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Saboteur | Year: 1942 Classification: Mystery / Suspense Directed: - Alfred Hitchcock Actors/Actresses: - Priscilla Lane - Robert Cummings The Statue of Liberty Will Never Be the Same Again Sixty years since it's initial theatrical release, Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur has unfortunately aged into an obviously dated, formalistically predictable, and slightly uneven innocent man thriller that still entertains only due to luminous directorial touches of the Master of Suspense. Starring Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, and Otto Krueger (playing the devilishly unpatriotic Charles Tobin), the film does boast a superior supporting cast, numerous Hitchcock narrative touches, many typically overacted performances, a reliably schmaltzy romance, many instances of incredibly defined suspense, and an undeniably brilliant ending Hitchcock Set piece that definitely rates up their with Vertigo's Church Tower, North By Northwest's Mount Rushmore, Foreign Correspondent's Windmill, or any of the Bird's attack sequences. Though apparently Hitchcock's first truly American Innocent Man chase picture, Saboteur remains one of Hitchcock's least enduring of his 40's thrillers. Regrettably for the film's appeal, Saboteur showcases American characters, American landscapes, and routinely American clichés that just don't mesh as well as they aught to in a Hitchcock forum. Hitchcock did eventually direct the Ultimate American Chase Picture with North By Northwest (1959) starring Cary Grant, Eve Marie Saint, James Mason, and Martin Landau, but Saboteur ultimately remains as a colorfully memorable side note in the Master's exemplary career as a filmmaker. Recommended for fans or students of Hitchcock, 40's Cinema, and WW2 propaganda films. Can't wait to see the Saboteur on DVD. Tense and Exciting Wartime Thriller This is a terrific wartime thriller from Hitchcock of aircraft munitions worker Barry Kane (Robert Cummings), forced to take it on the lam and find a Nazi saboteur named Fry in order to clear his name, as he has been wrongly accused of the act of sabotage at the factory which killed his best friend. Hichcock's films often get compared unfairly to each other but taken on it's own terms this is a wonderfully entertaining suspense film with some genuinely memorable moments. Kane is in constant danger both from the police and a network of saboteurs he has traced to a man named Tobin (Otto Kruger) at "Deep Springs Ranch". Tobin knows who Fry is and also knows no one will believe Kane. But as Kane narrowly escapes the police and the Nazi sympathizers he is aided by some along the way who can see he is a stand-up guy who has been wrongly accused. One of those people is the blind father of Pat (Priscilla Lane), a billboard model who doesn't share her father's faith in Kane and starts out doing everthing she can to turn him over to the police but ends up falling in love and in just as much danger as he is. There is a particularly tense scene at a huge party as Kane confronts the cool and slimy Tobin but can't expose the house full of spys because Pat has been captured and will be killed if he does. This film has some great moments of suspense. A plea for help from the trapped Pat, written in lipstick, floating down a skyscraper in New York waiting to be found, is just one of several memorable moments. The troop of a circus sideshow play a part in Kane's (and Pat's) journey as well, as his quest to clear himself takes him from Boulder Dam to Rockefeller Center to the Statue of Liberty. There is a tight and witty script from Dorothy Parker among others, and Hitchcock's famous 'little touches' to keep this one interesting. Robert Cummings, who had proved himself in comedy the previous year with Deanna Durbin in "It Started With Eve" proved he could do more with this film. Priscilla Lane, pretty and likable, gives another nice performance here. Taken on it's own this is a really good film, a great 'popcorn' movie for a lazy saturday afternoon. There's nothing wrong with that..... Good. 'Saboteur' is yet another fantasic mystery from Alfred Hitchcock. Although I don't remember the storyline too much, I remember liking it enough to give it a four-star review. Buy Saboteur at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Saboteur Search with the Priority Search Engine on Saboteur This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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