Everything suddenly clicked into place in the first film that was unmistakably a Hitchcock suspense picture. A couple find their daughter has been kidnapped to prevent them going to the police with information about an assassination attempt at the Albert Hall.
Michael Balcon who gave Hitch his first chance, rescued the director from a string of substandard productions to direct this exciting thriller.
With Charles Bennett now as the main script collaborator there is sophisticated and witty dialogue. The ensemble playing is good, with Peter Lorre a most superior villain. We get European locations and political intrigue and a shameless McGuffin. It's worth noting that in this run of suspense thrillers in the mid thirties, there is a premonition of a threat from Europe in Hitch's plot devices.
It's not flawless (the leads are a touch grey) but now we are entering the era of classic Hitchcock. And the brilliant climax at the Albert Hall is a sensational Hitchcock set piece, with the assassin ready to shoot on the clashing of the symbols...
At a spritely 88 years old, it's hardly surprising that this film is a little dated. It begins with a skiing sequence which seems like it has come from a silent film, with a few rudimentary sound effects added. It then introduces us to a married couple (Bob and Jill) and their daughter (Betty), who are about to be drawn into a political assassination attempt. They have an engagingly odd relationship with another man (Louis) at the ski resort, with whom Jill openly flirts, although Bob seems to be absolutely fine with this. But this relationship dynamic will not be the focus of the film as Louis is swiftly dispatched, using his dying breath to introduce the film's MacGuffin - a piece of paper hidden in his shaving brush which contains information about the planned assassination. The shadowy assassins kidnap Betty in order to ensure that Bob and Jill don't spill the beans, but of course they end up drawn in to the whole affair and thus the plot is set in motion.
The film has a nice sharp script and some good performance, especially from Leslie Banks as the quintessential unflappable Englishman, Frank Vosper as the smarmy clay pigeon shooter/assassin and of course the peerless Peter Lorre who is as irresistibly watchable as always.
Very enjoyable, and at a mere 75 minutes long it doesn't outstay its welcome.