In Alfred Hitchcock’s world, theaters are where danger stalks the wings, characters are not what they seem, and that “final curtain” can drop any second. The droll Stage Fright springs from that entertaining tradition. Jane Wyman plays drama student Eve Gill, who tries to clear a friend (Richard Todd) being framed for murder by becoming the maid of flamboyant stage star Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). Filming in his native England, Hitchcock merrily juggles elements of humor and whodunit and puts a game ensemble (Alistair Sim, Sybil Thorndike, Joyce Grenfell, Kay Walsh and daughter Patricia Hitchcock) through its paces. No one turns a theatre into a bastion of dread like Hitchcock, and Stage Fright is proof positive.
For thoughts on Stage Fright, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Stage Fright for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. Warner Archive continues to deliver quality work time and time again, and the image is nothing short of stunning for a film that is over 70 years old. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. Alfred Hitchcock was a master of visuals, and every shot comes through beautifully. The presentation has a pleasing amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Print damage is virtually nonexistent outside of a couple spots where it appears the source material was lacking ever so slightly. It is always amazing to see how film preservation can bring new life to a film. Warner Archive can proudly boast that this is the best the film has ever looked.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds simply wonderful. Even during the most chaotic of moments the dialogue comes through crystal clear. As a matter of fact, none of the sound effects or the music ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The more kinetic and thrilling sequences are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves.
Special Features
- Hitchcock and Stage Fright: A 19-minute archival documentary from 2004 which includes insights from subjects as varied as Peter Bogdanovich, actress Patricia Hitchcock, film historian Robert Osbourne, film historian Richard Schickel, actress Jane Wyman, filmmaker Richard Franklin and more. There are a lot of great insights provided in this compact piece about how the film fits into Hitchcock’s larger body of work, how the directors builds suspense, the performances, stunts in the film and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Stage Fright may not be the pinnacle for Alfred Hitchcock, but when you are speaking about one of the greatest directors of all time you have some tough competition. The story is a bit slight, but the way this movie is stitched together with magnificent performances elevates this to something a bit more special. You can tell that the director is having a lot of fun with this one, a sentiment that translates effortlessly to the viewer. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a standout A/V presentation and a great supplemental documentary. If you are a Hitchcock fan, there is no reason to pass up this top-tier release. Recommended
Stage Fright can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
