Available now on DVD/ Blu-Ray
This was Hitchcock’s last British film before he decamped to Hollywood. It’s based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel of cutthroats and smugglers, and murky doings down Cornwall way in the 18th-century. As Hitchcock’s Hollywood calling card the film had everything Tinseltown was looking for: glamorous stars, action and larger-than-life sets.
The preposterous Charles Laughton is the corrupt squire constantly smacking his lips and raising his eyebrows. The movie introduced a new talent in the shapely form of Maureen O’Hara. There are some realistic, dramatic set pieces and terrific special effects (storms at sea, dark-cave hiding places at the foreshore – although some of the model work looks ropey – all created in a giant tank). Sadly, there’s never enough of the razor’s edge tension the director was famous for. It’s as if he became too engrossed with the mechanics of the production and forgot about the story. He was also hampered by the movie’s meddling co-producer, none other than Charles Laughton.
The smugglers have turned wrecking crew, deliberately luring ships onto the rocks to plunder the cargo without a care for the lives of the sailors aboard. And despite the lack of expected suspense there’s lots to enjoy and admire in this gothic tale of madness, greed, deception and barely disguised lust. As horses gallop Poldark-style across the moors poor Miss O’Hara, forever battered by the elements, becomes eye candy for the randy cutthroats and evil squire. Look out for famed Welsh actor and writer Emlyn Williams playing Harry the Pedlar, who almost steals the show.