The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)

A landlady suspects her new lodger is the madman killing women in London.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Marie Belloc Lowndes (from the novel by) (as Mrs. Belloc Lowndes), Eliot Stannard (scenario)

Stars:

June Tripp, Ivor Novello, Marie Ault

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marie Ault	...	The Landlady
Arthur Chesney	...	Her Husband
June Tripp	...	Daisy - A Mannequin (as June)
Malcolm Keen	...	Joe - A Police Detective
Ivor Novello	...	The Lodger

Storyline

A serial killer known as "The Avenger" is on the loose in London, murdering blonde women. A mysterious man arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting looking for a room to rent. The Bunting's daughter is a blonde model and is seeing one of the detectives assigned to the case. The detective becomes jealous of the lodger and begins to suspect he may be the avenger.

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Plot Keywords:

lodger | detective | serial killer | fiancee | expressionism | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 February 1927 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Lodger

Filming Locations:

Islington, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£12,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gainsborough Pictures, Carlyle Blackwell Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min (National Film Archive print) 90 min (TCM print) 67 min (video) 98 min (Ontario) 92 min (2012) (theatrical) 90 min (2012 restoration)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Closing credits: Thank you to everyone who supported the BFI's Silent Hitchcock restoration project.

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Goofs

In shots looking downstairs to the hand-cuffed Daisy, the lodger's position varies between left shoulder forward to the camera and right shoulder forward.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Female eyewitness: Tall he was - and his face all wrapped up.

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Alternate Versions

An earlier version broadcast on the AMC Channel (before commercials were part of their format) had a 74-minute print from the National Film Archive Collection and contained an unidentified orchestral score.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 British Movies We Want to See Remade (2018)

User Reviews

A compelling whodunit

A stranger (Ivor Novello) in fog-bound London seeks accommodation from a family and they provide him with a small apartment upstairs. Their blond daughter is drawn towards this fascinating and somewhat mysterious gentleman. Her parents become suspicious of the intentions of the lodger and they live in fear of her safety. There is a serial killer abroad in the foggy streets and who knows? this stranger could be that maniac.

It is interesting to view an early Hitchcock film as far back as the silent era. I am surprised at the quality (despite a few scratches here and there). The addition of music is rather overdone in my opinion but it does fill in the empty silence and does add a dramatic effect. No doubt in the early days a capable pianist (below the screen) bashed out some impromptu music to fit the mood of each scene.

It is an uncomplicated story but that does not mean the guilty person is easily recognized (if at all!) Hitchcock likes to tease with a lodger who has shifty eyes, who paces the floor (what an original idea to photograph through a transparent floor), who has the wall pictures removed and who creeps out silently at night.

I feel that the atmosphere created is exceptional. Certainly a bit theatrical with exaggerated eye expressions but compelling nevertheless.

When you see a film of this vintage you realise how much film production had already advanced in the 20's and without the aid of all our recent technological contrivances.