The Lodger (1927) Review

[SinjinSB]

Review:
The Lodger is universally considered the best of Hitchcock's silents. Even in this early piece we see some of Hitch's trademark theme's, like the possibility of the innocent man accused and some interesting camera shots. It's a story that's loosely based on the Jack the Ripper killings in London. In this movie the serial killer is known as The Avenger and is killing blondes, which has the fair-haired girls of London worried. During this time a mysterious man shows up looking for a room to rent from a family. This lodger has some quirky habits of going out on foggy nights and has them wondering who exactly this lodger that's living in their house really is. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the Lodger is playing chess with Daisy. This movie definitely showcases Hitchcock's early talent for the thriller genre and he keeps you guessing throughout. I have read that Hitchcock wanted a different ending, but that it was shot down my the movie executives. I won't mention the endings to avoid spoiling the movie, but I would have liked to see it Hitch's way. Unfortunately this was long before the days of shooting alternate versions, so we just have to imagine how he would have done it. It's amazing to me to watch Hitchcock's quality movies from the 1920s-1970s. He truly deserves the title, The Master of Suspense. He dedicated his life to the art of filmmaking and we get to reap the benefits.

This review with more information, pictures, etc is nicely formatted on my non-commercial website (no popups or ads, I promise): http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/lodger.htm

Some of you may recall that that I started my Alfred Hitchcock Movie Reviews on my website quite awhile back, well after a long hiatus, I have started back up with my chronological Hitchcock marathon. I'm sure it will still take awhile to make it through them all, but I hope to keep working on them semi-regularly. I'm excited about the release of several more of his movies on DVD in a couple weeks...though Lifeboat is still missing. Fortunately I have it on laserdisc.

The direct URL for my Hitchcock page is: http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/hitch.htm

Current there are reviews for: The Pleasure Garden, Mountain Eagle (not exactly a review), The Lodger, and Waltzes from Vienna (You can read why I had to go out of order on this one).

I'd be happy to hear other thoughts on this or any of the movies I have reviewed. I enjoy other opinions, even if they are contrary to my own.

[Johann]

Great man- I'll be lurking for sure...

[oscar jubis]

This type of (re)viewing a director's ouvre in the order the films were made is quite useful for obvious reasons, particularly developmental aspects of the director's vision. It's hard to maintain focus though, especially at home. I'm in the middle of Pasolini's career and planning to watch again every feature directed by Tsai Ming Liang for an upcoming recap I plan to post. As time permits, I hope to review the careers of two neglected American directors that deserve (re)consideration: Leo McCarey (Duck Soup, Make Way For Tomorrow, Love Affair, My Son John) and Jacques Tourneur (I Walked With A Zombie, The Leopard Man, Cat People, Out Of The Past, The Flame And The Arrow, Stars In My Crown).

[Johann]

oscar- I'm also knee-deep in Pasolini.

I watched The Canterbury Tales this week and I'm collecting all my re-visits to his work to add to my cinema study.
bawdy bawdy bawdy...

[wpqx]

Somehow this is turning into a thread about Pasolini, but I too have been watching what I would dub too many films of his. Like most The Gospel According to St. Mathew was my first films of his that I saw, and that set the bar a little too high. I was let down with The Decameron, wasn't wild about Mama Roma, and was indifferent to La Ricotta. I do have the OOP Criterion of Salo, but I'm proceeding with extreme caution. Most reviews of the film have been very brutal, but before I choose to dismiss the lot of his films I will see Accatone. So until then I'll just praise his one masterpiece, and a few admirable little details in his films.
I did admire the staunchly anti-religious theme to The Decameron (after all nuns were taking turns having sex with a "deaf-mute"). I also did laugh a few times in the picture, but in general it was too heavy on nudity, and like most films that are collections of short stories, they rarely hold up throughout. As for Hitchcock I am eagerly awaiting the Warner Bros. set coming out next month, even though I have already seen half of the films. Hitch would go in my top ten, and he has by far the most films of any director on DVD (at least in my collection).

[wpqx]

Just to add a note, I wouldn't mind a spotlight on Nicholas Ray, another director I have been watching a particularly large amount of films from. As for McCarey, I generally enjoy his films, but the only one I really loved was Duck Soup. Tourneur I admire as well, as I do most noir directors, but I am not exactly an expert on his work.

[SinjinSB]

I hope to watch Hitch's Downhill (1927) this weekend. Though I've got a pretty full weekend and might not get to it.

For the record, I really like the movie Duck Soup. It could easily rank my #1 Marx Brothers movie, if it weren't for the fact I watched A Day at the Races so many times as a kid.

[oscar jubis]

*wpqx touches on something very important when he points out how many of Hitch's films are available on dvd. When trying to size up a director's career it's important to consider that many films from important directors are unavailable on home video. Consequently, one's impression/take is based on partial evidence, and prone to misinterpretation. This is the reason why up to now I have been reluctant to post my impressions of McCarey and Tourneur. Both of them have key films not available for viewing, so these 2005 projects of mine can only lead to tentative, incomplete conclusions. Directors such as Hitchcock, Pasolini, Tsai, Ford and others are more amenable to scrutiny. wpqx states that he's not exactly an expert on McCarey. Problem is that it's almost impossible to become an expert on McCarey, Tourneur and others. It's understandable (albeit flawed) to label Tourneur a "noir director" because it's his noir (and Horror) films that have been widely watched by buffs under a certain age. In actuality he directed several films in a variety of genres said to be as excellent as the film noir classic Out Of The Past. Some of them are only available on beat up, decade-old tapes. Others not at all.
*Nick Ray is without a doubt a director worth seeking out.
*I agree with Andrew calling Duck Soup a Marx Bros. movie, based on what I know of McCarey and his own statements. I find little or less of McCarey's imprint on it (which doesn't make it less funny and accomplished). On the other hand, Ruggles of Red Gap is widely considered a "McCarey comedy".

[cinemabon]

Ruggles of Red Cap was one of my favorite films. I had it on Laserdisc and watched it many many times. I like Sir Charles and enjoy his performance in this film. He is a butler "lost" in a poker game to some Americans that have absolutely no class. However, the point of the film is not just the slapstick, but Laughton brings a sense of honor and honest patriotism that is sorely lacking in other patriotic films like Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

There is a famous scene in the Red Gap bar when all the "cowboys" talk about great it is to be an American. They all want to quote The Gettysburg Address but none of them know it. Ruggles then recites the famous Lincoln speech in such a way that is tragic for all Americans who claim to love their country, but don't bother to really know anything about it.

In the end, Laughton decides for himself that servitude is nothing less than modern slavery. He goes into business for himself and his success is not based on his skill, but on his love of humanity.

Leo McCarey was nominated twelve times for an Academy Award. At one ceremony, he won three for having produced, directed, and written "Going My Way", the story of a young priest who rescues a dying parish. While the songs are corny, the movie has many wonderful moments, including reuniting the old priest with his mother.

McCarey also won an Academy Award for direction for his comedy The Awful Truth, one of the funniest movies ever made. This was also the movie that almost ruined the careers of Randolf Scott and Cary Grant. Supposedly, Grant and Scott took a cottage by the sea together "to save on rent." The studio "stuff" literally hit the fan, forcing the two "dudes" to move out and take separate digs. The press was forced to look the other way. Of course, both Grant and Scott denied in their autobiographies that anything physical took place between them. The rumors were squashed and both men never spoke of it again. The affair is mentioned in the book, Hollywood Babylon (along with many others).

One of McCarey's last films was also with Grant, "An Affair to Remember" Carey was again nominated for an Oscar, but this time it was because he contributed to the lyrics of a song! His movies have a certain level of schmaltz, however, like Capra, McCarey attempts to bring a certain level of middle class morality and common sense along with great wit and fun. His career as a silent film director actually shadows his work in sound (he made twice as many silents). McCarey should be remembered like Preston Sturges as a writer/director with a brilliant sense of timing and comic wit.

[wpqx]

I appreciate your comments on McCarey, but don't you think he might better be served by a separate thread all to himself. We are not really on Hitchcock at this point, and certainly not on the Lodger. Well written and thanks for the Academy Award info. I also never heard that story about Cary Grant, so news to me. But it seems that nearly every classic Hollywood star, male or female, had at least some bisexuality to him/her. Similar things are being mentioned about Katherine Hepburn now that she's dead. As for Grant I always thought Rock Hudson was a lot like him on screen, perhaps off screen as well?

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by cinemabon
McCarey also won an Academy Award for direction for his comedy The Awful Truth, one of the funniest movies ever made. His movies have a certain level of schmaltz, however, like Capra, McCarey attempts to bring a certain level of middle class morality and common sense along with great wit and fun. His career as a silent film director actually shadows his work in sound (he made twice as many silents).

Upon winning the director's Oscar for The Awful Truth, McCarey stated that he won the award for the wrong picture. That year, he had also released Make Way for Tomorrow, which he and many critics preferred. The film has been compared favorably to Ozu's Tokyo Story, which has the same theme.

It's not the only key McCarey film not available on home video. A seminal 50s film, which remains unknown to myself and most film buffs, is My Son John, an aggressively anti-communist movie, admired for its execution while despised because of its right wing politics. Did you by any chance see either? I'll be doing some research; maybe TCM will show it; maybe one will be released on video soon, after all McCarey's The Milky Way has recently come out on dvd.

McCarey, to my understanding, has a reputation as an emotional, anti-intellectual director, but I don't speak from experience, having seen only the better known films, many years ago.

[cinemabon]

I apologize to the thread starter for this digression but it happens sometimes. While I admire Hitch very much and have studied him a great deal, I'd like to respond to Oscar if you don't mind.

I have not seen McCarey's other work, but am fascinated by the subject matter. It's funny how some directors started out as liberals in Hollywood only to end up right wing after the Red scare. I would be interested in reading your analysis of McCarey, Oscar. Your insights are important to this whole site as we all share in them with you.

The McCarey films I've seen:
An Affair to Remember
Love Happy
Bells of St. Mary
Going My Way
Love Affair
The Awful Truth
Ruggles of Red Gap
Belle of the Nineties
Duck Soup
Indiscreet

I read the reviews for "Make Way for Tomorrow", called the saddest picture of 1937. The whole premise of commiting aging parents seems ahead of its time. It doesn't sound like the same director who made The Awful Truth the same year.

While Hitch's work in silents, like The Lodger are interesting, they follow a typical formula pattern that was prevelent in British cinema. His later work is far more suspenseful. Take the famous bomb scene from Sabotage, with Sylvia Sidney. The cutting back and forth, the anticipation of the ticking bomb, the boy slowing down to look at different things. During the premiere, Hitch said it was reported to him people were shouting at the screen for the little boy to hurry up. Now THAT's an example of how great an impact the master of suspence can have and did have on film audiences. Sabotage is a film that often gets over looked by students and critics alike, but it was one of Hitch's favorites. (Hint: he enjoyed blowing up the kid!)

[oscar jubis]

Excellent post, cinemabon.
I contacted Turner Classics Movies and learned that neither Make Way For Tomorrow nor My Son John are in their catalog. No luck finding either on home video overseas. I checked because I was able to find Welles' Chimes at Midnight on dvd in Spain, although it's not available in his native country.

As far as Hitch, I'm very happy that The Wrong Man is now finally available on dvd. I've seen it twice on TMC. I like it better than many of Hitch's better known films, not including Vertigo and Rear Window, which remain my favorites.

[SinjinSB]

I REALLY enjoy Sabotage, much for the scene that cinemabon mentions, but thought the whole movie was good!

For the record, the Criterion Collection Laserdisc is a MUCH better copy of the movie than the Laserlight DVD. It's movies like this that make me keep my Laserdisc player hooked up.

I don't mind all the digression from my original topic...that's a good thing in my book!