Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A movie like "Stage Fright" is a bit of a strange product. It is directed by the remarkable Alfred Hitchcock, it has loads of talented actors, & it contains a plot ("the stage") that has very interesting potential. Sadly, that potential is never realized as the film just wanders about.For a basic plot summary, "Stage Fright" sees Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) drawn into a murderous situation surrounding her love interest Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) & his controlling lover Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). Also thrown into the mix is Detective Smith (Michael Wilding), who struggles to decipher the strange circumstances surrounding an acting troupe.The trouble with this movie is that it is just "blah" all the way through. The plot is a familiar murder mystery, with its climax coming just minutes into the movie. The rest is a uninspiring mix of prolonged dialogue and (in a rare Hitchcock miss) very little actual suspense.Despite the acting talent, I can't remember watching any other Hitchcock movie that falls flatter in that regard. Never once did I feel as if I was drawn into any of the characters whatsoever.Simply put, "Stage Fright" is a subpar Hitchcock effort that ranks among the lowest of his wide collection of works. Only a decent twist at the end gives this movie any sort of exciting jolt whatsoever. A stodgy old "thriller" that just doesn't hold up in any way, shape, or form.

With a friend being keen on watching a psychological Thriller,I decided to search around at a local CEX.Despite having heard about the "controversial" twist,I have somehow never got round to seeing Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright.Spotting the DVD being sold at a great price,I felt that it was the perfect time to step on to the stage.The plot:Whilst rehearsing a play at RADA,drama student Eve Gill is surprise to find her best friend (and secret crush) Jonathan Cooper visiting RADA,where he asks Gill if he can hide at her house.As she drives him to her home,Gill asks Cooper what he is running away from.Cooper reveals that he went to cover his secret lover Charlotte Inwood murder of her husband, (which led to Inwood's dress being covered in blood,an item which Cooper has gotten hold of)but got spotted by Inwood's dresser Nellie Goode,who reported Cooper to the cops for murder.Introducing Cooper to her dad,Gill's father notices that the blood on Inwood's dress appear to have been deliberately smeared on it.Suspecting that Inwood has set Cooper up,Gill & her dad decide to confront Cooper with their suspicions,who shows his approval for their idea,by throwing the blood stained dress on a fire.Losing the biggest piece of evidence,Gill decides that the only way she can now prove Cooper's innocence is to go undercover and find out about what Inwood does once the curtain goes down.As she starts gathering info on Inwood,Gill begins to discover that murder is not a dress rehearsal.View on the film:Despite Hitchcock saying that the (still) controversial twist in Whitfield Cook/Alma Reville/James Bridie & Ranald MacDougall adaptation of Selwyn Jepson novel Man Running was his "Second biggest film mistake" the twist actually sums up the themes in the film in a perfect manner.With mistrust being right at the centre,from Gill trying to keep her real motives hidden from Inwood,to Gill's dad suspecting the Cooper is not giving the full story on the blood stained dress.Going against the grain of Hitchcock's traditional "man on the run",the writers instead push all the guys to the side lines,in order to make this a gripping women on the run,as Gill's attempts to keep her true motive hidden from Inwood leads to Gill having to take increasingly desperate measures,in order to keep both sides of her life separate from each other.Making sure that the movie does not solely rely on its sting,the writers build a superb menacing Film Noir atmosphere,which creeps across the screen as Gill's desire for the facts to change tightens its grip.Perfectly setting the mood by raising the curtain on London,Hitchcock & cinematographer Wilkie Cooper push the viewer into the fractured psychological issues facing the characters with dazzlingly low-lit,tightly held shots,which allow the viewer to witness the moment when the "truth" tears Gill apart and leaves Cooper's image completely shattered. Emphasizing the dark uneasy mood,Hitchcock covers the film in ultra-stylised tracking shots,which along with revealing the dark corners of the stage that Cooper & Gill hide in,also subtly expose Gill's belief that she and Cooper are both on the same track.Lighting up the title the moment she steps on stage,the alluring Marlene Dietrich gives an excellent performance that hits a perfect mix of Femme Fatale & upper-crust Diva.Along with reaching the high notes in the movies catchy songs,Dietrich keeps Inwood pouring with slick charisma,which leads to Inwood showing no weaknesses,when Gill confronts her with the "truth".Going in the other direction to Dietrich,a pretty Jane Wyman gives a great performance as Gill,thanks to Wyman giving Gill a strong determination over clearing Cooper's name,which Wyman gradually shows to crumble,as Gill uncovers the real events behind the murder.Joining the girls, Alastair Sim gives a performance flowing with charm as Gill's nervous dad,whilst Richard Todd shows Cooper's calm manner to be a hollow shell,which shatters as he exits,stage death.

Stage Fright is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and collectively written by Whitfield Cook, Ranald MacDougall, Alma Reville and James Bridie, it's based on the novel "Man Running" written by Selwyn Jepson. It stars Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd and Alastair Sim. Plot sees Wyman as drama student Eve Gill, who is asked by friend Jonathan Cooper (Todd) for help because he is on the run for the alleged murder of Charlotte Inwood's (Dietrich) husband. He swears his innocence and with Eve's father (Sim) also in tow, they set about trying to prove Jonathan's innocence. It kind of goes without saying, since 90% of other reviews for Stage Fright have made the point, but Stage Fright is a lesser Hitchcock movie in terms of quality. In fact, watching it now upon revisits, it's actually, well, a bit of a bore. Yes it finds the directing maestro dallying in the realm of acting = deception, himself the deception puppet master, and the cast can't be faulted for quality of performance; notably Wyman who leads the film as a heroine taking on a number of different guises to a number of different people. But it lacks menace, it lacks sardonic humour and after playing the audience like an appropriately named fiddle, the pay off lacks dramatic impact or surprise. It has a bit more to it than merely being one for Hitchcock completists, for one thing fans of British cinema get a nice cameo from the wonderful Joyce Grenfell, but unlike a good portion of Hitchcock's work, this one doesn't hold up on repeat viewings. Decent but not actually very good. 6/10

Another mysterious, thrilling and violent comedic gem from HITCHCOCK. Here he is supported by a pretty stellar cast lead by the adorable JANE WYMAN. MICHAEL WILDING is really good as the slightly gullible but honest detective.Hitch really takes the audience for a ride with this one. I never thought directors in the 30s, 40s and 50s were this innovative with structure. Films from these three decades really are pleasant surprises. They did some pretty outrageous stuff with regard to structure and narrative back then.(8/10)