“The Hitchcock 9” have started their U.S. tour.
No, it’s a not a rock band. They’re the nine surviving masterpieces from Alfred Hitchcock’s silent years, and they’re coming to a theater near you.
The Herculean restoration project by the British Film Institute required a series of daunting tasks — from reintegrating lost footage to tinting restoration. Hitchcock once said, “The silent pictures were the purest form of cinema.” The release of these films offers audiences a remarkable opportunity to experience his force of genius in full glory, instead of on old, damaged prints.
The Hitchcock 9 includes:
- THE LODGER (1926)
- THE PLEASURE GARDEN (1926)
- DOWNHILL (1927)
- EASY VIRTUE (1927)
- THE RING (1927)
- THE FARMER’S WIFE (1928)
- CHAMPAGNE (1928)
- THE MANXMAN (1929)
- BLACKMAIL (1929)
To add to the drama, live accompaniment, including some new scores, will be part of the screenings.
The Hitchcock 9 opened at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last week, goes bi-coastal this week in L.A. and New York, and then moves on to Seattle, D.C., and points beyond.
I know where I will be in August when The 9 shows up at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre.
Source: Wall Street Journal, Silent Hitchcock, by Kristin M. Jones
Related articles
- The Hitchcock 9 at LACMA (hitchcocksvertigo.com)
- Hitchcock 9 Silent Film Festival Diary – Day One: “Blackmail” (filmbalaya.com)
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