Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among my Interests








Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Jamaica Inn - A 1939 Movie Directed by Alfred Hitchcock - Run Time 1 hour 34 minutes- Starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara


 Available on YouTube 


Jamaica Inn was adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel of the same name. It is the first of three of du Maurier's works that Hitchcock adapted (the others were her novel Rebecca and short story "The Birds"). It stars Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara in her first major screen role. It is the last film Hitchcock made in the United Kingdom before he moved to the United States.


The film is set in 1820 in Cornwall, England, and tells the story of Mary Yellan (O'Hara), a young woman who goes to live with her aunt and uncle at the Jamaica Inn, a remote hostelry on Bodmin Moor. She soon discovers that her uncle, Joss Merlyn (Laughton), is the leader of a gang of wreckers who lure ships to their doom on the Cornish coast in order to steal their cargo.


Jamaica Inn is a classic Hitchcock film, with all the hallmarks of his style: suspenseful plot, atmospheric setting, and memorable characters. The film is also notable for its stunning cinematography, which captures the beauty and wildness of the Cornish landscape.


The film was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and it is now considered to be one of Hitchcock's best films. It is a must-see for fans of classic cinema, suspense, and adventure.

Mel Ulm










2 comments:

Mystica said...

Didn’t see the film but the book was excellent reading

Buried In Print said...

I didn't realise/remember that there was an early version of this. There's a recent series as well, which is very atmospheric...probably feels very slow in comparison to this version as I believe it's about five hours in total and a lot of images of the coast and the landscape. As Mystica says above, the book is good fun too (old-fashioned suspense but very enjoyable in that light, IMO).