Hitch Up

In 1929, rumors began to swirl that the first talking picture in Great Britain was being made, though it’s not clear anyone actually informed the director of that film, at least at the start of filming. The director, A1 creepy creep and master voyeur Alfred Hitchcock, was filming drop-dead gorgeous...

By Jennifer Davis-Lamm

August 28, 2014

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In 1929, rumors began to swirl that the first talking picture in Great Britain was being made, though it’s not clear anyone actually informed the director of that film, at least at the start of filming. The director, A1 creepy creep and master voyeur Alfred Hitchcock, was filming drop-dead gorgeous Eastern European starlet Anny Ondra in Blackmail, and the resulting transition to sound meant that the film was actually finished in two separate versions: one with sound and one without. The silent version may be the better of the two: Ondra’s heavy accent was overdubbed — poorly — in the talkie, creating a bit of a distraction. Its silent counterpart lets the viewer better focus in on the masterful direction of the film, juxtaposing British landmarks with thriller elements. In a screening hosted by the Lonestar Film Society at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, master pianist Robert Edwards provides a thrilling, chilling musical accompaniment that highlights Hitchcock’s signature style. The film, which has been meticulously restored, plays as part of a six-part showcase of the director’s work that runs through August 31; tickets to each film are $8. Find more information at themodern.org.
Thu., Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2014

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