Stage Fright (1950)

A struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence when he's accused of murdering the husband of a high society entertainer.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Whitfield Cook (screen play), Alma Reville (adaptation)

Stars:

Marlene Dietrich, Jane Wyman, Richard Todd

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jane Wyman	...	Eve Gill
Marlene Dietrich	...	Charlotte Inwood
Michael Wilding	...	Ordinary Smith
Richard Todd	...	Jonathan Cooper
Alastair Sim	...	Commodore Gill (as Alistair Sim)
Sybil Thorndike	...	Mrs. Gill
Kay Walsh	...	Nellie Goode
Miles Malleson	...	Mr. Fortesque (as Miles Mallison)
Hector MacGregor	...	Freddie Williams
Joyce Grenfell	...	'Lovely Ducks'
André Morell	...	Inspector Byard (as Andre Morell)
Patricia Hitchcock	...	Chubby Bannister
Ballard Berkeley	...	Sergeant Mellish

Storyline

Jonathan Cooper is wanted by the police who suspect him of killing his lover's husband. His besotted friend Eve Gill offers to hide him and Jonathan explains to her that his real lover, actress Charlotte Inwood is the real murderer. Eve decides to investigate for herself, but when she meets the detective in charge of the case, she truly falls in love.

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Plot Keywords:

frame up | police | actress | love | friend | 

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Taglines:

Hands that applaud can also kill!

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die rote Lola

Filming Locations:

Mayfair, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,437,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,012,000, 31 December 1950

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,012,000, 31 December 1952

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marlene Dietrich's costumes were designed by (an uncredited) Christian Dior.

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Goofs

When Charlotte's maid is talking about the murder at the pub, her hands change positions between shots. First being held at her side to her right hand scratching the back of her head.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Eve Gill: Any sign of the police?
Jonathan Cooper: No, no sign. Looks like we're getting away with it.
Eve Gill: Good.
Jonathan Cooper: How far is it to your father's boat?
Eve Gill: Two hours, with luck. You're luck seems to be very good. Touching wood.

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Alternate Versions

A French VHS released in the nineties contained two versions of the film: one dubbed, the other subtitled. Beside this difference numerous edits were made in the dubbed version. Many scenes were shortened such as the talk between Eve and her father outside the boathouse in the night, Eve's attempt to disguise herself as a maid... However, and more importantly, this version contained two longer scenes not present in any copy released on VHS or DVD so far.

• The first one is an extension of the bar discussion scene between the maid and the other patrons, right before Eve asks Wilfred Smith "Don't you think she's talking too much?" The dialog is dubbed in French.
• The second scene is a slightly but magnificent longer version of Marlene Dietrich singing "The Laziest Gal in Town". The complete song runs 4 minutes instead of 3.37 in the edited version. The cut occurs after the first "it's not 'cause I couldn't" in the lyrics.

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Connections

Referenced in The Usual Suspects (1995)

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Soundtracks

Frühlingslied (Spring Song) Op.62 #6
(1842) (uncredited)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played on the accordion by Eve's father

User Reviews

A solid, entertaining Hitch flick

Often considered to be one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser known films, "Stage Fright" has unfortunately gotten a bad wrap. Even mediocre Hitchcock is better than most movies ever get, though. And this one is a solid, entertaining picture. With an eclectic cast one doesn't expect to see together, each diverse actor provides a little something for everyone. And with Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Todd and Michael Wilding how can you go wrong?

Wyman convincingly plays a drama student who gets involved over her head in a purely Hitchcockian case of murder. When her ex-lover Todd is suspected of killing Dietrich's husband, Wyman hides him and helps him allude the police. Meanwhile, Wyman disguises herself as Dietrich's maid to help find evidence to save Todd's freedom. Wyman falls into a dangerous trap, and danger surrounds her.

Disappointingly underdeveloped as it starts, "Stage Fright" eventually turns into a first-rate thriller. While Wyman has been better, Dietrich is hilariously catty and Todd is wickedly suspicious. This is undoubtedly a Hitchcock film all the way around, but adding a nice twist to the formula is a soaring, romantic soundtrack. A seriously satisfying film, "Stage Fright" hits most of the right notes.