Rent Blackmail (1929)
3.5 of 5 from 83 ratings
1h 25min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Alice White (Anny Ondra) is frustrated with her police officer boyfriend Frank (John Longden) as he neglects her in favour of his work. To spite him, she arranges to meet another man. When he tries to rape her, she ends up killing him in defence. The case gets assigned to Frank who realises that Alice is the murderer, but it seems someone else knows too as Alice begins to receive threats of blackmail from an anonymous source.
- Actors:
- Anny Ondra, John Longden, Sara Allgood, Charles Paton, Donald Calthrop, Cyril Ritchard, Hannah Jones, Harvey Braban, Ex-Det. Sergt. Bishop, Johnny Ashby, Johnny Butt, Alfred Hitchcock, Phyllis Konstam, Sam Livesey, Phyllis Monkman, Percy Parsons
- Directors:
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Producers:
- John Maxwell
- Voiced By:
- Joan Barry
- Writers:
- Charles Bennett, Alfred Hitchcock, Benn W. Levy, Michael Powell
- Studio:
- StudioCanal
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like The Magic Box, A Brief History of Galleries and Museums in Film: Part 1, A Brief History of Galleries and Museums in Film: Part 2, Alfred Hitchcock's British Films, Award Winners, Films by Genre, Films to Watch If You Like..., Ireland At the Oscars, A Brief History of Film..., The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Powell and Pressburger, Top 10 Czech Films, Top 10 Films About Trains: Thrillers, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 16/12/2024
- Run Time:
- 157 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Stereo, Silent
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Various
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Silent into Sound: Neil Brand on 'Blackmail'
- Anny Ondra's Screen Test
- Extract from BEHP Audio interview with Ronald Neame
- Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas
- Hitchcock/Truffaut: Archival Audio Interviewes
- Introduction by Director and Film Historian Noël Simsolo
- Stills Gallery
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Reviews (2) of Blackmail
Early Hitchcock with sound, suspicion, and a smirk - Blackmail review by griggs
Watching the sound version of Blackmail, one can't help but be intrigued by Hitchcock's bold experimentation with the new form. Sound is used sparingly but deliberately, almost like an extra character creeping in when needed, adding another layer of tension to the narrative.
This is a quintessential British thriller, with its tight interiors, clipped dialogue, and an undercurrent of polite unease. In true Hitchcock fashion, we are presented with a world of murky morality, blurred lines between guilt and innocence, a hint of villainisation, and, of course, a blonde in peril. It's a world that draws you in and holds you tight.
What really stood out to me was the streak of dark humour woven through the story. It lends the film a wry, human edge often absent from his later, glossier Hollywood efforts. That humour makes the characters feel more grounded and recognisable—something I didn't expect from such an early sound film.
The plot wobbles occasionally, with the pacing occasionally dragging and a few contrived twists popping up. But it's still a solid watch—an early milestone where you can already see Hitchcock fine-tuning the techniques that would define his career. Blackmail is a precursor to many of the themes and techniques that would become synonymous with Hitchcock's later, more polished works.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Film Landmark (spoiler). - Blackmail review by Steve
Britain's first talkie is quite accomplished, using many sound motifs and effects. The most celebrated is the the stabbing, wounding repetition of the word 'knife' emerging from the indistinct murmur of a longwinded busybody as the traumatised east-ender who kills in self defence (Anny Ondra) cuts a slice of bread.
She is blackmailed, while her detective boyfriend investigates... Alfred Hitchcock got around his beautiful star's dense middle European accent by having Joan Barry stand next the the camera and speak as Anny mouths the words. Though Barry's cut glass received pronunciation sounds as much like Cockney as the Czech actor's own voice.
It's based on a play by the Master's ongoing collaborator Charles Bennett, but only once gets mired in a long static scene of dialogue. Most critics prefer the silent version which was released into cinemas not fitted for sound (which is considerably shorter). But I prefer the talkie, which after all is a landmark in UK cinema.
It was the director's most visually accomplished film to date, even with the impediment of sound. Unusually, the story ends with the pursuit of the blackmailer, rather than the killer who walks free. The climax is the first staged by Hitch at a familiar tourist site, the British Museum. And the hunted man wouldn't be the last Hitchcock villain to fall to his death.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.