Stage Fright

Movie Review: Stage Fright

Year of Release: 1950
Country of Origin: UK
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, Alastair Sim

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

Based on the novel Man Running by Selwyn Jepson, Stage Fright looks like a dramatic throwback to a much earlier phase of Hitchcock’s career. Here we are, back in Britain, with a rather quaint murder mystery - no big name American actors, no set-piece action sequences, just a glamour icon in the form of Marlene Dietrich and lashings of quirky British comedy. It’s not most people’s idea of a typical Hitchcock thriller, but it is a madly enjoyable romp. Hitchcock’s movies are renowned for the calibre of their casts, and Stage Fright, although an odd ball, is no exception. In addition to the sultry Dietrich, the movie includes two very highly regarded British actors - Richard Todd and Alastair Sim - and the popular American comedy actress Jane Wyman. There is also Kay Walsh, virtually unrecognisable in one of her best character roles, stalwart British actor Michael Wilding (the future husband of Elizabeth Taylor) and some delightful contributions from Sybil Thorndike and Joyce Grenfell, for whom the phrase 'English eccentricity' was probably invented. Marlene Dietrich is clearly the movie’s biggest draw, particularly as she gets to sing "The Laziest Gal in Town", especially written for her by Cole Porter, and the Edith Piaf number "La vie en rose", whilst draped in the most eye-catching costumes designed by Christian Dior. Dietrich is almost too good for the movie - the glamour and confidence she brings feels strangely incongruous, if not a tad indecent, for a British movie of this era. And yet she is perfect for the story being told - her larger-than-life persona emphasizing the sugary artificiality of the showbiz world, in a way that is intended to distract us from the greater and far deadlier artificiality of the real world from which she appears happily insulated. Whilst Stage Fright is considered by some to be one of Hitchcock’s weaker movies, others regard it as one of his most intelligent and subtle works. The movie shows that, contrary to what most people choose to believe, there is no easily defined boundary between reality and artifice. Everything we see or hear has multiple interpretations, and therefore the notion that there is a truly objective standpoint is absurd. It is a theme which Hitchcock explores in a number of his movies, but seldom as explicitly as here. One area of controversy is the movie’s use of the false flashback, where one character gives us a factually incorrect account of part of the story. Stage Fright may not be in the premier league of Hitchcock’s great movies, it may lack some of the familiar elements we know and love, but its sheer oddity and sense of fun are what give it an enduring appeal, particularly for true Hitchcock aficionados. (JT)

My judgement: *** out of 4 stars