Cinema (1947) - Film Art

Details

• article: Film Art
• journal: Cinema (Hollywood) (July 1947)
• issue: volume 1, issue 2, page 20
• journal ISSN:
• publisher: Avant Film Publications
• keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Gregory Peck, Old Bailey, London, Robert Montgomery, Rope (1948), The Paradine Case (1947)

Article

Alfred Hitchcock just completed one tour de force in The Paradine Case and is all set for another in The Rope. In the former, the greatest part of the drama takes place in London's Old Bailey courtroom. In true English style, neither the lawyers or defendant are permitted to walk about.

How prevent such a long scene full of dialogue from being static? Hitchcock has attempted to solve it by shooting with many camera located in different places in the courtroom. Then he intercuts all the footage at his leisure. He's still cutting the film.

In The Rope, all the action takes place in the confines of one small room, The problem is even more acute. To get movement in the film, Hitchcock is abandoning "objective" style treatment. Instead, he will use the subjective "I" method so prosaically attempted in Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake.

To cut down on production, Hitchcock plans to thoroughly rehearse the cast before shooting. For this, The Rope will be presented as a play, its original form, at a Southern California theatre this summer. Its film cast, including Gregory Peck, will appear.