I Confess (1953)

A priest, who comes under suspicion for murder, cannot clear his name without breaking the seal of the confessional.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

George Tabori (screen play), William Archibald (screen play)

Stars:

Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Montgomery Clift	...	Father Michael Logan
Anne Baxter	...	Ruth Grandfort
Karl Malden	...	Inspector Larrue
Brian Aherne	...	Willy Robertson
O.E. Hasse	...	Otto Keller
Roger Dann	...	Pierre Grandfort
Dolly Haas	...	Alma Keller
Charles Andre	...	Father Millars

Storyline

Otto Keller and his wife Alma work as caretaker and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Québec City, Québec. While robbing a house where he sometimes works as a gardener, Otto is caught and kills the owner. Racked with guilt, he heads back to the church where Father Michael Logan is working late. Otto confesses his crime, but when the police begin to suspect Father Logan, he cannot reveal what he has been told in the confession.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | church | catholic | confessional | safe full of money | 

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Taglines:

If you knew what he knew -- what would you do?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English French Italian German

Release Date:

28 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's 'I Confess!'

Filming Locations:

Maison Hearn, Grande Allée Est, Quebec, Canada

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,000,000, 31 December 1953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie had one of the longest pre-productions of any Sir Alfred Hitchcock movie, with twelve writers working on the script for Hitchcock over an eight-year period. (Hitchcock had taken time off for the wedding of his daughter Patricia in 1951, and Hitchcock was in the midst of dissolving his partnership in Transatlantic Pictures with Sidney Bernstein.)

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Goofs

During Ruth's flashback, when she is waving to Michael William Logan, the women shown surrounding her change and/or disappear between the shots from the back and the shots from the front.

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Quotes

Fr. Michael William Logan: I never thought of the priesthood as offering a hiding place.

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Connections

Referenced in The Beekeeper (1986)

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Soundtracks

Veni Creator Spiritus
(uncredited)

User Reviews

Atypical Hitchcock

"I Confess" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's least famous films, and it's easy to see why: there is no mystery (we know who the killer is right from the start); there is some suspense but no major set-pieces; there is very little humor (no Cary Grant-type wisecracks here). The movie is a somber psychological drama, and the story of a forbidden love, and perhaps a Christ allegory (the priest has to suffer for another man's sins - he has to bear his own cross). I wouldn't rank it among Hitchcock's best, but it certainly has some of the best acting you can find in a Hitchcock film: Montgomery Clift is superb in a difficult role, Anne Baxter is warm and utterly believable as the woman who is consumed by her love for him, and Karl Malden is perfectly cast as the nosy (no pun intended) inspector on the case. (**1/2)