If Charles Laughton is remembered for anything, it was his ability to command the screen and for him to do that with the silliest eyebrows I have EVER seen is no small testament to his abilities as an actor.
Furthermore, an author with such a history for strong female characters as Du Maurier cements this aspect knowingly albeit an awkward fit with the less beloved traits of Hitchcock. As awkward as it can be, with Laughton’s character effectively using her character as a prized possession to be earned, this was the world in the 1900s. Throughout his career, Hitchcock was hit with accusations that he didn’t treat his female characters well, while this can be circumvented with sound reasoning it doesn’t change the fact that O’Hara’s character is received as little more than a piece of meat, one which can’t be trusted at that. And true to form, this early Hitchcock becomes a labyrinthine twister of death and betrayal. Once there she is greeted by her hostile uncle and a gang of criminals who profit from wrecking passing ships. Her only respite comes from a palatial manner house owned by the local lord, Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton), who provides her with a horse to get to the nearby Jamaica Inn. Oblivious to the world around her, the carriage she takes ignores her pleas to drop her off at the titular inn, a reluctance that forces her to go it alone with the harsh sea air battering the countryside. Mary (Maureen O’Hara) jumps straight into this mess with her arriving from Ireland to live with her aunt and uncle (Marie Ney and Leslie Banks). Jamaica Inn takes place in the 1820’s Cornwall, described as a place where crime rules, with pirates dominating the seas. Therefore, in an attempt to shine a light one of his lesser-known films, Arrow Academy has released his last hurrah at home with 1938’s Jamaica Inn, adapting Daphne du Maurier (Don’t Look Now, The Birds and Rebecca) for the first time in his celebrated career. Regrettably, the importance of silent cinema will never be able to compete with the popularity of Vertigo, Psycho or Rear Window. Famously characterized as the Master of Suspense, Hitchcock’s work defined much of the 1940s and 50s, back home though most of his work came in the form of silent cinema. Given that he directed some of the finest American films of all time, it’s easy to overlook Alfred Hitchcock’s status as a British filmmaker.
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