A growing source of silent era film information.
This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett.
Copyright © 2000-2009 by Carl Bennett. All Rights Reserved.

About This Listing  /  Report Omissions or Errors in This Listing

[Blackmail Sound Test]
(1929) British
B&W : 37 seconds
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Cast: Alfred Hitchcock [himself], Anny Ondra [herself].

British International Pictures, Limited, production. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Full-sound film.

Sound test.

Synopsis: Short sound test with Hitchcock talking with Ondra:
Hitchcock: Now, uh, Miss Ondra. You asked me to let you hear your voice on the talking picture.
Ondra: Ha, ha. But, Hitch, you mustn’t do that.
Hitchcock: Why not?
Ondra: Well, because . . . I can’t speak well.
Hitchcock: Do you realise the squad van will be here any moment?
Ondra: No, really? Oh, my god. I’m terribly frightened.
Hitchcock: Why? Have you been a bad woman or something?
Ondra: Well, not just bad, but . . . uh.
Hitchcock: But you’ve slept with men.
Ondra: Oh, no! [Turning to hide her laugh]
Hitchcock: You have not? Come here. Stand in your place, otherwise it will not come out right, as the girl said to the soldier.
[Ondra breaks up and turns from the camera again]
Hitchcock: [To the crew] That’s enough.

Survival Status: Print exists in the National Film Archive of the British Film Institute film archive.

Keywords: Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 22 June 2009.

References: Film viewing : Taylor-Hitchcock pp. 95-96.

Home video: Laserdisc.