Rich and Strange

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Brian Ahern

Member
I watched this Hitchcock film last night, most of which takes place on an unnamed P&O liner. It was made in 1931 and so, of course, was much more urbane, risque and interesting than movies made twenty years later. It wasn't a mystery, but instead wavered between romantic comedy and drama. It deals somewhat with the modes of travel by sea - when the couple at the center of the film loses their money, they must forego P&O on the trip home for a more no-frills line. It also deals with a shipwreck.

The female lead is played by the absolutely lovely Joan Barry, who appeared in Atlantic. It's interesting how 30's films didn't treat audiences like children the way 50's films did. There's sex in this movie! And even a view of a topless female when the couple goes to view the Folies Bergerac in Paris, and when the couple is on a sinking ship, Barry says to her husband, "Do you think I could use the gents? Ours is under water".

I don't know if I'd recommend going to too much trouble to view this movie, but if it happens in your way, it would be of interest to ship enthusiasts.
 
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Brian Ahern

Member
That's the one. I picked up a copy on sale at a supermarket.

I don't know how to go about figuring out what ship was used (don't really have time to immerse myself in a search right now). I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the exterior shots were stock footage. They didn't bother to hide the "P&O" in the film, but they went to great lengths to cut out the name. In one scene, we see the inside of the menu a character is reading and the top half of the letters of the name are skillfully cut off.
 
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