Previously, Balladeer’s Blog examined star vehicles and genre films from the age of Silent Movies. This time around I’m taking a very brief look at Alfred Hitchcock’s pre-sound films.
NUMBER THIRTEEN (1922) – This film marked the first time that Hitchcock worked as a director on a movie, but was the thirteenth film project he had worked on in some capacity, hence the title. The production went unfinished from lack of funds and the original title may have been Mrs. Peabody but even that is uncertain.
The movie was intended as a comedic (?) look at the Peabody Trust, an organization founded by American philanthropist George Foster Peabody to provide affordable housing to needy Londoners. Hey, I’m laughing already! (I’m kidding!) Only two reels of footage were completed and Alfred Hitchcock himself dismissed the aborted film project as insignificant. Clare Greet and Ernest Thesiger starred.
ALWAYS TELL YOUR WIFE (1923) – Hitchcock started out as a co-director of this 20-minute comedy short but had to step into the top spot when the original director quit over creative differences with the studio. Though Alfred’s previous directing effort had gone unfinished, this comedy short was completed but he was not credited since he had not directed the entire film.
The storyline involved Ricardo and Mertz-style wackiness between two families, but with the more adult theme of infidelity.
THE PLEASURE GARDEN (1925) – The third time was almost the charm as this 75-minute movie was not only completed, but Hitchcock was credited as the director!
His bad luck lingered, however, and after one public showing, the movie was shelved and not released again until after Alfred’s film The Lodger became a hit a few years later.
The title establishment was a music hall, where chorus girl Patsy Brand gets the struggling Jill Cheyne a job as a dancer (Showgirls 1925!) and fixes her up with her fiancé’s friend. Continue reading
It’s time for another current events roundup here at 
THE 14 AMAZONS (1972) – This often-overlooked Hong Kong martial arts film was directed and written by Cheng Kang and produced by the iconic Shaw Brothers studios. The 14 Amazons is a female-centric take on China’s historical Yang Family, many of whom were accomplished generals over the centuries. 
This 1972 film starts out with the death of one of the Yang men and proceeds from there. By this point there are so few male Yangs still alive that the wives, sisters, and other female relatives of the late hero band together and set out for revenge. 
THE MASTER MYSTERY (1918-1919) – The first film footage of Harry Houdini performing his stage act dates to 1907, but it wasn’t until this 15-part serial that he hit the big screen in a series of adventures. Chapter One of The Master Mystery debuted on November 18th, 1918 and starred Houdini as a federal agent named Quentin Locke. 
Every cliffhanger ending for the chapters of the serials involves a deathtrap which Houdini escapes from at the start of the following installment. 
FOR PART ONE (2016) OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE FROM 
RESISTANCE, INC: FAUX REBELS OF THE ANTI-TRUMP HYSTERIA – One of my widest-reaching blog posts ever. The type of privileged white Democrats that I criticized in the piece were so outraged it gave away how the blog post touched a nerve with those pretentious poseurs. The link is below, but first some excerpts: 
“Resistance, Inc” or maybe “ResistCo” would be a better name for them. None of these allegedly “rebellious” groups lacks funding and the mask-wearing members gleefully launch physical attacks on anyone who disagrees with them.
SHARYL ATTKISSON: A LIST OF FALSE NEWS STORIES ABOUT TRUMP (As of January of 2019. The list would be much longer now.) Click 
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