The Paradine Case (1947)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Robert Hichens (from the novel by)
Alma Reville (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 1949 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

A happily married London barrister falls in love with the accused poisoner he is defending.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Barrister | Marriage | Italian | Love Triangle

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Anthony Keane
Ann Todd	...	Gay Keane
Charles Laughton	...	Judge Lord Thomas Horfield
Charles Coburn	...	Sir Simon Flaquer
Ethel Barrymore	...	Lady Sophie Horfield
Louis Jourdan	...	Andre Latour
Alida Valli	...	Mrs. Paradine (as Valli)
Leo G. Carroll	...	Sir Joseph
Joan Tetzel	...	Judy Flaquer
Isobel Elsom	...	Innkeeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Aherne	...	Police Sgt. Leggett (uncredited)
Gilbert Allen	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Courtroom Stenographer (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Second Matron (uncredited)
James Fairfax	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
John Goldsworthy	...	Lakin (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Courtroom Attendant (uncredited)
Alec Harford	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Carrying Cello Case (uncredited)
Colin Hunter	...	Baker (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Courtroom Observer (uncredited)
Colin Keith-Johnston	...	Clerk of the Court (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Juror (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	Police Inspector Ambrose (uncredited)
Phyllis Morris	...	Mrs. Carr (uncredited)
Edgar Norton	...	Courtroom Attendant (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Barrister in Courtroom (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
John Williams	...	Barrister Collins (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Robert Hichens		(from the novel by)
Alma Reville		(adaptation by)
David O. Selznick		(screen play)
James Bridie		screenplay (uncredited)
Ben Hecht		additional dialogue (uncredited)

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(music by)
Paul Dessau		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes		(photographed by)

Production Design by
J. McMillan Johnson

Art Direction by
Thomas N. Morahan		(as Thomas Morahan)

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri		(set decoration)
Joseph B. Platt		(interiors)
Robert Priestley		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(gowns)
Charles Arrico		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair styles
Max Asher	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Layne Britton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	unit manager
Argyle Nelson	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director
Joel Freeman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
James G. Stewart	....	sound director
Richard Van Hessen	....	recordist
Edward Ullman	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clarence Slifer	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles P. Boyle	....	fill-in photographer (uncredited)
Eddie Fitzgerald	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John Miehle	....	stills (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frank Beetson Jr.	....	wardrobe director (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Faure	....	associate supervising film editor
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising film editor

Music Department
Edward Rebner	....	supervisor: piano sequences (uncredited)

Other crew
Lydia Schiller	....	scenario assistant
David O. Selznick	....	presents: his production
Elsie Foulstone	....	dialogue & voice coach: Valli & Jourdan (uncredited)
Paul MacNamara	....	director of publicity (uncredited)
Donna M. Norridge	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Helene Weigel	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Vanguard Films (as Vanguard Films, Inc.) (copyright holder)
• Selznick Studio, The

Distributors

• Selznick Releasing Organization (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (distributed by) (as Selznick Releasing Organization, Inc.)
• S.R.O. (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Selznick Releasing Organization (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1973) (USA) (TV)
• ABC Video (1975) (USA) (all media)
• CBS/Fox (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Athos Films (1967) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Athos Films (196?) (France) (theatrical)
• Films Galatée (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (video)

Other Companies

• J. Arthur Rank Organisation  acknowledgement: Miss Todd appears by arrangement with

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case" - USA (complete title)
"Le procès Paradine" - Belgium (French title), Canada (French title), France
"Agonía de amor" - Argentina, Chile
"Der Fall Paradin" - Austria, West Germany
"A Paradine-ügy" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Akt oskarzenia" - Poland
"Celse açiliyor" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"El caso Paradine" - Venezuela
"El proceso Paradine" - Spain
"En kvinnas hemlighet" - Sweden
"Haßliebe" - West Germany (alternative title)
"Het proces Paradine" - Belgium (Flemish title)
"Il caso Paradine" - Italy
"Kaksi pisaraa viiniä" - Finland
"Le mystère de l'affaire Paradine" - France (reissue title)
"O Caso Paradine" - Portugal
"Sandheden om Mrs. Paradine" - Denmark
"Sannheten om Mrs. Paradine" - Norway (imdb display title)
"Slucaj Paradin" - Yugoslavia (Serbian title) (literal title)
"Ypothesis Paradine" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)

Runtime:

125 min | 119 min (re-release) | 132 min (original release) | 94 min (edited television version) | 115 min (re-release) | Portugal:112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Finland:S | Germany:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12320) | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK

Company:

Vanguard Films

Trivia:

According to François Truffaut, Director Stanley Kramer may have watched The Paradine Case before he shot the Nuremberg Trial in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Truffaut mentioned about some of the similarities between the two films in an audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although the film story is all based in UK, but almost all of the characters speak in an American accent.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lakin:Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, mum.
Mrs. Maddalena Anna Paradine:Thank you, Lakin.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic (2000) (V)

Fine Cast in Slow-Moving But Interesting Drama

Because this movie has so few of the features normally associated with a Hitchcock picture, it has a rather poor reputation. But it has a fine cast, most of whom perform quite well, and if the story is taken on its own merits it is interesting, although slow-moving and heavily dependent on the characters' conversations with one another. If it had been made by someone else, it might seem like more of an accomplishment.

In "The Paradine Case", Mrs. Paradine (Alida Valli) is arrested and tried for the murder of her husband. She is defended by the great lawyer Anthony Keane (Gregory Peck), who quickly becomes intoxicated by his client and loses all objectivity. Even as evidence mounts that she may have done the crime after all, he risks his marriage and reputation on the slightest of chances to find new evidence. It moves quite slowly, but is helped by the presence of many good supporting characters and a fine cast that portrays them convincingly. Things come together in a lengthy courtroom sequence that is sometimes uncomfortable to watch, but tense and realistic.

Many viewers feel let down by the film because it lacks the energy and excitement found in most of Hitchcock's films, and because the courtroom setting creates expectations that are not quite filled. Indeed, it does have its faults, and it's hard to believe that someone of Hitchcock's creative genius could not have thought of some ways to give more life to the body of the picture, because there are times when it really crawls along. But taken on its own merits, it is a pretty good movie, carefully filmed as always, and one that gives the viewer plenty to think about. There are some good scenes, with the best one being the subtly crafted opening sequence of Mrs. Paradine being arrested in her elegant home and taken to prison.

Many Hitchcock fans will not particularly enjoy this one, although if you like his more somber masterpieces such as "Vertigo", you might at least want to give this one a try - not that it is nearly as good as "Vertigo" (how many films are), but it is somewhat similar in tone. It works much better as straight drama, rather than as suspense or mystery, and as such it is worth watching.