tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post231322485219575666..comments2024-03-08T18:49:51.289-05:00Comments on Classic Film and TV Café: Dial H for Hitchcock: Saboteur (1942)Rick29http://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-61786581746696292782009-12-22T18:56:38.713-05:002009-12-22T18:56:38.713-05:00I agree with Eve. I can't envision Gary Cooper...I agree with Eve. I can't envision Gary Cooper in the lead. Actually, Bob Cummings works better as an everyman thrust into a different world. Anyone have a theory about Hitch's obvious interest in setting climaxes atop U.S. landmarks? Some critics try to paint SABOTEUR as a propaganda film. I think that's too obvious. I think it was attended as a suspense film, but a uniquely American one.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-54292891959239303262009-12-21T22:44:09.891-05:002009-12-21T22:44:09.891-05:00Sark, thank you for a stellar edition of "Dia...Sark, thank you for a stellar edition of "Dial H for Hitchcock"...I'm glad you chose SABOTEUR for discussion, Hitchcock has such an amazing portfolio of masterpieces, that some of his lesser but still admirable work is often overlooked. I particularly like Norman Lloyd's performance,too, and the Statue of Liberty climax is classic. Though I don't think Cummings was great in the lead, I can't picture Gary Cooper in the role, to tell you the truth...as to Barbara Stanwyck, you started me thinking that she and Hitchcock were made for each other and it's hard to believe they never made a film together together...excellent post, Sark.The Lady Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963115499930520653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-66906808997371825722009-12-21T21:15:09.711-05:002009-12-21T21:15:09.711-05:00Sark, thank you for your great write-up of a lesse...Sark, thank you for your great write-up of a lesser known Hitchcock work. I think Norman Lloyd is a stand out here. Bob Cumming's performance is strengthened by his pairing with the sweet Priscilla Lane. I really enjoyed your research!toto2https://www.blogger.com/profile/09652682900471649463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-71507210550517745192009-12-21T18:55:29.760-05:002009-12-21T18:55:29.760-05:00Rupert, nice to see you over here! I read where Hi...Rupert, nice to see you over here! I read where Hitchcock felt he didn't capture the essence of America well with SABOTEUR and that was one of the reasons he enlisted Thorton Wilder for SHADOW OF A DOUBT. I disagree to the extent that SABOTEUR visually captures the feel of the land (particularly the scene where Barry and Pat are driving along the road and have to abandon the car after Barry uses the motor to remove his handcuffs). I also like Hitch's use of famous landmarks (Boulder Dam, Statue of Liberty) to emphasize this is a film about America (vs. a small-town representation of it as in SHADOW).Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-41859460396372197072009-12-21T18:33:55.120-05:002009-12-21T18:33:55.120-05:00I absolutely love Saboteur! It's one of my top...I absolutely love Saboteur! It's one of my top 10 favorite Hitchcock classics of all time!Ruperthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15526556689348727001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-84408383161744545092009-12-21T15:05:37.043-05:002009-12-21T15:05:37.043-05:00Sark, I can not wait to see this film..Sark, I can not wait to see this film..Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476174860119487509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-48885536204319909742009-12-21T14:46:19.735-05:002009-12-21T14:46:19.735-05:00Becky, I'm happy to have found another SABOTEU...Becky, I'm happy to have found another SABOTEUR fan! And you're right about the silence during the Statue of Liberty sequence. Wonderful! (And don't worry about typos. I have them all the time, when I'm wide awake. Sometimes doped up on caffeine, but that's a lame excuse...)<br /><br />Rick, I also enjoy the carnival scene, and I can understand your and Paul's comparisons to NORTH BY NORTHWEST. I really like that film, too. Hitch was an expert with the wrongfully accused characters/plots!<br /><br />filomeno2006: Norman Lloydsarkoffagushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00922698736476674377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-68144521242329310122009-12-21T14:00:43.089-05:002009-12-21T14:00:43.089-05:00¿Actor parecido a Vladimiro Putin?¿Actor parecido a Vladimiro Putin?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-5636696658835084672009-12-21T13:37:13.511-05:002009-12-21T13:37:13.511-05:00Sark, for me, SABOTEUR works as a dress rehearsal ...Sark, for me, SABOTEUR works as a dress rehearsal for NORTH BY NORTHWEST. Both films share popular Hitchcock themes (e.g., innocent man on the run, evil men as gentlemanly in appearance). Their unique similarity is the landmark climaxes. Both of them are thrilling sequences, but I wish the special effects had been better. As you point out, SABOTEUR wasn't a big-budget film, but NORTH BY NORTHWEST was and it looks no better (couldn't Hitch have gotten some help from Harryhausen?). My favorite scene in SABOTEUR isn't a suspense bit, but where Bob Cummings and Priscilla Lane meet the carnival people aboard the train. It's a funny, sweet scene...very different in tone from N BY NW--which is funny in a more cynical way.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-20588184713816219812009-12-21T09:02:43.938-05:002009-12-21T09:02:43.938-05:00Sark, I Think Norman is the best thing in this fil...Sark, I Think Norman is the best thing in this film one of Hitch's better "Bad Guys' And I like the cross country chase which Hitch would use again in North by Northwest.<br /> Norman went on to later produce Hitch's TV series.Paul 2https://www.blogger.com/profile/11500682719536011343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-11655679239019389442009-12-21T08:02:25.885-05:002009-12-21T08:02:25.885-05:00Well, Sark, my comment came early in the morning -...Well, Sark, my comment came early in the morning -- I said Cummings was right for the right (should have been PART) -- I said this was the first of the series (really the 2ND) -- and I called our most famous monument the STATUS of Liberty. Next time I'll shake the sleep out of my system before commenting!ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-1876718515787681662009-12-21T06:31:21.501-05:002009-12-21T06:31:21.501-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-52981681265965982112009-12-21T06:30:07.719-05:002009-12-21T06:30:07.719-05:00I love your choice for the first Hitchcock movie i...I love your choice for the first Hitchcock movie in this series, Sark. I love Hitchcock and Saboteur is in the top 10 for me. There is something about this movie that holds me despite the number of times I see it. I think Cummings is just right for his right, one of Hitchcock's famous innocent men pulled into diabolical doings of which the innocent man has been blissfully unaware until chance pulls him in. I have always liked Priscilla Lane and she was good with Cummings. You are quite right that the villain is wonderful, and his looks alone keep you looking at him like a deer in the headlights, disliking him but unable to look away. As far as the Status of Liberty scene, I thought it was tremendously enhanced by the lack of music and the utter silence when Cummings and the villain hung from the statue and the sleeve begins to rip. Chiller. Thanks for a great start, Sark!ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com