{"id":4107,"date":"2007-09-01T21:55:14","date_gmt":"2007-09-02T04:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4107"},"modified":"2021-01-02T10:57:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-02T17:57:48","slug":"jamaica-inn-1939","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4107","title":{"rendered":"Jamaica Inn (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;That place &#8212; Jamaica Inn. It&#8217;s got a bad name. It&#8217;s not healthy, that&#8217;s why. There&#8217;s queer things goes on there.&#8221;<\/strong> <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-61255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster-677x1024.png 677w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster-85x128.png 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster-179x270.png 179w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Poster.png 733w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nUpon arriving at Jamaica Inn in Cornwall, an orphaned Irish woman (Maureen O&#8217;Hara) learns that her Uncle Joss (Leslie Banks) is part of a gang of criminals who loot shipwrecks &#8212; secretly orchestrated by mysterious Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton) &#8212; for monetary gain. When Mary (O&#8217;Hara) helps an undercover gang member (Robert Newton) escape with his life, her own is soon in danger &#8212; both from the rest of the criminals, and from nefarious Pengallan, who wants her as his very own &#8220;beautiful object&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Laughton Films<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Hitchcock Films<\/li>\n<li>Maureen O&#8217;Hara Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Robert Newton Films<\/li>\n<li>Thieves and Criminals<\/li>\n<li>Undercover Cops and Agents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nIt&#8217;s no secret that Alfred Hitchcock was only vaguely invested in this adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier&#8217;s gothic novel, his final British venture before moving to Hollywood. Frank Nugent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1939\/10\/12\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-laughton-obscures-hitchcock-in-jamaica-inn-at.html\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a> stated the situation succinctly: &#8220;Having set his own standards, Alfred Hitchcock must be judged by them; and, by them, his <em>Jamaica Inn<\/em>&#8230; is merely journeyman melodrama.&#8221; While reasonably competent, the film shows little of Hitchcock&#8217;s trademark directorial style; unlike most of the entries in his distinctive oeuvre, this one could easily be taken as the work of someone (anyone) else. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, as many have noted, <em>Jamaica Inn<\/em> is actually a &#8220;Charles Laughton picture&#8221; rather than a &#8220;Hitchcock picture&#8221;, given Laughton&#8217;s role as both producer and lead actor. He has great fun playing the corpulent baddie here, slyly fooling everyone around him, and coming across as simultaneously grotesque and calculating. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-1024x751.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-1024x751.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton-368x270.png 368w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton.png 1409w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Equally impressive is beautiful Maureen O&#8217;Hara (in her first significant film role), who displays every ounce of her Irish spunk &#8212; no simpering early-19th-century maiden she! Her Mary is refreshingly fearless, refusing to be cowed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-1024x742.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-1024x742.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-768x556.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara-373x270.png 373w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara.png 1421w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I especially love the scene near the end of the film, when she resolutely ties the top strands of her dress back together after nearly being raped.  <\/p>\n<p>Less successful, however, is the overall arc of the story, which is unevenly paced and lacks narrative punch; we should care much more about what&#8217;s going on than we do. Part of the problem is that essential character motivations are left unclear: for instance, while we understand that Mary&#8217;s Aunt Patience (Marie Ney) is firmly attached to her no-good husband, we never discover why:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-1024x744.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"465\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-1024x744.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2-371x270.png 371w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Ney2.png 1413w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And, unless I missed something, we never learn why Pengallan holds the sway he does over Joss &#8212; nor why this must be (conveniently) kept a secret from everyone else in the gang. Overall, <em>Jamaica Inn<\/em> remains one of Hitchcock&#8217;s lesser outings, and is not must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Laughton&#8217;s hammy performance as Pengallan (those eyebrows!)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-1024x744.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"465\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-1024x744.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Laughton6.png 1419w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Beautiful Maureen O&#8217;Hara as Mary<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-1024x749.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-1024x749.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5-369x270.png 369w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-OHara5.png 1425w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-1024x729.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"456\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-1024x729.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-768x547.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7-379x270.png 379w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Jamaica-Inn-Cinematography7.png 1425w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though fans of Hitchcock or Du Maurier will certainly be curious to check it out. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0031505\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1939\/10\/12\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-laughton-obscures-hitchcock-in-jamaica-inn-at.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/79665\/jamaica-inn#articles-reviews?articleId=99370\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;That place &#8212; Jamaica Inn. It&#8217;s got a bad name. It&#8217;s not healthy, that&#8217;s why. There&#8217;s queer things goes on there.&#8221; Synopsis: Upon arriving at Jamaica Inn in Cornwall, an orphaned Irish woman (Maureen O&#8217;Hara) learns that her Uncle Joss (Leslie Banks) is part of a gang of criminals who loot shipwrecks &#8212; secretly orchestrated by mysterious Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton) &#8212; for monetary gain. When Mary (O&#8217;Hara) helps an undercover gang member (Robert Newton) escape with his life,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4107\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4107"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61267,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4107\/revisions\/61267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}