Blackmail (1929 film)

Blackmail (1929), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was the first British film with sound.

Related Topics:
1929 - Alfred Hitchcock - British film

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The film was not originally intended to be a talkie and began production as a silent film. However, the film's producers, British International Pictures, decided part-way through the production to make the film Britain's first sound film. This has several implications on the film. A significant amount of footage had been filmed without sound before the decision was made. Some of these scenes were re-shot with sound, though some remained without sound, as shot.

Related Topics:
Talkie - Silent film

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Additionally, the lead actress Anny Ondra was from (modern-day) Poland so had a strong accent which would clearly not fit the part. So, it was decided that, since some scenes had been shot already, Ondra would still act in the film but she would mouth all of her lines phonetically while her words would be dubbed in by off-screen actress Joan Barry. The technology for adding sound after shooting did not yet exist. Needless to say, this makes Ondra's performance seem slightly awkward today. Another actress, Leah de Poutre, from Budapest, was also given a voice double of an english voice despite her character supposedly being from Dublin!

Related Topics:
Anny Ondra - Poland - Joan Barry - Budapest - Dublin

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The plot concerns a woman called Alice White, a newsagent's daughter in East London, whose boyfriend Frank Webber (John Longden) is a policeman. Alice is bored with Frank, and secretly meets another man (Tracy, played by Donald Calthrop), who tries to rape her. She defends herself, and kills him with a bread knife. When the body is discovered, Frank is assigned to the case and realises that Alice killed him (the murderer), but then someone else tries to use blackmail.

Related Topics:
John Longden - Policeman - Donald Calthrop - Murderer

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