This Hitchcock thriller is mainly famous for its climax, which finds the villain (Norman Lloyd) hanging by his sleeve from the torch on the Statue of Liberty as the seam begins to unravel. Otherwise, it's not one of the director's great pictures, though it's still worth a look. Set during the initial stages of World War II, the story concerns a ring of Nazi fifth columnists who plot to weaken American military defences by blowing up a munitions factory, a dam and a battleship. In an early example of Hitchcock's celebrated "wrong man" theme, the hero Barry Kane (Robert... Cummings) gets falsely accused of sabotage and becomes a fugitive, hunted from coast to coast. Eventually, he hooks up with the heroine Pat Martin (Priscilla Lane), a super-patriot who takes some convincing of his innocence and plans to turn him in--until the inevitable chemical reaction occurs. It's a highly episodic tale that may put you in mind of Hitchcock's previous The 39 Steps (1935) and his later North by Northwest (1959).The miscellaneous incidents (a shoot-out at a cinema, a bizarre encounter with the freaks in a circus troupe) are often exciting in themselves. The trouble is they just sort of lie there like so-many scattered marbles, never building into a coherent and satisfying whole. The bland dialogue supplied by novice screenwriter Peter Viertel doesn't help matters much. Neither does the casting of the two stars, square, wholesome types, entirely lacking in the perversity and eccentricity one associates with the Hitchcock universe. (It's tedious to hear Lane endlessly mouthing off about the American way, while Cummings must be counted one of the dullest leading men in Hollywood history.) Still, this half-hearted effort by the pot-bellied master of suspense would probably make the reputation of a dozen lesser directors. --Peter Matthews [show more]
This is, as most critics agree, second-tier Hitchcock -- not quite up there in the stratosphere with Rear Window or Psycho. But second-tier Hitch can often top the first-tier of anyone else, and this is a fine, exciting film just on its own. Here, Hitchcock rewrites his classic "wrong man" scenario into the context of WW2 espionage, as an airplane factory worker is mistaken for a saboteur with German sympathies. The hero then flees across the country, tracking the scant clues he has to find the real villain. In the process, he uncovers a complex network of spies and saboteurs, stretching up even into high society. This is classic Hitch, a pure suspense picture with some incredibly taut set pieces, like the climactic chase up the Statute of Liberty and a tense showdown in the midst of a crowded society ball. There are a few heavy-handed propagandistic moments, as you could expect since this film was made at the height of WW2, but otherwise this a fun joyride of a chase film, among Hitch's many "lesser" greats. The Universal DVD, as with all their Hitch releases, has a pristine B&W image and an interesting short documentary on the film's production.
We will publish your review of Saboteur [1942] on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Alfred Hitchcock's exciting 1942 wartime thriller stars Robert Cummings as a Los Angeles aircraft factory-worker who witnesses his plant's firebombing by a Nazi agent. During the deadly explosion, Cummings's best friend is killed and he, himself, is wrongly accused of sabotage. To clear his name, Cummings begins a relentless cross-country chase that finally leads to a harrowing confrontation atop the Statue of Liberty. Hitchcock's first film with an all-American cast moves with breakneck speed towards its spine-tingling climax to create a riveting masterpiece of suspense. Actors Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Alan Baxter, Alma Kruger, Clem Bevans, Dorothy Peterson, Ian Wolfe, Norman Lloyd, Otto Kruger, Vaughan Glaser, Frances Carson, Murray Alper, Kathryn Adams, Pedro de Cordoba, Billy Curtis & Alfred Hitchcock Director Alfred Hitchcock Certificate PG Year 1942 Screen Fullscreen 1.33:1 Languages English - Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono Additional Languages German Subtitles English for the hearing impaired ; Danish ; Dutch ; English ; Finnish ; German ; Norwegian ; Swedish Closed Captions Yes Duration 1 hour and 48 minutes (approx)
Factory worker Barry Kane (Robert Cummings) finds himself branded an industrial saboteur after a fire breaks out in the workplace. The extinguisher he handed to his colleague and best friend itself burst into flame, and Kane is now on the run, determined to find the real culprit and so prove his innocence. The only person who believes his story is Patricia Martin (Priscilla Lane), who aids him in his flight from the authorities. Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful chase film, a contribution to America's wartime propaganda, can be seen as a precursor to his later success 'North by Northwest'.
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
