tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post5660367065895129968..comments2024-03-14T03:15:28.803-07:00Comments on The End of Cinema: For the Love of Film: On Stage FrightSean Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16124894627028920508noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-49095024139609945302012-05-15T16:41:25.478-07:002012-05-15T16:41:25.478-07:00Thanks for drawing attention to a film that seems ...Thanks for drawing attention to a film that seems minor. I don't think Wyman can carry her part--mostly because of that abysmal voice and accent(s)--but it's true that there is much to savor here.Tinkyhttp://www.ourgrandmotherskitchens.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-63845540071394103782012-05-15T10:40:41.370-07:002012-05-15T10:40:41.370-07:00Thanks. I dug your Lubitsch podcast, by the way. ...Thanks. I dug your Lubitsch podcast, by the way. I'm looking forward to <i>The Doll</i> quite a bit.Sean Gilmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124894627028920508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-53520862622633317512012-05-15T06:20:50.997-07:002012-05-15T06:20:50.997-07:00I haven't seen this in years and remember bein...I haven't seen this in years and remember being underwhelmed when I did watch it. But am really keen on revisiting it now. Great essay, regardless!Seemahttp://endlesspictureshow.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-80740225757455620002012-05-14T16:00:48.817-07:002012-05-14T16:00:48.817-07:00Oh yeah, the mom is a lot of fun. Her interaction...Oh yeah, the mom is a lot of fun. Her interactions with Sim are a blast, though everyone's interactions with Sim are great.<br /><br />There are a lot of strikes against the film: no real big stars:Dietrich really isn't in it that much, and Wyman is not someone you'd associate with the suspense thriller genre and the male leads are neither big nor especially dynamic (which isn't all that unusual for Hitchcock, but still); the meandering in the middle that Wood complained about, it didn't bother me because I enjoyed the playful atmosphere, but I can see how it'd be a real drag if you're not on its wavelength; finally, it just gets overshadowed by the films that surround it: <i>Rope</i> and <i>Under Capricorn</i> drawing the experimental crowd coming directly before, and the string of undeniable masterpieces from <i>Strangers on a Train</i> through <i>Marnie</i> starting right after.Sean Gilmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124894627028920508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-87809072815007150982012-05-14T13:39:31.594-07:002012-05-14T13:39:31.594-07:00I also think the lying flashback was an interestin...I also think the lying flashback was an interesting device; what's surprising is that it doesn't get more attention in considering Hitchcock's overall work - the whole basis of the plot is undermined by what is a radical use of narrative. Perhaps it's because the rest of the film seems much more conventional and a little bland in comparison that people tend to forget it? When you think of it, it's not until Vertigo and Psycho that Hitchcock again uses lying devices to undermine his story's believability; in those cases, it's the non- or no-longer-existing character, of Madeleine and Mrs Bates, respectively (also North by Northwest, which hinges on Cary Grant being mistaken for a fictional person). I rather like the 2 quirky parents in Stagefright, particularly Sybil Thorndike as Wyman's dotty mother; she's in that nice tradition of memorable Hitchcock moms.Grand Old Movieshttp://grandoldmovies.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-3258012847961247552012-05-14T09:06:44.077-07:002012-05-14T09:06:44.077-07:00Thanks. I actually liked Wyman more than I expect...Thanks. I actually liked Wyman more than I expected to, having only seen her in the Sirk films before. She struck me as the best realization of the perky-cute HItchcock heroine, a less explored Hitch type but one that's there in <i>The Trouble with Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much</i> and <i>Family Plot</i>, at least.<br /><br />Are you going to join the blogathon? You really should, it's a great cause. Also, I still have your <i>Hitchcock's Music</i> book.Sean Gilmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124894627028920508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15283666.post-15076999021070495062012-05-14T09:00:20.944-07:002012-05-14T09:00:20.944-07:00Nice write-up, Sean. It's been a few years but...Nice write-up, Sean. It's been a few years but I remember enjoying this more than the general consensus. <br /><br />Apparently Hitch himself was none too happy with the film. He disliked Wyman's performance and called the false flashback a mistake. I respectfully disagree, at least with the latter assessment. The twist is what makes <i>Stage Fright</i> an interesting movie. Far from grade-A Hitchcock but worthwhile nonetheless.Mikeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08400927064697543220noreply@blogger.com