Manxman's Morality

I wrote about the film "The Manxman" yesterday, a film by Alfred Hitchcock, a silent film from the '20s.

Yesterday it was in honor of the beauty of the leading lady, who played Kate, the love interest of ... the two leading men. Yes, the two.

First, the fisherman loved her. Then his lawyer friend. The fisherman entrusted her to his friend's care while he was away making his fortune in Africa. His friend promptly fell in love with her ... and apparently went all the way at some point afterward.

I'm thinking this is a very mature themed movie, and risque. Not having lived through the '20s, I'm no expert in the mores of those times, especially overseas, England in this case.

She doesn't love the fisherman, but because she promised herself to him she married him anyway. But it all turned out badly for them, with justice finally prevailing to establish certain things about the other relationship. Folks in the crowd were heaping scorn on them.

It was a very good movie. I might want to see it again someday. I recommend it.

The Manxman Beauty

I'm watching this Alfred Hitchcock silent film from 1929, "The Manxman." These scenes are from the beginning. I'm looking at Kate Cregeen played by Anny Ondra and thinking, Wow, she's great looking! She doesn't have that weirded out old fashioned look at you see in lots of 1920s pictures. Instead very fresh and natural.

But let's say I was an eligible bachelor and she wouldn't be around 100 years old now, I still wouldn't want to face her gruff old dad, Caesar Cregeen played by Randle Ayrton. That's Pete Quilliam played by Carl Brisson getting the evil eye for his efforts, and looking like he's about to blow a gasket.

I'm just a little farther than this watching the film. Pete's getting ready to go to Africa to make his fortune, with the idea of coming back to reclaim Kate. Unfortunately, there's others around who happen to notice some of her obvious virtues as well.