Number 17 (1932)

A gang of thieves gather at a safe house following a robbery, but a detective is on their trail.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Joseph Jefferson Farjeon (as J. Jefferson Farjeon), Joseph Jefferson Farjeon (play) (as J. Jefferson Farjeon)

Stars:

Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Leon M. Lion	...	Ben
Anne Grey	...	Nora Brant - the Girl
John Stuart	...	Barton - the Detective
Donald Calthrop	...	Brant - Nora's Escort
Barry Jones	...	Henry Doyle
Ann Casson	...	Rose Ackroyd
Henry Caine	...	Mr. Ackroyd
Garry Marsh	...	Sheldrake

Storyline

Detective Gilbert is searching for a necklace robbed by a gang of thieves. In the beginning, the gang is in a house in London, then they are running away from police. It will not be easy for the detective to recover the jewel.

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Plot Keywords:

based on play | based on novel | number in title | detective | necklace | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1932 (UK)

Also Known As:

Number 17

Filming Locations:

Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although this film was a box-office failure in 1932, it later had admirers. One of them was the movie historian William K. Everson. In an Everson and Sir Alfred Hitchcock interview in 1972, Everson showed his admiration for this movie, and also praised the bus and train chase scene. Hitchcock was delighted by Everson's enthusiasm, and went on to explain how one of the sequences in the bus and train chase scene was shot.

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Goofs

Hitchcock uses models quite well for the bus and train sequence, given the age of the film. However as the model train approaches the ferry it is seen to have about 8 carriages. When Doyle is being pursued across the carriages, it can be seen that there are many more than eight carriages - at least five behind the middle carriage (where Ben and Nora are) and at least five in front of this middle carriage.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ben: Oh! Oh, Gawd! Oh, Gawd! Oh, Gawd! Oh!
Fordyce/Barton: How do you feel? Now, where's that candle? Here, have some of this.

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Connections

Featured in Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock (2009)

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Soundtracks

I Don't Need a Television
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Shalson
Lyrics by John Malvern

User Reviews

Entertaining But Rather Confusing

One of Alfred Hitchcock's British (earlier) movies, "Number Seventeen" shows his touch in many of its interesting and creative details, and it is an entertaining film, although the plot is rather chaotic and often confusing.

The story concerns a vacant house ("number seventeen") on which several different persons converge for various reasons. Most of them are interested in one way or another with a big jewel theft that has occurred, but it is hard to figure out just what everyone is doing there, and it takes a good while before the audience finds out who everyone is and what each of the characters wants. If you watch it over again, you realize that everything does fit together pretty well, but it is quite hard to catch everything the first time through.

The somewhat confusing plot is redeemed by a lot of Hitchcock touches. The gloomy abandoned house makes possible a lot of surprises and atmospheric details, and there is also a fast-paced and suspenseful closing sequence. It's very short, just over an hour, and a lot of things happen during that time. After a rather slow beginning, it gets your attention and keeps it until the end.

"Number Seventeen" probably could have been a much better movie if the plot and characters had been developed more carefully, but it is still pretty entertaining as it is. While probably only of particular interest to those who are already Hitchcock fans, there should be enough of Hitchcock here to satisfy those who are.