i luv cinema

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • TCMFF 2019
    • TCMFF 2019: Reflections on a Favorite Film Festival
  • Tribeca 2019
    • When Your Time is Short, Go See a Short! (Tribeca 2019)
    • LINDA RONSTADT: The Sound of My Voice
  • London Film Festival 2019
    • BFI London Film Festival 2019 – My 1st Time!
    • The Aeronauts (2019) was Fun (Kinda)
    • Knives Out: A Highlight on My Cinematic Calendar
    • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: A Review
    • Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans ’66)
  • 100 “Must-See”
  • About Me
Home Commentary Peck and Hitchcock: A Retrospective

April 5, 2012 By iluvcinema 16 Comments

Peck and Hitchcock: A Retrospective

I have been graciously invited by Ruth at Flixchatter to participate in her celebration of what would have been Gregory Peck’s 96th birthday. Be sure to check out her piece Beauty is Forever: Happy Birthday, Mr. Gregory Peck!

Also make sure to visit her site to read the posts from the others who have contributed to this celebration!

Here, below, is my celebratory entry:


As many fans of Alfred Hitchcock know, whether in front of or behind the camera, once Hitch found someone he liked, they usually became a constant collaborator.

When it came to music, there was Bernard Herrmann.

When it came to continuity and editing, his wife, Alma Reville.

In the area of writing, there was John Michael Hayes.

And then there were the ‘icy blondes’ of course – Ingrid Bergman, Tippi Hedren and Grace Kelly, to name a few.

As far as leading men are concerned, there was James Stewart, Cary Grant, and our birthday boy, Mr. Gregory Peck, who starred in two of Hitchcock’s films: the 1945 classic Spellbound and 1947’s The Paradine Case.

For my money, Spellbound is the far superior film; in this film, Hitchcock utilizes Peck’s dignified everyman status to great effect. He plays Dr. Edwardes, a young doctor on assignment to a mental institution. But soon we discover that all is not what it appears. Hitchcock uses this as an opportunity to delve into the complexities of the human mind (the subject of psychoanalysis being of great interest to Hitchcock). His co-star in the film is Ingrid Bergman playing Dr. Petersen, who helps Dr. Edwardes (and the audience) unravel the mystery at the center of the story.

A highlight of the film is the infamous dream sequence, with elements conceived and designed by the famous surrealist Salavdor Dalí.

At the time of its release, Spellbound was a runaway critical and commercial hit.

 

Unfortunately, Peck and Hitchcock’s second collaboration received mixed reviews and was not generally as well received. The Paradine Case is the seventh and final film that Hitchcock directed for producer David O. Selznick.

It is a courtroom drama in which we see Peck’s character, barrister Anthony Keene fall in love with his client, the beautiful and mysterious Madame Paradine (played by actress Alida Valli). She is on trial for the murder of her husband.

Often seen as one of the “Hitchcock films one ought to not bother watching” it is an effectively made film that shows what lengths the protagonist will go to let this woman he is so drawn to escape a murder charge – Keene puts his reputation, career and marriage at stake.

One reason I feel many dismiss The Paradine Case is that it does not have the characteristic ‘Hitchcockian’ levels of intrigue and suspense that audiences were getting used to from the director by now. I suspect that if any other director’s name appeared at the opening credits, the reception would have been a bit more forgiving. That said, if you are looking for a film in the vein of Spellbound or Notorious (1946), this is not the film.

 

Fast-forward 16 years after The Paradine Case wrapped and take a look at the photo below; Peck and Hitchcock are posed together on the set of Hitch’s latest production, The Birds (1963). While I did not find much in my research that indicated a particularly strong life-long friendship between the two, this photograph is a testament (in my eyes at least) of a partnership that produced a mutual respect between the men.

 

Share this:

  • Share
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Print
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: alfred hitchcock, gregory peck

Comments

  1. Nostra says

    April 5, 2012 at 7:01 am

    Great piece. Ruth’s article is not up yet, but let’s hope it will be up soon 🙂
    Nostra recently posted..The Boys from Brazil (1978)My Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 5, 2012 at 8:54 am

      Thanks Nostra; her piece should be up later this morning. I am on NY time and had to post earlier due to work.

      Reply
  2. Castor says

    April 5, 2012 at 9:19 am

    It seems like Ruth’s love for Gregory Peck has become highly contagious as of late! Nice post Iba 😀
    Castor recently posted..Alexander Skarsgard to Star in Horror Thriller ‘Hidden’My Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 5, 2012 at 10:30 am

      Look out you may catch it too 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jack Deth says

    April 5, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Hi, iluv and company:

    A very informative article. Well done!

    Gregory Peck seemed to fit well with Mr. Hitchcock’s rarified niche in film until Jimmy Stewart came along.
    ‘Spellbound’ excels on many levels. Mostly due to Mr. Peck. Very similar, yet superior to George Cukor’s ‘Gaslight’. While ‘The Paradine Case’ is very Hitchcockian in its wry, dry British humor and eerie sense of irony. Featuring some of Peck’s and Charles Laughton’s best work.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 5, 2012 at 10:51 am

      Very true, Jack. Jimmy Stewart was the ‘it’ Hitch was looking for but for the time (the 1940s) Peck was well suited. You bring up a good point about the “Britishness” of “The Paradine Case.” That may be another reason it did not resonate with audiences, then and now.

      Reply
  4. ruth says

    April 5, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    What a fantastic angle of a post to do on Gregory, Iba! Thanks for taking part, I really enjoyed reading this and LOVE that photo of Peck on the set with Hitchcock. Peck is in his ‘Atticus’ mode 😀
    ruth recently posted..Five for the Fifth: April 2012 EditionMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 5, 2012 at 1:31 pm

      Thanks Ruth! It was my pleasure to take part in this activity 🙂
      Watching Peck marathon on TCM now.

      Reply
      • ruth says

        April 5, 2012 at 4:23 pm

        Oh I’m so jealous!! I wish I had taken a week off during his birthday as his marathon is going on during workdays 🙁
        ruth recently posted..Beauty is Forever: Happy Birthday, Mr. Gregory Peck!My Profile

        Reply
  5. Eric says

    April 6, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Great post! I have yet to see either of these films, but it’s always fun to read about Hitchcock. I really need to check out Spellbound…
    Eric recently posted..Movie Review: The Hunger Games [2012]My Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 6, 2012 at 4:47 pm

      Definitely catch Spellbound before you watch The Paradine Case …

      Reply
  6. le0pard13 says

    April 6, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    Yeah, ‘Spellbound’ really stands up well through the years and outshines the latter collaboration with Hitchcock for Gregory Peck. When it worked, it was a magically pairing. Wonderful contribution.
    le0pard13 recently posted..Happy Birthday You Ol’ Westerner: Gregory PeckMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 7, 2012 at 11:44 am

      thanks!

      Reply
  7. Rod Croft says

    April 17, 2012 at 1:56 am

    Many years ago, “Spellbound” was my initial introduction to Hitchcock and it still remains one of my “favourites”. I also enjoy “The Paradine Case” being, in my opinion, one of Hitchcock ‘s first “obsession” films; Gregory Peck as Anthony Keane, a respected barrister, risks his successful marrage and brilliant career for the facinating, mysterious and sensuous Mrs Paradine. Hitchcock was to develop this particular genre to magnificent heights in, what I consider, to be his masterwork – “Vertigo”.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 17, 2012 at 9:06 am

      Hi Rod you make a good claim about the level of obsession in The Paradine Case.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Classic Chops: Alfred Hitchcock | The Large Association of Movie Blogs says:
    March 17, 2014 at 10:24 am

    […] Peck and Hitchcock: A Retrospective […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommended Read

contender

Added to My Video Library

the blob

Subscribe to iluvcinema

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts.

Centers of Film Study

  • JBFC
  • MoMA Film Screenings
  • The Picture House
  • University of California Press (Cinema and Media Texts)

Fast Film Resources

  • Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
  • Alfred Hitchcock-Master of Suspense
  • Film | The Guardian
  • Kermode & Mayo's Film Reviews
  • Park Circus
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Internet Movie Database
  • Tribeca Film

Film Societies

  • BAMcinématek
  • Film Society of Lincoln Center

This is How We Blogroll

  • BBC Film: The Bulletin
  • Cinematic Corner
  • Comet Over Hollywood
  • Critical Women on Film
  • FlixChatter
  • Future of Flim (Tribeca Film Blog)
  • in so many words …
  • Kermode's Film Blog
  • Paula's Cinema Club
  • Roger Ebert
  • Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
  • Superhero Movie Talk
  • Sweet Freedom

Archives

Tweets by @iluvcinema
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact iluvcinema
totalfilm600movieblogs

Copyright © 2021, iluvcinema ·Streamline Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.