Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

jacobs-greenwood Director Alfred Hitchcock's last silent film features the beautiful and fetching Anny Ondra (born in what is now known as Poland) in a love triangle opposite Carl Brisson and Malcolm Keen. It was based on a novel by Sir Hall Caine; Eliot Stannard provided the scenario. The story takes place on the Isle of Man, where its residents are referred to as Manx.Pete Quilliam (Brisson) loves Kate Cregeen (Ondra) but her father Caesar (Randle Ayrton) doesn't consider the big galoot worthy given his meager financial position. Pete's best friend Philip Christian (Keen) also secretly loves Kate, and he's a lawyer destined to become the deemster, aka judge. When Pete goes off by ship to earn his fortune, Kate and Philip spend time together, but it's not until they learn that he's been killed that they begin their affair.But the news of Pete's death was premature; he returns as promised and the clandestine affair comes to an end. With her father's (and mother's; Clare Greet) blessing, a dazed Kate marries Pete and the couple quickly has a child. Predictably, their marriage is soon in the doldrums and Kate leaves Pete, a note saying she loves another, with their infant child. She returns to Philip, who's just been named deemster and now faces the biggest day in his career amidst a possible scandal. Meanwhile, Pete tells everyone he's sent his wife on holiday.A short time later, Kate remembers that she'd left her child behind and returns to Pete. When the new 'father' refuses to give up custody, Kate drops the bombshell that it's not his child. She then attempts suicide. However, she's rescued and brought before the Deemster. Of course, Philip recognizes her instantly.Soon, Pete is there to claim his distraught wife. Kate's father, also in the gallery, witnesses the look between his daughter and Philip and proclaims the Beecher is the baby's father! Philip then admits that it's true and resigns his position. Later, he and Kate depart with their child from Pete's home.

thinbeach Yet another turgid silent film about unfaithful friends and lovers. To financially support the woman he loves, a fisherman travels to Africa, the two promising to remain faithful until he returns. However the fisherman's lawyer friend also loves the woman, and while the fisherman is away, the lawyer and the woman become a couple. When the undead fisherman unexpectedly returns, the woman who promised to remain faithful to him must marry, but is deeply unhappy, as is the lawyer. Being a Hitchcock film, the only surprising thing about this love triangle is that it doesn't end in murder. With a lawyer involved, I guess I should've seen the courtroom finale coming! This storyline is all very pointed and obvious, and much of the acting is over the top horrendous. As you would expect however, mostly thanks to noir lighting, Hitchcock does manage to infuse some moodiness and tension and his talent is noticeable - just don't come for the story.

kidboots ....are what you will remember from this haunting movie, as well as the lyrical scenery and coast of Cornwall. Hall Caine was a flowery Victorian writer whose reputation didn't survive his death. In his day he was a best selling author and crowds often gathered outside his house - he was given the adulation now reserved for movie stars. He tried to resume his writing after the War but now people found his writing old fashioned, he hadn't kept abreast of the times and never regained his popularity. He did put the Isle of Man on the map as most of his books were set there and quite a few of his most popular ("The Christian", "The Woman Thou Gavest Me") were turned into silent films. Alfred Hitchcock turned to "The Manxman" for his last silent film. He had intended filming it on the Isle of Man but after shooting a few initial scenes found he could not get on with Hall Caine so ended by filming entirely on location in Cornwall, which, to me, was a huge plus.This is a lengthy romantic melodrama involving the "eternal triangle". Peter (Carl Brisson) and Philip (Malcolm Keen) are both in love with the same girl, Kate (vivacious Onny Andra) who is a little flirt and can't make her eyes behave. Kate's father, who is the only villain, worships money and despises Pete, who is only a fisherman and calls him a penniless lout. He is far keener on Philip and encourages their romance, and Pete makes the fatal mistake of encouraging Philip to look after her when he sails off to seek his fortune. Philip, soon to be made a Deemster (judge) looks after her too well but then starts to have second thoughts about becoming involved with a publican's daughter. His own father is constantly held up to him as what can happen when a man of position marries beneath him. Suddenly Pete comes home very wealthy (he had been reported as dead) and is now "flavour of the month" as far as Kate's father is concerned. But even though they marry, Kate is nursing a secret that is only revealed when she is bought to court after a suicide attempt and finds Philip is the presiding judge. SPOILER ALERT.... It all ends pretty miserably. Peter is left heartbroken and alone while Kate and Philip leave the village amid name calling and clenched fists, knowing they will never be able to return and Philip's once bright future is in the dust.Years ago, reading Greta Garbo's biography, it seemed that Carl Brisson was her first big crush. He had been a Swedish matinée idol of the stage so it was surprising for me to learn that his film career was so sparse. In fact he was noted more for his career as a boxer which first bought him to Hitchcock's attention when he was casting "The Ring". Also look out for Derrick De Marney, who was later one of the stars of Hitchcock's "Young and Innocent", as an extra in the wedding scene.

JoeytheBrit Anny Ondra, eh? What a woman.The plot of Hitchcock's last silent movie reads like a storyline from the unaccountably popular Brit soap 'EastEnders.' Even though she doesn't really love him, Kate (the truly delectable Anny Ondra), a flirtatious pub landlord's daughter, rashly promises to wait for her young beau Pete (a hulking Carl Brisson) to return from Africa where he plans to go to make his fortune after the surly pub landlord refuses him her hand in marriage. She loves Philip (Malcolm Keen), an up-and-coming lawyer who just happens to be Pete's best mate and who also reciprocates her feelings of ardour. Lord only knows what she sees in him though, as he comes across as something of a stuffed shirt and looks like Piers Fletcher-Dervish. Anyway, word comes from Africa that Pete has died, leaving Kate and Philip free to declare their love for one another – something neither had felt able to do when poor old Pete was alive.Of course, this being an opera of the soapiest kind, it turns out the jungle drums got it wrong and Pete isn't dead after all! He returns to the Isle of Man a wealthier man, instantly making himself more acceptable to Kate's father. Now this is where you'd think Kate and Philip would come clean – after all, they thought Pete was dead – but instead they keep quiet about their affair and Kate marries Pete out of a sense of obligation.There's plenty more plot to follow, but suffice it to say that a lot of hand-wringing and soul-searching follows. And either Kate and Phil were still at it after Pete returned from Africa, or Pete's too thick to do the maths and release that he was still ocean-bound when his loving wife conceived.The plot summary above actually makes the film sound more interesting than it really is. Everyone over-acts terribly, and all the characters are too shallowly drawn to be of much interest. The plot grows increasingly silly as coincidence is piled upon contrivance, and the downbeat ending proves an inadequate pay-off.