Marnie (1964)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Winston Graham (novel)
Jay Presson Allen (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 July 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

"You don't love me. I'm just some kind of wild animal you've trapped!"

Plot:

Mark marries Marnie although she is a habitual thief and has serious psychological problems, and tries to help her confront and resolve them.

Plot Keywords:

Employer | Thief | Horse | Money | Robbery

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tippi Hedren	...	Marnie Edgar (as 'Tippi' Hedren)
Sean Connery	...	Mark Rutland
Diane Baker	...	Lil Mainwaring
Martin Gabel	...	Sidney Strutt
Louise Latham	...	Bernice Edgar
Bob Sweeney	...	Cousin Bob
Milton Selzer	...	Man at Track
Mariette Hartley	...	Susan Clabon
Alan Napier	...	Mr. Rutland
Bruce Dern	...	Sailor
Henry Beckman	...	First Detective
S. John Launer	...	Sam Ward
Edith Evanson	...	Rita, Cleaning Woman
Meg Wyllie	...	Mrs. Turpin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Alvin	...	Hotel Chauffeur (uncredited)
Kimberly Beck	...	Jessica 'Jessie' Cotton (uncredited)
Linden Chiles	...	Office Worker (uncredited)
Rupert Crosse	...	Office worker (uncredited)
John Hart	...	Minister (uncredited)
Emmaline Henry	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man leaving hotel room (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Louise Lorimer	...	Mrs. Strutt (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Bald Man (uncredited)
Carmen Phillips	...	Sidney Strutt's secretary (uncredited)
Melody Thomas Scott	...	Young Marnie (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Racetrack Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Winston Graham		(novel)
Jay Presson Allen		(screenplay)

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

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(musical composition by)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Production Design by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Costume Design by
James Linn		(costumes: men)
Rita Riggs		(costumes: women)

Makeup Department
Alexandre	....	hair styles creator: Miss Hedren (as Alexandre of Paris)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist
Howard Smit	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hilton A. Green	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James H. Brown	....	assistant director
Patricia Casey	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harold Michelson	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Russell	....	sound recordist
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound recordist

Stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (as Leonard South)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Jacobsen	....	electrician (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	costume supervisor
Edith Head	....	costume designer: Miss Hedren and Miss Baker

Other crew
Peggy Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Hitchcock
Lois Thurman	....	script supervisor
Albert Whitlock	....	pictorial designs

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | USA:PG (1984) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:Approved | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:12 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Italy:VM14 | Norway:16 (1964) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) (1993) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Diane Baker was not allowed to read the script of the film before choosing whether or not to do it. She was only told that it was an Alfred Hitchcock movie named Marnie starring Tippi Hedren.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Marnie always goes into these flashbacks whenever she sees the color red - red flowers, a drop of red blood, the red jacket of the fox hunter - yet the fact the entire house (and the stairs most noticeably) is carpeted in bright red seems to have no affect on her.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sidney Strutt: Robbed! Cleaned out! $9,967! Precisely as I told you over the telephone. And that girl did it. Marion Holland. That's the girl. Marion Holland.
First Detective: Can you describe her Mr. Strutt?
Sidney Strutt: Certainly I can describe her: five-five, 110 pounds, size 8 dress, blue eyes, black wavy hair, even features, good teeth.
Sidney Strutt: [detectives unable to restrain laughter] Well what's so damn funny? There's been a grand larceny committed on these premises.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hitchcocked! (2006) (TV)

"You're aching my leg, Marnie"

Add me to the group of viewers who like this film. Yes, it is long and heavy on dialog, but visually stunning, and Bernard Herrmann's music is rich and vibrant. The best score he has ever composed.

For me, I have favorite scenes in the movie, for example the opening shot of a woman carrying a yellow purse. From there we go to her hotel room and watch as she transforms herself into another person. Old clothes get discarded in a train locker and the key gently kicked down a grate. All of this is done with no words, but wonderful camera angles, and accompanied by a great musical score.

The office scene where Marnie waits in the women's room before robbing the safe. You only hear the voices of her co-workers saying good night for the weekend. Again, this entire scene is done visually, only this time with a split screen showing Marnie and the cleaning lady simultaneously, as if we are watching a play. Only when the shoe falls from her coat pocket do we know that the cleaning woman is hard of hearing and the scene is now concluded.

There are several vignettes such as these that make the movie interesting. Yes, the riding scenes are fake looking, and I think it was just a case where Alfred just didn't quite keep up with technology. But when you think of Marnie, this is the last, true Alfred Hitchcock movie we will ever see. From then on, we never again see a grand production with high production values as we have here.

Yes it has flaws, and the acting may not be up to par at times, but there are worthwhile aspects that make this movie a classic in the Hitchcock canon.