How interesting that after years of watching instant classic Jimmy Stewart performances, I finally encountered a deeply unlikeable one. Stewart plays the domineering yet clueless doctor caught up in an assassination plot in a curious buffoonish fashion. His accent was… interesting and I would not have been shocked had there been a final act reveal that he was actually a British spy undercover and doing their best approximation of a midwestern doctor.
The mystery itself loses its way as the story progresses, with characters at times responding in a rather confounding fashion to circumstances that should feel much higher stakes. There are still some incredible moments here - Jimmy Stewart’s physical comedy at the Marrakech restaurant trying to align his gangly limbs into a passably comfortable position while he sits on the low cushioned seating and the tussle at the taxidermist (say that 5 times fast) were wonderful. The sheer scale of the Royal Albert Hall sequence was undeniable, but I found some of the climactic moments wanting compared to the grandiose setting. I also wish Doris Day was given more to do, but she does her best as the sidelined Hitchcock blonde.
I’ll certainly watch the original ‘34 version one day, but the story isn’t one I’m eager to revisit anytime soon.
Watched as part of the Criterion Challenge - 17. Prequel/Sequel/Remake/Reimagining.
How interesting that after years of watching instant classic Jimmy Stewart performances, I finally encountered a deeply unlikeable one. Stewart plays the domineering yet clueless doctor caught up in an assassination plot in a curious buffoonish fashion. His accent was… interesting and I would not have been shocked had there been a final act reveal that he was actually a British spy undercover and doing their best approximation of a midwestern doctor.
The mystery itself loses its way as the story progresses, with characters at times responding in a rather confounding fashion to circumstances that should feel much higher stakes. There are still some incredible moments here - Jimmy Stewart’s physical comedy at the Marrakech restaurant trying to align his gangly limbs into a passably comfortable position while he sits on the low cushioned seating and the tussle at the taxidermist (say that 5 times fast) were wonderful. The sheer scale of the Royal Albert Hall sequence was undeniable, but I found some of the climactic moments wanting compared to the grandiose setting. I also wish Doris Day was given more to do, but she does her best as the sidelined Hitchcock blonde.
I’ll certainly watch the original ‘34 version one day, but the story isn’t one I’m eager to revisit anytime soon.
Watched as part of the Criterion Challenge - 17. Prequel/Sequel/Remake/Reimagining.
