On R List of Movie Reviews

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Rich and Strange (1931)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 5/24

5/24: If not for Alfred Hitchcock's name, Rich and Strange, aka East of Shanghai, will be so obscure that it's a wonder if anyone thought of seeing it nowadays.

For the most part, it feels like a twenty-minute picture that's stretched to four times as long. There's a strange mix of silent and talkie cinematic elements despite the excellent editing for a while early on. That being said, Henry Kendall, who plays an extremely unlikeable cad, is stuck with the past as shown on his face while Joan Barry has wisely moved forward with the changing times. Hence, their differing acting styles have hurt Alfred Hitchcock's chances of making a successful film.

Meanwhile, the story is threadbare: a married couple from England is lucky to receive lots of money from a relative, goes on a cruise, cheats on each other, comes to their senses, gets involved in a sinking on their way back, and is happy together again when they're back home. If that seems like a lot packed into the film, believe me...it's not. Everything has been simply drawn out. By the way, we don't say "Rangoon" anymore today; it's actually Yangon which used to be the capital of Myanmar, a country that's formerly known as Burma.

All in all, Rich and Strange may seem timeless in the filmmaking sense, but it offers nothing interesting besides the fact that it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

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