Rated: -

Many were disappointed by Alfred Hitchcock's reunion with Ivor Novello following their triumph with The Lodger. Yet this adaptation of a play Novello co-penned (under the name David L'Estrange) with Constance Collier perfectly exploits his matinee status as it depicts his decline from public school hero to Marseilles bum - all in the name of honour.

Exploring social hypocrisy and the chasm that seperates the classes (both in monetary and moral terms), Hitchcock proves himself again the master of psychological insight, while his use of location (particularly during the theatre and nightclub sequences) is impeccable.

It's unabashed melodrama, but nevertheless wholly cinematic.

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