4 movies on 2 DVDs Alfred Hitchcock became the most widely known and influential director in the history of world cinema – spanning over 50 years. Hitchcock’s type of screen entertainment was sophisticated suspense and laced with humor and romance. A cultural icon, his bald head, pear-shaped body and somber drawl made him as recognizable as any star he ever directed.

These four timeless mystery movies are filled with murder and mayhem, and enough chills and thrilss to delight devoted Hitchcock fans! Disc 1
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1943) starring Leslie Banks and Edna Best The 39 Steps (1935) starring Robert Donat & Madeleine Carroll Disc 2
Secret Agent (1936)starring John Gielgud and Peter Lorre Sabota.

You have to rate American Movie Classic’s bargain-priced 4-movie collection of early Alfred Hitchcock films on a sliding scale… you generally do not anticipate a Criterion Collection-quality restoration at the cost of a couple dollars per film!

That being said, the prints on this 2-DVD set of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (the original B&W 1930′s version), “The 39 Steps”, “Secret Agent” and “Sabotage” don’t look any worse than I’ve ever seen to date. (Keep in mind that all four of these films are around 70 years old) The audio has been slightly enhanced; there is not as much of the tell-tale “white noise” you tend to experience in such aged films.

As for the movies themselves-it is generally agreed that “The Man..” and “39 Steps” are bonafide Hitchcock classics (although debate continues as to whether Hitch’s own 1956 “remake” of “The Man..” is the superior version-perhaps that depends on your tolerance for Doris Day warbling “Que Sera Sera” ad nauseum.)

“Sabotage” is arguably the weakest selection, although still quite watchable; but the real surprise for this viewer was rewatching the frequently overlooked “Secret Agent”, an entertaining blend of suspenseful WWI espionage and amusing, sophisticated repartee a la “The Thin Man” between John Gielgud, Robert Young, Peter Lorre and pretty Madeleine Carrol. No DVD “extras” to speak of, but any self-respecting film buff would be silly to pass up such a deal!

Written by: Horror Movies Zone

Alfred Hitchcock Hollywood Classics

Date published: 05/05/2012

4 / 5 stars