If anyone other than Alfred Hitchcock had directed JAMAICA INN, it would be considered a minor masterpiece especially considering when and where it was made. This tale of 19th century smugglers and wreckers off the coast of Cornwall is on par with anything Hollywood did in the pirate genre. The movie’s merits are clearly evident in this Cohen Group restoration which was recently released on Blu-Ray. For the first time it is possible to see the movie as audiences saw it in 1939 rather than the way it has appeared in countless public domain copies which until now was the only way to see it.
Hitchcock’s last British feature before coming to America was co-produced by star Charles Laughton and the German impresario Erich Pommer. Pommer had been the head of Germany’s UFA studios and was responsible for many of Germany’s greatest silent films and had shepherded directors such as Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau. He left when Hitler came to power in 1933. However this arrangement would mean that Hitchcock, as director, would not have full creative control over how the movie was made. It is primarily for this reason that Hitchcock and later his many admirers do not think highly of JAMAICA INN.
As has been pointed out in other reviews, this is more of a Charles Laughton picture than one by Hitchcock. Laughton certainly dominates the film with his flamboyant portrayal of a mad country squire (a performance he would recycle 12 years later in THE STRANGE DOOR) but the look of the movie is pure Hitchcock. Harking back to his years in German silent cinema, Hitchcock, who designed the sets and the background visuals, gives the movie a dark and brooding atmosphere much as he would do for REBECCA one year later. The use of Expressionistic style lighting, high and low angle shots infuses JAMAICA INN with a kind of visual poetry.
In addition to Laughton, the other performances are just as memorable. Leslie Banks (the hero of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH 4 years earlier) is a menacing, hulking brute who is not devoid of intelligence. Marie Kay brings depth and pathos to the role of Banks’ downtrodden wife. The remaining smugglers are portrayed by some of England’s top character actors including Mervyn Johns and a young Emlyn Williams. Robert Newton, 10 years before he played Long John Silver, is fine in a rare heroic role while the 19 year old Maureen O’Hara (whom Hitchcock didn’t want) is both radiant and feisty, traits she would continue to use for the rest of her long career.
While Daphne du Maurier was understandably displeased with the changes made to her book (most notably changing Laughton’s character from a minister to a country squire which was done to appease Hollywood censors), she would collaborate with Hitchcock on REBECCA the following year and on THE BIRDS in 1963. Audiences didn’t care and the film grossed well over $3 million. Initial reviews, while pointing out the differences between the book and the film, were largely positive. Once Hitchcock became a cinema icon, its reputation plummeted thanks to his disparagement.
Unless you can see this Cohen Group restoration, then I would advise you to skip all other available releases as they simply do not do the movie justice. The public domain copies suffer from a soft picture and from poor sound and are a chore to sit through. In addition to top notch picture and sound quality, there is background commentary provided and a behind-the scenes look at the making of the film which are provided as special features.
The Capsule Critic 