Jamaica Inn (1939)

Please don't spend money on this.

Fresh and Exciting

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

As you might know by now, I don't really like Alfred Hitchcock movies. However, I loved Jamaica Inn! It's a wildly exciting, swashbuckling adventure-not at all like the slow-paced internal mysteries of the '50s and '60s Hitchcock is best known for.The start of the movie shows a shipwreck caused by a nasty band of pirates, who, then, attack the survivors. It's a very creepy and effective scene. Next up, we see a seventeen-year-old Maureen O'Hara-in only her second leading role-arriving in the same town. She's there to stay with her aunt and uncle, Marie Ney and Leslie Banks, but before she can find their inn, she meets the wealthy squire Charles Laughton. I'd prefer not to tell you anymore of the plot, since it's incredibly exciting when you don't know what's going to happen, but if you like mysterious period pieces, twists and turns in your plots, or romance sprinkled into an adventure, you'll probably love this movie as much as I do.It's hard to believe this was Maureen O'Hara's third movie; in her first, she played an unnamed secretary. She's just as feisty and fierce as she was in The Quiet Man, nearly fifteen years later. She got this part because Charles Laughton saw her screen test and insisted on casting her as his leading lady! Charles is fantastic in his secretive, slimy role, and he'll keep you on your toes from start to finish. A young Robert Newton plays one of the pirates, long before he created the "original pirate" in Treasure Island. His role in Jamaica Inn is far different from Long John Silver, and while I won't give you any spoilers, if this is your first Robert Newton movie, you'll see him differently than everyone else. My dad first saw in this movie, and he said, "I can't imagine him playing Bill Sikes!" Again, no spoilers, but this is just another notch in Bobbie's belt of versatility.

As a huge fan of the film-making of Alfred Hitchcock, I began watching this long-ago film in hopes of capturing some of the old Hitch magic. Sadly, I only made it ten minutes into the endeavor.The problem? The quality of the production (or reproduction, I guess) of the film. Perhaps I am just spoiled by newer technology such as 1080p & Blu-Ray, but the visual disturbances were so explicit as to be distracting. It was as if someone took a handful of dust and sprinkled it across the picture at all times.The sound was even worse. There was a constant background hum, and the voices were not at all clear (and since this is a British film, the accents need clarity to be enjoyed/understood).Thus, I could not bring myself to watch a film that was in such bad shape, as I felt I would miss too much of Hitchcock's style, wit, and directorial genius. If a "digitally remastered" cut of "Jamaica Inn" ever comes out, count me in. Otherwise, it's in too bad of shape to warrant a serious viewing as-is.

I always enjoy the Hitchcock movies. Always. This one was no exception. Adapted from a famous novel by Daphne Du Maurier, Jamaica Inn is a period piece, one of a select few directed by Sir Alfred. The action also seems from a former time. It is overly romantic and slightly melodramatic. But that suits the picture, perfectly. The cast is excellent all around. Charles Laughton's performance is exemplary. He nuances his role as Sir Humphrey (the unknown behind the scenes leader of the wrecking gang) with sardonic wit and a slightly mad glee. It is said there were a few clashes between he and the director. It does not surprise me. They were similar characters, demanding as much space as space would allow, probably. I enjoyed Maureen O'Hara's performance. She avoided the usual naivete exhibited by many female leads for pictures of this ilk, though she never did more than she needed to. Robert Newton & the rest of the cast were similarly excellent, including deft performances by the older couple at the Inn (Leslie Banks and Marie Ney). Not much cinematography, but the storm scenes and final climactic ship scene at the end were well carried off. Sir Humphrey's palace was well and lavishly depicted as well. All in all, despite a few minor flaws here and there, a very enjoyable watch!

The last film directed in England by Alfred Hitchcock, "Jamaica Inn" was produced, in part, by Charles Laughton.The story, adapted from a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, begins with a beautiful young woman named Mary (Maureen O'Hara) traveling by coach through a stormy night to meet her estranged aunt and uncle, who reside at Jamaica Inn--a place feared by outsiders. Her aunt Patience receives her with open arms, but Uncle Joss is a leering sort whose associates and business enterprises are suspect.Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton) is a landowner and the region's seat of justice. He represents refined, indulgent nobility. Laughton insisted that the size of his role be increased, effectively changing the film from a whodunit to a suspense film that is part character study. Hitchcock was disappointed, but I think Laughton was correct in casting himself as Pengallan rather than Joss (as originally planned) and then maximizing his role. Laughton's Pengallan is a complex character who displays cunning, eccentricity, and levels of mystery. Despite himself, Hitchcock delivers a film of atmosphere and style. He abstains from his usual cameo, but his hands are all over this moody work of suspense that was a box office hit.After the production of "Jamaica Inn", Laughton and O'Hara would go to Hollywood to produce the wonderful "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Hitchcock would also be lured to Hollywood with the intention of creating a film about The Titanic, but instead would direct "Rebecca", an adaptation of another Du Maurier novel.