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Hard To Find Films Films From the Silent era and up that you can't find anywhere else!
BLACKMAIL 1929 rare silent version Alfred Hitchcock
The film began production as a silent film. To cash in on the new found
popularity of talkies the film's producers, British International
Pictures, gave Hitchcock the go-ahead to film a portion of the movie in
sound. Hitchcock thought the idea absurd and surreptitiously filmed
almost the entire feature in sound along with a silent version for
theatres not yet equipped for talking pictures.
Lead actress Anny Ondra was raised in Prague and had a heavy Polish
accent that was felt unsuitable for the film. Sound was in its infancy
at the time and it was impossible to post dub Anny's voice. Rather than
replace Anny and re-shoot her portions of the film actress Joan Barry
was hired to actually speak the dialogue while Anny lip-synched them
for the film. This makes Ondra's performance seem slightly awkward.
Hitchcock used several elements that would become Hitchcock
"trademarks" including a beautiful blonde in peril and a famous
landmark in the finale. Hitchcock used the Schufftan process to film
the scenes in the Reading Room of the British Museum since the light
levels were too low for normal filming.
The film was a critical and commercial hit. The sound was praised as
inventive. A completed silent version of Blackmail was released in 1929
shortly after the talkie version hit theaters. The silent version of
Blackmail actually ran longer in theaters and proved more popular,
largely because most theaters in England were not yet equipped for
sound. Despite the popularity of the silent version, history best
remembers the landmark talkie version of Blackmail. It is the version
now generally available although some critics consider the silent
version superior.
Very nice quality print.
DVDs
are DVD-R technology. DVD-R discs are compatible with most newer DVD
players from approximately 2002 and up. Virtually all future players
from major companies will be DVD-R compatible and many current DVD
players are DVD-R compatible even though this format may not be listed
on their disc compatibility charts. Please be advised that it is YOUR
responsibility to verify that your player is capable of playing DVD-Rs.
Due to the vast variety of DVD players, we will NOT accept returns on
these items due to incompatibility. If you are unsure of your player's
compatibility please consult either\both of these frequently-updated,
online compatibility charts for a comprehensive list of most older DVD
players and their model numbers:
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.php and http://www.dvdmadeeasy.com/ (once on the site, click the 'compatibility' link on the left-hand menu.)
Though
many do, for the most part, these discs usually do not contain any type
of additional or "bonus" materials sometimes associated with commercial
or factory releases.
Shipping is $5 for the first item plus $1
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Shipping & Handling
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$1.00 Add $1 each add. item in U.S.
|  | International Shipping | $10.00 USPS Priority Mail Intl
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