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IMDbPro

Sabotage

  • 19361936
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 16m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Sabotage (1936)
A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective's cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.
Play trailer1:19
1 Video
40 Photos
  • Crime
  • Thriller
A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective's cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective's cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective's cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Writers
    • Joseph Conrad(novel "The Secret Agent")
    • Charles Bennett(screen play)
    • Ian Hay(dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Sylvia Sidney
    • Oskar Homolka
    • Desmond Tester
Top credits
  • Director
    • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Writers
    • Joseph Conrad(novel "The Secret Agent")
    • Charles Bennett(screen play)
    • Ian Hay(dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Sylvia Sidney
    • Oskar Homolka
    • Desmond Tester
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 111User reviews
    • 56Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:19
    Trailer

    Photos40

    Oskar Homolka, John Loder, and Sylvia Sidney in Sabotage (1936)
    Oskar Homolka, John Loder, and Sylvia Sidney in Sabotage (1936)
    Peter Bull, Oskar Homolka, John Loder, Sylvia Sidney, and Torin Thatcher in Sabotage (1936)
    Sabotage (1936)
    Sabotage (1936)
    Sylvia Sidney in Sabotage (1936)
    Desmond Tester in Sabotage (1936)
    Oskar Homolka and Desmond Tester in Sabotage (1936)
    Oskar Homolka and Sylvia Sidney in Sabotage (1936)
    Sylvia Sidney in Sabotage (1936)
    Matthew Boulton and John Loder in Sabotage (1936)
    William Dewhurst and Oskar Homolka in Sabotage (1936)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sylvia Sidney
    Sylvia Sidney
    • Mrs. Verlocas Mrs. Verloc
    • (as Sylvia Sydney)
    Oskar Homolka
    Oskar Homolka
    • Karl Verloc--Her Husbandas Karl Verloc--Her Husband
    • (as Oscar Homolka)
    Desmond Tester
    Desmond Tester
    • Stevieas Stevie
    John Loder
    John Loder
    • Detective Sgt. Ted Spenceras Detective Sgt. Ted Spencer
    Joyce Barbour
    • Reneeas Renee
    Matthew Boulton
    Matthew Boulton
    • Superintendent Talbotas Superintendent Talbot
    S.J. Warmington
    S.J. Warmington
    • Hollingsheadas Hollingshead
    William Dewhurst
    William Dewhurst
    • The Professoras The Professor
    Pamela Bevan
    • Miss Chatham's Daughteras Miss Chatham's Daughter
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Bull
    Peter Bull
    • Michaelis - Conspiratoras Michaelis - Conspirator
    • (uncredited)
    Albert Chevalier
    • Cinema Commissioneras Cinema Commissioner
    • (uncredited)
    Clare Greet
    Clare Greet
    • Mrs. Jones - Cookas Mrs. Jones - Cook
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Hawtrey
    Charles Hawtrey
    • Studious Youth at the Aquariumas Studious Youth at the Aquarium
    • (uncredited)
    Alfred Hitchcock
    Alfred Hitchcock
    • Man Walking Past the Cinema as the Light Is Renewedas Man Walking Past the Cinema as the Light Is Renewed
    • (uncredited)
    Martita Hunt
    Martita Hunt
    • Miss Chatman - The Professor's Daughteras Miss Chatman - The Professor's Daughter
    • (uncredited)
    Mike Johnson
    • Member of Cinema Crowdas Member of Cinema Crowd
    • (uncredited)
    J. Hubert Leslie
    • Conspiratoras Conspirator
    • (uncredited)
    Aubrey Mather
    Aubrey Mather
    • W. Brown & Sons Greengroceras W. Brown & Sons Greengrocer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Writers
      • Joseph Conrad(novel "The Secret Agent")
      • Charles Bennett(screen play)
      • Ian Hay(dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The first name of Verloc (played by Oskar Homolka) was changed from Adolf to Karl to avoid any Nazi connections.
    • Goofs
      The London Underground and tram lines had their own power supplies, both separate from the public system. A single power station failure could not affect all three.
    • Quotes

      Ted Spencer: [trying to calm crowd down demanding their money back after a power outage] It's an act of God, I tell you!

      Member of Cinema Crowd: And what do you call an act of God?

      Ted Spencer: I call your face one, and you won't get your money back on that.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits are shown with a background of a dictionary page open to the definition of "Sabotage".
    • Connections
      Featured in Safe Passage (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Love's Old Sweet Song (Just a Song At Twilight)
      (1884) (uncredited)

      Music by J.L. Molloy

      Lyrics by G. Clifton Bingham

      Sung a cappella by a man lighting candles

    User reviews111

    Review
    Top review
    Tense, Atmospheric Thriller
    "Sabotage" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's least known features, but it is part of a string of fine films he made during his last few years in England, and is well worth watching for any Hitchcock or thriller fan. The picture is based on a classic novel by the great Polish-English writer Joseph Conrad.

    This is a tense, atmospheric thriller, without much humor. It is more like "Vertigo", "I Confess", or "The Birds" than "North By Northwest" or "The 39 Steps". Instead of humor, Hitchcock concentrates this time on carefully constructing the world of the Verlocs, the family at the center of the film. The setting, in a movie theater where the family works and lives, is an important part of the themes and questions explored in the film.

    The characters are constantly walking in and out of the theater while movies are in progress, or discussing the movies being shown as they go about the main actions of the (actual) film. The obvious themes of appearance and reality parallel the lives of the Verloc family, and especially Mr. Verloc (Oskar Homolka) whom we know from the beginning to be a terrorist, albeit an amateurish one, and not the mild-mannered family man he appears to be. The settings of Verloc's meeting with his co-conspirators, an aquarium and a bird shop, are also carefully chosen to demonstrate the contrast between the everyday appearance of the terrorists and their actual agendas. Besides the obvious implication that such persons may be those we would not suspect, there is also the strong suggestion that these conspirators do not themselves realize the serious nature of the game they are playing. Certainly Verloc himself quickly realizes that he is in over his head, and he tries desperately to get out of the fearsome responsibilities he has accepted.

    Hitchcock buffs will enjoy watching the film repeatedly to catch all of the carefully crafted detail, and to enjoy the trademark Hitchcock touches. There are two particularly riveting sequences. One occurs when Verloc sends his wife's young, unsuspecting brother on a dangerous errand, leading to a sequence of excruciating tension. Hitchcock later said he should have ended the sequence differently, and many viewers might agree, but what happens is in keeping with the themes and plot of the movie, and the suspense sequence is also masterfully done. Also well-known from "Sabotage" is the sequence when Mrs. Verloc (Sylvia Sidney) learns the truth about her husband's activities, and the awful consequences of his latest plot. There is first a touching sequence in the theater, when the Disney movie playing on the screen first provokes Mrs. Verloc to involuntary laughter, then to deepened sadness when it too closely parallels her own experience. Then there is a tense, famous scene at the dinner table, filmed as an absolutely masterful montage by Hitchcock.

    These scenes, and the finely crafted atmosphere of "Sabotage", make it worthwhile despite a few small faults, and despite the possibility that many viewers will not be comfortable with some of the plot developments. Watch it at least once if you are a Hitchcock fan, or if you like spy stories or thrillers.
    helpful•66
    5
    • Snow Leopard
    • May 14, 2001

    FAQ3

    • Was "Sabotage" remade as "Saboteur"?
    • Why are the picture and sound so bad?
    • Is this film really in the public domain?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 11, 1937 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • I Married a Murderer
    • Filming locations
      • Gainsborough Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Gaumont British Picture Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 16 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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