#696: HITCHCOCK, Alfred: Foreign Correspondent (1940)

HITCHCOCK, Alfred (United States)
Foreign Correspondent [1940]
Spine #696
Blu-ray


In 1940, Alfred Hitchcock made his official transition from the British film industry to Hollywood. And it was quite a year: his first two American movies, Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent, were both nominated for the best picture Oscar. Though Rebecca prevailed, Foreign Correspondent is the more quintessential Hitch film. A full-throttle espionage thriller, starring Joel McCrea as a green Yank reporter sent to Europe to get the scoop on the imminent war, it's wall-to-wall witty repartee, head-spinning plot twists, brilliantly mounted suspense set pieces, and astonishing special effects. Foreign Correspondent deserves to be mentioned alongside The 39 Steps and North by Northwest as one of the master's greatest adventures.

120 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:37:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2014
Director/Writers


Dialogue by James Hilton and Robert Benchley.
Screenplay by Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison.

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twenty page booklet featuring an essay by film scholar James Naremore.

Commentary

None.

Piece

On the film’s special effects by visual effects expert Craig Barron.

Hollywood Propaganda and World War II

An interview with writer Mark Harris.

Interview

With director Hitchcock from a 1972 episode of The Dick Cavett Show.

Radio adaptation

Of the film from 1946, starring Joseph Cotten.

Have You Heard? The Story of Wartime Rumors

A 1942 Life magazine “photo-drama” by Hitchcock.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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