Dial "U" for Underrated

In my previous posts, I discussed some of Hitchcock's best films as well as my favorites. But those are only 10 of his films. He made 43 other films but some of them are not as well-known nor do they get the appreciation and attention they deserve. So here are five of Alfred Hitchcock's most underrated works.

Dial M for Murder (1954)

*Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings

This film is a stylish upper-class London potboiler. Sex, murder, blackmail, adultery--it's all there. Grace Kelly, in her first of three Hitchcock pictures, plays a woman who is rather immoral but gets our sympathy nonetheless. That's obviously because she is a very gifted actress. The film takes you through many twists and turns and, when it reaches its satisfying conclusion, it leaves you wanting more.

Frenzy (1972)

*Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Alec McCowen and Barbara Leigh-Hunt

To be honest, I would not reccomend watching this film until you have seen at least ten of Hitch's films. That's because the film is gruesome, horrific, ugly and depressing. But it's also full of Hitchcock's trademark macabre sense of humor. On first viewing, it's pretty off-putting. There aren't any Grace Kellys or Cary Grants in the cast. The film isn't beautiful to look at or glamorous in any way. It's dark and gory but it's also rather interesting. So watch it with caution.

Rope (1948)

*Farley Granger, John Dall and James Stewart

This thriller is unique because it has been shot using only long takes. This means that there are only cuts when there has to be (i.e. when the film runs out). The film is a fascinating look at murder as an intellectual exercise. It's about two friends who murder a former classmate, stuff the corpse into a trunk and then host a dinner party on that same trunk--just to see if they can get away with it! It's a cool idea and, since the film takes place in real time, the film is full of some very tense moments.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

*Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, John Williams and Jessie Royce Landis

This is the only Hitchcockian romantic-comedy in the Hitchcock filmography. (I make the distinction because he made a rom-com called Mr. and Mrs. Smith but he did it to fulfill an obligation to his friend comedienne Carole Lombard). TCAT is very Hitchcockian in that it is a romantic-comedy set against the backdrop of jewel thievery in the south of France. Also, Grant plays an innocent man on the run from the cops, another common theme in Hitch's films. The film is pure glamor (the antithesis to Frenzy). Grant and Kelly are gorgeous together, the costumes and sets are spectacular and the dialogue is hilarious and rather risque. I'd recommend this film to anyone looking for a beautiful cinematic trip to Cannes with two beautiful people.

Suspicion (1941)

*Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant and Nigel Bruce

Joan Fontaine, the only actor to win an Oscar under Hitchcock's direction, is phenomenal in this fascinating look at doubt, paranoia and, obviously, suspicion. While the ending is not as edgy as Hitchcock would have wanted, I don't think the film suffers from it. Cary Grant is also good though Fontaine overshadows him in every scene. There's a scene with a glass of milk that is just eerie and subtly terrifying. I would definitely recommend this overlooked thriller.

So if you're looking for some of Hitchcock's lesser known works, check these films out.