Cary Grant plays a real creep in this film, a guy who sponges off others and who is allergic to telling the truth. He marries a "spinster" (Joan Fontaine, uh...), the daughter of a wealthy man, but seems to have darker ambitions than simple gold digging. Hitchcock is masterful in building up our dislike of Grant's character over the film, and despite it being a quiet kind of film, he maximizes suspense in several scenes. I loved the little touches like the dinner party with the murder mystery author and her family, and the affable friend "Beaky" played by Nigel Bruce. Unfortunately the ending is just awful, which is a real shame since there were several other possibilities. Half a tick off for that, and frankly the deduction could have been more.
Favorite lines: Johnny (Grant): What do you think of me by contrast to your horse? Lina (Fontaine): If I ever got the bit between your teeth, I'd have no trouble in handling you at all.
And as a side note, never marry a man who:
...even if he is Cary Grant.
Favorite lines: Johnny (Grant): What do you think of me by contrast to your horse? Lina (Fontaine): If I ever got the bit between your teeth, I'd have no trouble in handling you at all.
And as a side note, never marry a man who:
- Sneaks into first-class and when caught, mooches off you (a stranger) to pay for him
- Constantly calls you monkeyface
- Touches your ucipital mapilary (I confess I just wanted to say "ucipital mapillary")
- Brags about having been with 73+ women
- You don't know diddly about, e.g. what his plans for making a living are
- Practically chokes on the idea of getting a job, and wants to borrow from others instead
- You catch lying to you more than once
- Sells your prized possessions to go gambling (I mean those family heirloom chairs, c'mon)
- Humiliates you in condescending ways with his buddy
- Has an excessive interest in your father's wealth
- Also has an excessive interest in non-traceable poisons
...even if he is Cary Grant.