Leofwine_draca STAGE FRIGHT is a good, if not great, middle era mystery from director Alfred Hitchcock. The somewhat slight storyline is well suited to his methods, because it gives him the opportunity for plenty of suspenseful situations. In essence, a young, somewhat naïve actress is called in to help investigate a murder. She's forced to adopt two different identities depending on whom she interacts with during the case – for instance, when she's with the suspected murderess she pretends to be a servant, and when she's with the investigating detective she has to be herself. The story has the expected twists and turns along the way, along with some of Hitchcock's trademark directorial flourishes (clever editing, a cameo appearance, strong lighting, extreme close-ups).The film has dated slightly, with some of the dialogue not really ringing true, but that matters little when the cast is of this calibre. A team of luminaries has been assembled for the production, and all of them are very good. Jane Wyman is a lovely heroine, warm and full of integrity, and she makes a perfect foil for Marlene Dietrich's sinister, suspicion-inducing ice queen. Michael Wilding is excellent as a romantic lead, and Richard Todd is also good value for money in one of his early performances as the 'wronged man'. My favourite cast member by far is Alastair Sim, who has an openly comic role as an eccentric caught up in the proceedings. There's quite a lot of humour in this film and most of it comes from Sim, whose timing and delivery of his lines are both perfect.STAGE FRIGHT is more of a simmering than a burning thriller; there are no 'big' suspense sequences like in later Hitchcock films, but it does end on a high with a twist and a flourish that don't disappoint. My favourite moments include an interlude at a fairground and the moment when Wyman is literally 'caught between doors' at her employer's house. This makes for solid viewing and is a must for Hitchcock fans.

preppy-3 Jane Wyman plays Eve Gill. She's an actress living in England. A man she loves (Richard Todd) is accused of killing the husband of an actress he's romancing (Marlene Dietrich). He didn't do it but the police don't believe him. Eve helps him hide out while she tries to find evidence to clear his name. The wonderful Alastair Sim pops up as her father and the sadly underused Michael Wilding is a detective investigating the case.It's a little too long and I could have lived without hearing Dietrich do THREE songs but still worth catching. There's many clever twists and turns in the plot and Wyman, Dietrich and Sim are excellent in their roles. Also it's beautifully directed (of course) with some great set pieces. Worth catching.

AaronCapenBanner Alfred Hitchcock directed this mystery thriller that stars Jane Wyman as Eve Gill, who helps her friend Jonathan Cooper(played by Richard Todd) when he is accused of murdering his lover's husband. The woman in question is actress Charlotte Winwood(played by Marlene Dietrich) who is being interrogated by the detective investigating the case, who also talks to Eve. Strangely, they find themselves falling in love, as the real murderer turns out to be an unpleasant surprise... Disappointing film once again has a good cast(to be expected from Hitchcock) but a disjointed story that ultimately leads nowhere, made semi-infamous because of, what turns out to be, a controversial "flashback".

ivyfield She steals the movie. I really enjoyed it and bought it for £1.29 on Amazon! Don't want to write any spoilers so if you get the chance, watch it. There's some really bad editing and vocal over-dubbing which in itself is quite amusing. Certainly worth a watch. I find some of Hitchcock's work a little reliant on his name to put the essential bums on seats but this I'm glad to say is an exception. The songs performed by Marlene are instantly forgettable with the exception of 'La Vie En Rose' despite one of the forgettable numbers being written specifically for her/the movie by no other than COLE PORTER! The extras on the DVD are nice to watch. Always like a bit of insight into the projects tho if I want to know more I always look to IDMB who do a GREAT job.