Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Stage Fright Blu-ray Movie Review

"Would you like to shoot lovely ducks?"

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 25, 2022

As the third and final of Alfred Hitchcock's independent films made for his short-lived Transatlantic Pictures (the others being Rope and Under Capricorn) which was taken over by Warner Bros. during production, the British noir Stage Fright might be one of his most underappreciated projects. Not that it's an unheralded classic, of course: this 110-minute film runs a bit long, falters due to its structure, and even begins with a narrative choice that the director himself called "the second worst mistake" of his prolific career. Despite its flaws, Stage Fright features great performances and many signs of brilliance; while it's still much closer to second-tier Hitchcock, that's not exactly a deal breaker.

Although Stage Fright as a whole might not seem all that impressive to first-time viewers, the first 20 minutes establish an immediately strong tone that promises intrigue and suspense; it's heightened further, once we realize an unreliable narrator is involved. That man is actor Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd), on the run with his would-be girlfriend Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) after their mutual acquaintance, performer Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich), visited him upon killing her husband in self-defense. While searching the murder scene for some of Charlotte's belongings, he's seen by maid Nellie Goode (Kay Walsh) and is now, in his mind, the lead suspect for a crime he didn't commit. After hiding out at the seaside home of Eve's father Commodore Gill (Alastair Sim) and realizing Jonathan's story doesn't hold up, she begins an investigation of her own, even inadvertently cozying up to detective Wilfred Smith (Michael Wilding).

Guilt, deception, and paranoia are familiar territory for Hitchcock films and, the further we go down Stage Fright's rabbit hole... the more its simple story gets a little tangled, for better or for worse. Eve's double identity becomes the film's driving force during its least engaging moments: although this allows actress Jane Wyman lots of room to flex her solid comedic and dramatic chops (not to mention that the overwhelming meekness of her character is particularly effective in her numerous scenes with the dominant Dietrich), her prolonged investigation stretches the deceptively thin story to its breaking point on multiple occasions. Luckily, Stage Fright rallies in the home stretch as truths are revealed and we realize our lead-off narrator, Jonathan Cooper, isn't quite as reliable as we originally thought.

Much has been written about Stage Fright's deceptive use of cinema's usually truthful flashback sequence -- some of it by the director himself, who regretted the choice for years -- and, while it might seem a bit jarring at first, years worth of unreliable narrators in modern fare have diminished what, upon the the film's release, was its mostly agreed-upon weak point. (That, and the fact it was bulldozed in popularity the next year by Hitchcock's "comeback film" Strangers on a Train.) Yet while Stage Fright isn't quite as smoothly effective as Hitchcock's top-tier efforts, in no way is this an unsuccessful film from almost any perspective. It's just really thin in spots and, while some of its good parts are great, they aren't quite enough to hide the illusion. But from a fundamental viewpoint, it's otherwise on par with the director's usual high standards: memorable performances, slick camerawork, effective editing, and clever visual gags (such as the opening curtain, which eventually comes full circle) are other not-to-secret weapons in the film's arsenal.

Many have already rediscovered Stage Fright's charms thanks to Warner Bros.' and Warner Archive's separate DVD editions, but the latter returns with another one of their trademark top-tier Blu-ray efforts that stands as a definitive technical release in this format. Serving up a virtually flawless 1080p transfer sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, it also includes lossless audio and a few recycled bonus features.

Stage Fright Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Newly restored for this 2022 release, Stage Fright looks outstanding on Warner Archive's new 1080p transfer; it's sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, and the results are perfectly in line with similar films from this era handled by the boutique label. Whereas past home video editions -- in particular, Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD -- suffered from a rough, contrast-heavy image that lacked fine detail and film grain, Warner Archive's Blu-ray all but erases these faults to create quite a solid first impression. While Stage Fright does have a harsher appearance than most of the director's more well-known films, the rough edges are polished to an absolute shine here, revealing a strong amount of fine detail and dominant textures that extend all the way into the backgrounds.

Depth is likewise surprisingly good at times, although the darkest scenes -- Jonathan and Eve's nighttime arrival at her father's seaside home, the shadowy auditorium conclusion -- are considerably flatter in direct comparison. Yet the film's nitrate roots are clearly evident from start to finish, bringing with them a full range of silvery grays the elevate even the most modestly-decorated interiors to new heights. A few stray moments distract, such as one scene during the early flashback that looks almost stitched together and a dozen or so juddery frames during the film's final minutes -- but earlier home video editions showed these same anomalies as well. Long story short: Stage Fright sports yet another exceedingly clean and purist-friendly presentation that will not be bested on disc anytime soon.

Stage Fright Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stays true to Stage Fright's one-channel roots with a nicely restored split mono track that virtually eliminates all obvious signs of hiss, crackling, and other age-related defects while preserving its original sonic qualities. Dialogue and background effects are prioritized nicely, leaving plenty of room for dancer-turned-composer Leighton Lucas' largely effective original score. Overall, it's a very respectable effort that, like the best audio tracks, impresses simply because it gets the job done without distraction.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the film, but not the extras. This is annoying because Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD, which debuted the retrospective featurette included here, did in fact have an optional subtitle track.

Stage Fright Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This release arrives in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art and two DVD-era bonus features.

• Hitchcock and Stage Fright (19:22) - This 2004 piece, written and directed by the unofficial king of home video documentaries Laurent Bouzereau, was first included on Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD edition of Stage Fright. It's a solid program considering the short length, offering clips and comments about Hitchcock's output during this era and, of course, the main feature itself. Featured contributors include the late Peter Bogdanovich (d. 2022), actress Patricia Hitchcock (d. 2021), film historian Robert Osbourne (d. 2017), film historian Richard Schickel (d. 2017), actress Jane Wyman (d. 2007), and filmmaker Richard Franklin (d. 2007), not to mention other key actors and contributors who died before this program was filmed. It's kind of a sobering piece from that perspective, which also makes this featurette event more of a valuable inclusion.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:52) - This vintage promotional piece, which begins with brief footage of Jane Wyman accepting the annual Gold Medal award from Photoplay Magazine, can also be seen here.

Stage Fright Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright may not be as forgettable as its reputation suggests, but neither is it among the famed director's most effective and enduring works... several of which would be made in the coming years. The film's solid performances and flashes of brilliance do their best to outweigh a rather thin story and, while the end result falls short of greatness, it's well worth rediscovering on home video. Warner Archive's Blu-ray release makes it almost irresistible, pairing another outstanding A/V presentation with a few vintage extras for a low asking price. Recommended.