Jamaica Inn [75th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray]

Overview

Alfred Hitchcock directed this disappointing misfire, memorable solely for the fact is that it is the final film from Hitchcock's early British period before he left for the Hollywood studio system and David O. Selznick. In the England of the 1800s, a group of ruthless smugglers, led by Sir Humphrey Pengallon (Charles Laughton), prey on ships by blacking out warning signals. When the ships crash on the rocks, the nefarious group loots the remains and kills the sailors. The plot kicks in when the beautiful orphan Mary Yelland (Maureen O'Hara) goes to visit her uncle Joss Merlyn (Leslie Banks) at a creepy hotel called the Jamaica Inn, the home of the gang of smugglers. Mary doesn't realize that Uncle Joss is one of them. Meanwhile, Lloyd's of London sends one of their ablest men, Jem Trahearne (Robert Newton), to investigate the recurring shipwrecks. Jem checks in to the Jamaica Inn, and when the coven of smugglers finds out who he is, they capture him and attempt to kill him. But Mary comes to his rescue and saves him. Through the inn, the smugglers try to recapture Jem -- along with Mary. Thrown together by dire circumstances, the two fall in love. Meanwhile, all the shenanigans occurring at the Jamaica Inn appear to be driving Pengallon insane.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/12/2015
UPC:	0741952781998
Original Release:	1939
Rating:	NR
Source:	Cohen Media Group
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:39:00

Special Features

Feature length audio commentary; 2014 re-release trailer; New video essay by author Donald Spoto

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Maureen O'Hara	Mary - His Niece
Charles Laughton	Sir Humphrey Pengallan
Leslie Banks	Joss Merlyn
Emlyn Williams	Harry the Peddler
Robert Newton	Jem Trehearne
Wylie Watson	Salvation Watkins
Marie Ney	Patience Merlyn
Morland Graham	Sea-Lawyer Sydney
Stephen Haggard	Boy
Mervyn Johns	Thomas
Edwin Greenwood	Dandy
Horace Hodges	Chadwick, the Butler
Jeanne de Casalis	Guest
Basil Radford	Guest
George Curzon	Guest
John Longden	Capt. Johnson
Hay Petrie	Groom
Frederick Piper	Agent
William Devlin	Tenant
Herbert Lomas	Tenant
Clare Greet	Tenant
A. Bromley Davenport	Another Guest
Mabel Terry-Lewis	His Friend
Aubrey Mather	Coachman
Marie Ault	Coach Passenger
O.B. Clarence	Coach Passenger
Mary Jerrold	Miss Black
Archie Harradine	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Harry Lane	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
William Fazan	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Alan Lewis	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Philip Ray	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
George Smith	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Robert Adair	Captain Murray
Sam Lee	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
George Gurzon	Actor
Mervyn Jones	Actor
Eric Fenby	Composer

Technical Credits

Sidney Gilliat

J.B. Priestley

Alma Reville

Joan Harrison

Alfred Hitchcock	Director
Sidney Gilliat	Screenwriter
J.B. Priestley	Screenwriter
Charles Laughton	Producer
Erich Pommer	Producer
Harry Watts	Special Effects
Alma Reville	Screenwriter
Joan Harrison	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Jamaica Inn is definitely lesser Alfred Hitchcock, but it's not the terrible film it's often assumed to be. True, it suffers considerably from the fact that star Charles Laughton was also the producer, interfering mightily with Hitchcock and not allowing the director the free hand he needed to salvage what was admittedly a rather dull script. In spite of this, however, there are a number of Hitchcockian touches, including an amoral, misanthropic man who teeters on (and goes over) the brink of madness (think Strangers on a Train and Psycho). And the director does very well with his large-scale action sequences, as well as guiding new leading lady Maureen O'Hara in an impressive star performance. (For the record, O'Hara also looks simply stunning.) Laughton is a much bigger problem, giving a performance that is ludicrous and over the top; it's true that he holds your attention (even when the character shouldn't be doing so), but Laughton becomes tiresome very quickly. Robert Newton, as the hero/love interest, is also a bit stiff. Still, even with Hitchcock operating at less than his best, he does manage to make Jamaica reasonably entertaining -- especially when Laughton gets out of the way.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler