Confession time: I am not the world’s biggest Alfred Hitchcock fan.
I know, I know, I know. Hate me if you must. I think – like any accomplished director – Hitchcock definitely produced a string of watchable art that resonates in different ways with different people for different reasons; and yet even some of his best regarded motion pictures just feel a bit hollow to me. For example (and I realize this might be some risky disclosure), his oft-lauded Vertigo (1958) is a bit of a snoozefest to me, burying an interesting idea and some understandable characters in what feels more like a San Francisco sightseeing tour than it does an edge-of-your-seat thriller. 1959’s North By Northwest is much of the same, though I do like Cary Grant’s work in the film far more than I did Jimmy Stewart’s in the former. Ultimately, I’ve made peace with the idea that some yarns just aren’t for me, so I pass them up when given the chance to reconsider them on television, preferring to stick to his entries like Rear Window (1954), Psycho (1960), and – of course – The Birds (1963).
In any event, I do always keep my eyes peeled for opportunities to screen something else from what of the industry’s most revered storytellers; so I’m glad to announce that I’ve finally gotten around to the 75th anniversary edition of Jamaica Inn (released on Blu-ray back in 2015 by Cohen Media Group). Sidney Gilliat and Joan Harrison are credited with adapting the novel from Daphne Du Maurier – with some further additions coming from J.B. Priestley – and the film starred Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Leslie Banks, Marie Ney, Robert Newton, and others. The story unquestionably dabbles in territory that Hitchcock explored throughout his body of work – morality, authority, psychology, etc. – so it’s easy to see why he was likely driven to this project; but beyond some excellent production details, a breakout role for O’Hara, and a curiously wild performance from Laughton the rest of the affair is a bit feeble.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
I know, I know, I know. Hate me if you must. I think – like any accomplished director – Hitchcock definitely produced a string of watchable art that resonates in different ways with different people for different reasons; and yet even some of his best regarded motion pictures just feel a bit hollow to me. For example (and I realize this might be some risky disclosure), his oft-lauded Vertigo (1958) is a bit of a snoozefest to me, burying an interesting idea and some understandable characters in what feels more like a San Francisco sightseeing tour than it does an edge-of-your-seat thriller. 1959’s North By Northwest is much of the same, though I do like Cary Grant’s work in the film far more than I did Jimmy Stewart’s in the former. Ultimately, I’ve made peace with the idea that some yarns just aren’t for me, so I pass them up when given the chance to reconsider them on television, preferring to stick to his entries like Rear Window (1954), Psycho (1960), and – of course – The Birds (1963).
In any event, I do always keep my eyes peeled for opportunities to screen something else from what of the industry’s most revered storytellers; so I’m glad to announce that I’ve finally gotten around to the 75th anniversary edition of Jamaica Inn (released on Blu-ray back in 2015 by Cohen Media Group). Sidney Gilliat and Joan Harrison are credited with adapting the novel from Daphne Du Maurier – with some further additions coming from J.B. Priestley – and the film starred Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Leslie Banks, Marie Ney, Robert Newton, and others. The story unquestionably dabbles in territory that Hitchcock explored throughout his body of work – morality, authority, psychology, etc. – so it’s easy to see why he was likely driven to this project; but beyond some excellent production details, a breakout role for O’Hara, and a curiously wild performance from Laughton the rest of the affair is a bit feeble.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In early 19th century Cornwall, a young orphan, Mary, is sent to live with Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss who are landlords of the Jamaica Inn. Mary soon realizes her uncle's inn serves as the base for a gang of ship wreckers - who lure ships to their doom on the rocky coast, and Mary begins to fear for her life.”
Without splitting too many hairs, it’s difficult to home in on what a story like Jamaica Inn is fundamentally about. Based entirely on its set-up – opening text educates the viewers on the prevalence of ‘land pirates’ who lure ships to their rocky shores so that they can pillage the goods and gold from their wreckage – one expects to treated to a theatrical expose on the dangers of maritime commerce. After a reasonably gruesome set-up with a surprising body count of sailors being dispatched to Davy Jones’ locker (or thereabouts), the film segues into the story of the young and impressionable Mary (played by Maureen O’Hara) who’s travelling by stagecoach to be reunited with her family at the very inn of the title. Given that the drivers refuse to stop at the place and instead speed past out of fear, the suggestion is clearly in place that dark things are afoot in a place all men should avoid.
However, once Mary is dropped off just out of town and is encouraged to head for the nearby residence of Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton), the tone shifts dramatically, morphing into a somewhat bizarre character comedy with the lord of the manor rather buffoonishly presiding over a lavish dinner with equally bereft snobs. Sir Humphrey is a braggard, you see, and more than a bit of a blowhard. He’s surrounded himself with sycophants who ignorantly look down at the lower classes as social castoffs not worth their time and effort. The truth, however, is that he’s secretly using these wealthy folks to obtain all information regarding the present and near-future ships passing through their harbor and is devising the plans for these land pirates to plunder at his behest. While the socialites see him as their gracious host, he’s secretly a criminal overlord.
Mary’s arrival brings out the potential lothario in Sir Humphrey as he’s understandably smitten with the young woman’s good looks. Despite his knowledge of the fact that, indeed, the Jamaica Inn is “a wretched hive of scum and villainy,” he’s somehow all too happy to arrange for her transport to the place so that she can be reunited with her Aunt Patience (Marie Ney). This also puts the woman under the influence of her uncle Joss (Leslie Banks), the man who serves as Pengallan’s right hand man in the thieving of the shallow seas. As much the predator as is Sir Humphrey, Joss Merlyn is only too happy to take such a beautiful specimen under his roof as it would appear he’s grown somewhat tired of Patience’s fleeting charms.
“In early 19th century Cornwall, a young orphan, Mary, is sent to live with Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss who are landlords of the Jamaica Inn. Mary soon realizes her uncle's inn serves as the base for a gang of ship wreckers - who lure ships to their doom on the rocky coast, and Mary begins to fear for her life.”
Without splitting too many hairs, it’s difficult to home in on what a story like Jamaica Inn is fundamentally about. Based entirely on its set-up – opening text educates the viewers on the prevalence of ‘land pirates’ who lure ships to their rocky shores so that they can pillage the goods and gold from their wreckage – one expects to treated to a theatrical expose on the dangers of maritime commerce. After a reasonably gruesome set-up with a surprising body count of sailors being dispatched to Davy Jones’ locker (or thereabouts), the film segues into the story of the young and impressionable Mary (played by Maureen O’Hara) who’s travelling by stagecoach to be reunited with her family at the very inn of the title. Given that the drivers refuse to stop at the place and instead speed past out of fear, the suggestion is clearly in place that dark things are afoot in a place all men should avoid.
However, once Mary is dropped off just out of town and is encouraged to head for the nearby residence of Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton), the tone shifts dramatically, morphing into a somewhat bizarre character comedy with the lord of the manor rather buffoonishly presiding over a lavish dinner with equally bereft snobs. Sir Humphrey is a braggard, you see, and more than a bit of a blowhard. He’s surrounded himself with sycophants who ignorantly look down at the lower classes as social castoffs not worth their time and effort. The truth, however, is that he’s secretly using these wealthy folks to obtain all information regarding the present and near-future ships passing through their harbor and is devising the plans for these land pirates to plunder at his behest. While the socialites see him as their gracious host, he’s secretly a criminal overlord.
Mary’s arrival brings out the potential lothario in Sir Humphrey as he’s understandably smitten with the young woman’s good looks. Despite his knowledge of the fact that, indeed, the Jamaica Inn is “a wretched hive of scum and villainy,” he’s somehow all too happy to arrange for her transport to the place so that she can be reunited with her Aunt Patience (Marie Ney). This also puts the woman under the influence of her uncle Joss (Leslie Banks), the man who serves as Pengallan’s right hand man in the thieving of the shallow seas. As much the predator as is Sir Humphrey, Joss Merlyn is only too happy to take such a beautiful specimen under his roof as it would appear he’s grown somewhat tired of Patience’s fleeting charms.
Naturally, there’s a bit more to this melodrama. Some of Hitchcock’s more renowned works are revered for their use of the winding subplots, and Jamaica Inn is no different. The pirates have grown a bit tired of their ill-gotten gains, and they’re beginning to rebel against Merlyn’s designs. Thinking that someone within their ranks must somehow be getting more by pocketing treasures on the side, they turn their sites on the newest member – Jem Trehearne) Robert Newton – who is secretly a man of the court working undercover in an operation to bring the criminals down. Their attempt to string him up goes awry when Mary secretly cuts the hangman’s noose, and they spirit off together back to Pengallan’s lavish estate. Once they are there, it’s Sir Humphrey who realizes he must now outfox Trehearne in order to maintain his innocence, steal young Mary Yellan to satisfy his own sexual appetite, and abscond with the booty from the latest naval ship entering the territorial waters. It’s a lot to take in … but Laughton’s a talent who was always up for the challenge.
The trouble with the film’s second half is just that – there’s an awful lot of ground to cover with shifting identities and unstable alliances, so much so that some sequences feel a bit rushed when more character nuance was needed. Laughton’s transition from top thug to earnest social benefactor takes place like the flipping of a switch, necessarily suggesting that perhaps this great big oaf a man may not exactly be in his right mind, a sentiment that eventually gets reinforced with his closing scenes but could’ve been explored earlier with greater specificity. The way he commands the screen – even with some comic intensity – is admirable; but the screen chewing wears thin after a time, reducing him from being any legitimate mastermind to little more than a guy who got by on a helluva lot of luck instead of raw intelligence.
In fact, Jamaica Inn’s main plotline is one of those that only works because that’s how it was both conceived and executed. Patience loves her unruly husband Joss only because the script requires it even though we’re never shown that the man gave so much as a damn about her at any time throughout the running time. We even see her a bit dejected in one scene wherein she catches him coming out of Mary’s bedroom, the look on her face hinting that she suspects he may’ve even ignored his wedding vows. Yes, she delivers a throwaway line about ‘the man he used to be,’ and yet we – the audience – are given absolutely nothing – not a single scene – but only her words to accept them as even remotely plausible. Furthermore, why such a backwoods, feral, and brutal ne’er-do-well would ever take direction from the – ahem – flamboyantly boisterous boss Pengallan is never spelled out clearly enough for my likes. Just how and why this criminal organization came into being could’ve used stronger subtext because – as presented – it never seemed the stuff of local legend. I honestly expected the tables to be turned at some point with Merlyn emerging victorious, but that never happens even though circumstances evolve wherein it could have.
The trouble with the film’s second half is just that – there’s an awful lot of ground to cover with shifting identities and unstable alliances, so much so that some sequences feel a bit rushed when more character nuance was needed. Laughton’s transition from top thug to earnest social benefactor takes place like the flipping of a switch, necessarily suggesting that perhaps this great big oaf a man may not exactly be in his right mind, a sentiment that eventually gets reinforced with his closing scenes but could’ve been explored earlier with greater specificity. The way he commands the screen – even with some comic intensity – is admirable; but the screen chewing wears thin after a time, reducing him from being any legitimate mastermind to little more than a guy who got by on a helluva lot of luck instead of raw intelligence.
In fact, Jamaica Inn’s main plotline is one of those that only works because that’s how it was both conceived and executed. Patience loves her unruly husband Joss only because the script requires it even though we’re never shown that the man gave so much as a damn about her at any time throughout the running time. We even see her a bit dejected in one scene wherein she catches him coming out of Mary’s bedroom, the look on her face hinting that she suspects he may’ve even ignored his wedding vows. Yes, she delivers a throwaway line about ‘the man he used to be,’ and yet we – the audience – are given absolutely nothing – not a single scene – but only her words to accept them as even remotely plausible. Furthermore, why such a backwoods, feral, and brutal ne’er-do-well would ever take direction from the – ahem – flamboyantly boisterous boss Pengallan is never spelled out clearly enough for my likes. Just how and why this criminal organization came into being could’ve used stronger subtext because – as presented – it never seemed the stuff of local legend. I honestly expected the tables to be turned at some point with Merlyn emerging victorious, but that never happens even though circumstances evolve wherein it could have.
To her credit, O’Hara does a nice job, though it’s not anything particularly noteworthy. Serving as the story’s emotional center, she takes viewers through her own highs and lows, some of it a bit too scripted in spots. Still, she remains relatable, and her presence grounds the picture with some of its best moments. In fact, it’s pretty spiffy that – decades ahead of the whole women’s liberation movement – it’s her Mary who manages to slip away from her captors, climbs the hillside, and gallantly risks all to wave a burning blanket to warn the ship from crashing into the shoreline. For me, it’s Jamaica Inn’s best moment, and it echoes with pure heroism in the face of some despicable adversity.
Well done, milady. Well done.
Jamaica Inn (1939) was produced by Renown Pictures Corporation and Mayflower Pictures Corporation. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Cohen Media Group. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, this 4K restoration looks magnificent, but I found the sound quality a bit underwhelming. Some of the clarity seems lost – actors speaking quickly and with accents can make for a trying experience with this older releases, giving everything a tinny quality – but this is likely owed to source issues. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary, a video essay (from author Donald Spoto), and the theatrical trailer. A solid collection.
Recommended.
Even though I don’t consider myself an expert on Alfred Hitchcock’s library of films, I still can’t imagine Jamaica Inn being anything more than an oddity amongst those titles. While it debatably hints at some of the storyteller’s enduring themes, it’s all still a bit too waterlogged (snicker snicker) to float (snicker snicker) instead of swim (guffaw guffaw) on its own merits. There are a few flourishes here and there – mainly, O’Hara’s big fight to save the day, and Laughton’s ability to shock and awe audiences – but overall, it all feels a bit damp (ROTF). Purists might have more to say about it than I do. As is, it’s just okay.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at the Cohen Film Collection provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Jamaica Inn (1939) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Well done, milady. Well done.
Jamaica Inn (1939) was produced by Renown Pictures Corporation and Mayflower Pictures Corporation. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Cohen Media Group. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, this 4K restoration looks magnificent, but I found the sound quality a bit underwhelming. Some of the clarity seems lost – actors speaking quickly and with accents can make for a trying experience with this older releases, giving everything a tinny quality – but this is likely owed to source issues. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary, a video essay (from author Donald Spoto), and the theatrical trailer. A solid collection.
Recommended.
Even though I don’t consider myself an expert on Alfred Hitchcock’s library of films, I still can’t imagine Jamaica Inn being anything more than an oddity amongst those titles. While it debatably hints at some of the storyteller’s enduring themes, it’s all still a bit too waterlogged (snicker snicker) to float (snicker snicker) instead of swim (guffaw guffaw) on its own merits. There are a few flourishes here and there – mainly, O’Hara’s big fight to save the day, and Laughton’s ability to shock and awe audiences – but overall, it all feels a bit damp (ROTF). Purists might have more to say about it than I do. As is, it’s just okay.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at the Cohen Film Collection provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Jamaica Inn (1939) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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