Blackmail (1929)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (from the play by)
Alfred Hitchcock (adapted by)
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

See and Hear It - Our Mother Tongue As It Should Be Spoken

Plot:

Alice White is the daughter of a shopkeeper in 1920's London. Her boyfriend, Frank Webber is a Scotland...

Plot Keywords:

Knife | Blackmail | Murder | Detective | Glove

Cast

Anny Ondra	...	Alice White
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. White
Charles Paton	...	Mr. White
John Longden	...	Detective Frank Webber
Donald Calthrop	...	Tracy
Cyril Ritchard	...	The Artist
Hannah Jones	...	The Landlady
Harvey Braban	...	The Chief Inspector (sound version)
Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop	...	The Detective Sergeant (as Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop - Late C.I.D. Scotland Yard)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Ashby	...	Boy (uncredited)
Joan Barry	...	Alice White (voice) (uncredited)
Johnny Butt	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man on Subway (uncredited)
Phyllis Konstam	...	Gossiping Neighbour (uncredited)
Sam Livesey	...	The Chief Inspector (silent version) (uncredited)
Phyllis Monkman	...	Gossip (uncredited)
Percy Parsons	...	Crook (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Charles Bennett		(from the play by)
Alfred Hitchcock		(adapted by)
Benn W. Levy		(dialogue by) (as Benn Levy)
Michael Powell		uncredited

Produced by
John Maxwell	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Jimmy Campbell		(musical score by) (as Campbell)
Reginald Connelly		(musical score by) (as Connelly)
Hubert Bath		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Jack E. Cox		(photography by) (as Jack Cox)

Film Editing by
Emile de Ruelle		(film editor)

Art Direction by
C. Wilfred Arnold		(as W.C. Arnold)
Norman G. Arnold		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Mills	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Dallas Bower	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Harold V. King	....	sound (uncredited)
Harry Miller	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ronald Neame	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Michael Powell	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Derick Williams	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Hubert Bath	....	musical score arranged by
Hubert Bath	....	musical score compiled by
John Reynders	....	conductor: British International Symphony Orchestra
Harry Stafford	....	musical score arranged by
Harry Stafford	....	musical score compiled by

Other crew
Joan Barry	....	dubbing voice: Anny Ondra (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British International Pictures (BIP) (presents) (as British International Pictures Ltd)

Distributors

• Wardour Films (1929) (UK) (theatrical) (distributed by) (as Wardour Films Ltd)
• Sono Art-World Wide Pictures (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• Quality Classics (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (UK) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Laserlight Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Jef Films International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Suomi-Filmi (1931) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Studio Canal (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Castle Communications (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (5-disc Hitchcock Collection: The Early Years)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1976) (Finland) (TV)
• New Star (2011) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Arthaus Video (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• BCI Eclipse (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Delta Expedition (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Echo Bridge Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Film X (????) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• St. Clair Vision (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Synergy Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Whirlwind Media (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Whirlwind Media (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• British International Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• Campbell, Connelly Ltd.  musical score by (as Campbell & Connelly)
• Elstree Film & Television Studios  made and recorded at (as Elstree, London)

Also Known As:

"Chantaje" - Argentina, Spain (reissue title), Venezuela
"Erpressung" - Austria, Germany
"Chantage" - France
"Chantagem" - Portugal
"Chantagem e Confissão" - Brazil (imdb display title)
"Erpressung (Notwehr)" - Austria
"Eskotosa gia tin timi mou" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Kiristys" - Finland (TV title)
"La muchacha de Londres" - Spain
"Meka milczenia" - Poland
"Pengeafpresning" - Denmark
"Puhtauden lunnaat" - Finland
"Ricatto" - Italy
"Szantaz" - Poland (literal title)
"Utpressning" - Sweden
"Zsarolás" - Hungary

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (R.C.A. Photophone System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 (1931) | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Spain:T | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1989) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Company:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Alfred Hitchcock]being bothered by a small boy on the underground.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alice first asks Crewe to button the dress, her hands are behind her back holding the dress. In the next shot, her hands are on her hips.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Det. Frank Webber:Well, we finished earlier tonight than I expected.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Der Zinker (1931)

Soundtrack:

Sonny Boy

All Things Considered, Quite Extraordinary

Considering the technical limitations confronting Hitchcock (the part-sound/part-silent format; the bulky, graceless early sound camera; a leading lady who barely spoke English, etc.), "Blackmail" remains one of the director's most impressive productions. The visual and sound quality is excellent, especially for a 1929 film, and already Hitchcock is using distinctive camera angles to create memorable effects. (Notice the shadowy interior of the Artist's loft, and the way Hitchcock swoops the camera about to convey Alice's disorientation after the murder.) I also love the way Hitchcock depicts the Blackmailer's flight after his climactic confrontation with Alice and the Detective. We never see the Blackmailer at all - the camera remains frozen on the face of the Detective, who reacts to what is going on. At the moment the Blackmailer shatters the window, the Detective lets out a shout, and the camera - as if startled by the commotion - dollies backward. We immediately cut to the busted window, with a posse of lawmen rushing toward it. It's a wonderful device (what other director in 1929 would have approached the scene in this way, I wonder?). The performances in "Blackmail" are remarkable and eccentric, in the best sense of the word. Donald Calthrop and Cyril Ritchard, playing the disheveled blackmailer and the lecherous artist, etch themselves in your memory. Anny Ondra is fine as Alice, gamely committing herself to the role, even though she was pantomiming lines. Her dazed reactions at the climax of the murder sequence are shocking. She's like a demented robot, yet the behavior rings true for me. Lastly, let me say I admire John Longden's performance most of all. His role as Frank, the detective, is in no sense that of a traditional film hero. He often bullies Alice, turns moody and childish during arguments and is willing to pin murder on an innocent (albeit not very nice) man. Longden realizes all the not very appealing attributes of Frank's behavior (how he sneers when the tables finally turn on Calthrop), but he also makes clear that he loves Alice and is trying to protect her. He is clearly devastated as he talks with Alice in the phone booth and realizes she is indeed guilty. In summary, few of Hitchcock's 1930 British films are on a par with "Blackmail." The depth of its characterizations will remain unmatched until "Rebecca" a decade later. Reflect on how "Blackmail" compares - technically - with America's first sound film and you start to see the true measure of Hitchcock's genius.