Apart from the insufferable NUMBER 17, Hitchcock films usually have a sense of fun, albeit a sometimes very dark humour. Not this one though - that's what's wrong, that's why this isn't typically Hitchcocky - it's so bloody miserable and somber.
You can't warm to any of the cast either. Sylvia Sidney's entire career was built on her being the most miserable woman in Hollywood - so that doesn't help. John Loder was one of those actors who although appeared in hundreds of films nobody knew who he was so again, that didn't help either. And as for the terrorist himself played by Oscar Homolka - because we're not supposed to know what his past is, what motivates him, for whom he works opt what he actually does, we neither know who he is or can be bothered to care two penn'orth about.
Ignoring the awfulness of NUMBER 17 this is probably Mr Hitchcock's worst picture. It's not only too dark but it feels self indulgent. After Gaumont-British's financial disaster of 1937, Hitchcock found himself in the division of the business (Gainsborough) which was sold to Rank and their more commercial imperative focussed Hitchcock's mind to stop messing about with gimmicks and make more entertaining pictures. YOUNG AND INNOCENT and THE LADY VANISHES were much more fun!
You can't warm to any of the cast either. Sylvia Sidney's entire career was built on her being the most miserable woman in Hollywood - so that doesn't help. John Loder was one of those actors who although appeared in hundreds of films nobody knew who he was so again, that didn't help either. And as for the terrorist himself played by Oscar Homolka - because we're not supposed to know what his past is, what motivates him, for whom he works opt what he actually does, we neither know who he is or can be bothered to care two penn'orth about.
Ignoring the awfulness of NUMBER 17 this is probably Mr Hitchcock's worst picture. It's not only too dark but it feels self indulgent. After Gaumont-British's financial disaster of 1937, Hitchcock found himself in the division of the business (Gainsborough) which was sold to Rank and their more commercial imperative focussed Hitchcock's mind to stop messing about with gimmicks and make more entertaining pictures. YOUNG AND INNOCENT and THE LADY VANISHES were much more fun!