Morris Rosen	....	operator of camera movement
Vic Jones	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Harry Marsh	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harold Noyes	....	grip (uncredited)
Morris Rosen	....	grip (uncredited)
Phil Wagner	....	best boy (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adrian	....	dress: Miss Chandler
Marion Dabney	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Lillian House	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
Leon Roberts	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director

Other crew
Robert Brower	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Dinsmore Alter	....	cloud technical advisor (uncredited)
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents)
• Transatlantic Pictures (as TRANSATLANTIC PICTURES' production) (as A Transatlantic Pictures Production also)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (198?) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Action Cinémas (2008) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Films (1963) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1989) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1995) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1956) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Audivisivi San Paolo (????) (Italy) (video)
• Avo Film Edizioni (????) (Italy) (video)
• CDE Home Video (????) (Italy) (video)
• CIC Video (????) (Italy) (video)
• De Agostini (????) (Italy) (video)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Gruppo Editoriale Bramante (????) (Italy) (video)
• M&R (????) (Italy) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Skema (????) (Italy) (video)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• United Artists (1950-1983) (worldwide) (all media)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (201?) (Italy) (DVD) (also Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• CDC  Italian dubbing by (uncredited)
• The Three Suns  radio sequence by

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's Rope" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:14A (video rating) | Canada:AA (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | USA:Approved (PCA #13027) | USA:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Iceland:L | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 (2003) | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:(Banned) (original rating) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Italy:VM14 | France:U | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The film was shot in ten takes, ranging from four-and-a-half to just over ten minutes (the maximum amount of film that a camera magazine or projector reel could hold) duration. At the end of the takes, the film alternates between having the camera zoom into a dark object, totally blacking out the lens/screen, and making a conventional cut. However, the second edit, ostensibly one of the conventional ones, was clearly staged and shot to block the camera, but the all-black frames were left out of the final print. Most of the props, and even some of the apartment set's walls, were on casters and the crew had to wheel them out of the way and back into position as the camera moved around the set.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the tussle between Philip and Rupert, the gun fires and injures Rupert's hand. Following which Rupert takes his handkerchief to tie his wound. But he only manages to loosely hold it in his left arm. Then, when he walks over to the chest and opens it, shot the handkerchief is perfectly wrapped around Rupert's wounded arm.

Quotes:

Brandon:I've always wished for more artistic talent. Well, murder can be an art, too. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 'Torn Curtain' Rising (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Mouvement perpetuel no. 1

Compromised mostly of dialog but always fascinating, a film experiment that never feels gimmicky. One of Hitchock's most unfortunately overlooked.

"Rope" is one of Hitchcock's most unfortunately overlooked films. It doesn't have the depth of some of his other works (such as "Vertigo" or "Psycho"), but its just as engrossing and entertaining. Hitchcock could take such a seemingly simple premise and effectively stretch it out to a feature length and have none of it seem like filler. "Rope" is one of the most innovative film experiments of the decade, and it never feels gimmicky. Hitchcock, the master of suspense, is at the top of his game here. The film may be mostly nothing but dialog, but its always fascinating.

The acting is very good, as usual when working with Hitchcock's skilled direction. John Dall is absolutely spellbinding as one of cinema's scariest villains, an intellectual whose disregard for human emotions and morals verges more on fascism than the sub-Nietschze philosophy he proclaims. James Stewart is also superb as the voice of reason throughout the tension. The rest of the cast is good if occasionally awkward in delivery, but both Dall and Stewart turn in phenomenal performances.

Another interesting aspect of the film is the homoerotic subtext. I'm surprised it made it past the censors of the day, but to modern viewers its obvious there's something more to Dall and Farley Granger's relationship than just roommates. "Rope" is an absolutely fascinating film from the master of suspense, and even if its not his masterpiece, this is probably my personal favorite of Hitchcock's next to "Vertigo". (9/10)