Downhill
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog • 1h 50m
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock • 1927 • United Kingdom
Starring Ivor Novello, Ben Webster, Norman McKinnel
That’s the direction things go for boarding-school student and star rugby player Roddy Berwick (celebrated songwriter and matinee idol Ivor Novello) when he falls from golden boy to public disgrace and bottoms out as a Parisian gigolo after accepting the blame for a friend’s scandalous indiscretion. In his fourth film as director, also known as WHEN BOYS LEAVE HOME, Alfred Hitchcock puts forth the earliest expressions of what would become his recurring themes: the “wrong man” and the transference of guilt.
Up Next in The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
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William Rothman on THE LODGER
In this interview, film scholar William Rothman examines the themes and visual motifs that are evident in THE LODGER and would come to define director Alfred Hitchcock’s style. It was recorded in 2017.
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The Bunting House
In this video essay, created in 2017, art historian Steven Jacobs explores the roles that architecture, space, and setting play in THE LODGER.
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Neil Brand on THE LODGER
In this 2017 interview, composer Neil Brand discusses the process of creating a new score for THE LODGER.
