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 has been released on Blu-Ray through Kino Lorber. 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 meant that Hitchcock, as director, would not have full creative control. It is primarily for this reason that Hitchcock and later his many admirers do not think highly of JAMAICA INN.
In addition to Laughton, the other performers 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 feeling. Marie Ney 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 his iconic portrayal of 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.
Unless you can see this Cohen Group restoration, then I would advise you to skip all other versions 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, this release contains an optional background commentary, and a behind-the scenes look at the making of the film. The only thing missing to make it complete are subtitles.
The Capsule Critic 