The Manxman
Encyclopedia
The Manxman is a silent film
directed by Alfred Hitchcock
. Based on an 1896 romantic novel The Manxman
by Hall Caine
, the director began work on the film just two weeks after the birth of his daughter, Patricia Hitchcock
. This was the last silent film Hitchcock directed before he made the transition to sound film
with his next film Blackmail
.
The Manxman was filmed almost entirely in the small fishing village of Polperro
in Cornwall.
After being thought in the public domain
for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French
media company Canal+
in 2005. A restored and remastered print of the film was released on DVD
by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
in 2007
.
), and a lawyer, Philip Christian (Malcolm Keen
). Pete is in love with Kate (Anny Ondra
), but when her father, Old Caesar (Randie Ayrton), refuses to consent to their marriage, Pete sets off for Africa
to make his fortune, asking Philip to take care of Kate until he returns.
In his absence, Kate and Philip fall in love. When news reaches them that Pete was killed, they begin planning their lives together, as Philip prepares to assume the position of Deemster
, the island's chief magistrate. The news is false however, and Pete returns to the island a wealthy man. Old Caesar agrees to let Kate marry him, and neither she nor Philip have it in them to break Pete's heart. As the wedding party proceeds in an old mill, Old Caesar sternly warns the newlyweds to remember how serious the vows of marriage are.
Kate is still in love with Philip. Shortly after a daughter is born, she decides to leave Pete, leaving him both the child and a note saying that she loves another man. However, Philip is about to become the Deemster and is unwilling to give up his career for her. Frustrated, she returns to Pete to take the baby, telling him that he is not the father, but he refuses to believe her or hand the child over. Distraught, Kate leaves and attempts to commit suicide
by throwing herself off the quay, a crime on the Isle of Man.
Kate is brought to trial on the first day that Philip serves as Deemster. He is reluctant to sentence her, and when Pete appears in the courtroom to plead for his wife, he agrees to hand her over to him. Kate refuses to go, and Old Caesar, who is watching, gets up and condemns Philip for being the "other man". Philip admits this and leaves the court.
In the final scene, Philip and Kate prepare to leave the Isle of Man and come to Pete's house to pick up the baby. In a shot reminiscent of the theater, Kate picks up the child, while Philip and Pete stand at opposite ends of the room. She brings the child over to Pete to say one last goodbye, and he breaks down, having lost everything. Philip and Kate leave the cottage
to the jeers of the villagers, who have been watching the scene.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
. Based on an 1896 romantic novel The Manxman
The Manxman (novel)
The Manxman is an 1896 novel by the British writer Hall Caine. It was a major success and sold half a million copies by 1913 and was translated into twelve languages. The Prime Minister Lord Rosebery observed "It will rank with the great works of English literature"...
by Hall Caine
Hall Caine
Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE , usually known as Hall Caine, was a Manx author. He is best known as a novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and the Edwardian eras. In his time he was exceedingly popular, and at the peak of his success his novels outsold those of his...
, the director began work on the film just two weeks after the birth of his daughter, Patricia Hitchcock
Patricia Hitchcock
Patricia "Pat" Hitchcock O'Connell is a British-born American actress and producer.-Early life and career:Born in London as the only child of film director Alfred Hitchcock and film editor Alma Reville, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1939, as her father would quickly make his mark...
. This was the last silent film Hitchcock directed before he made the transition to sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
with his next film Blackmail
Blackmail (1929 film)
Blackmail is a 1929 British thriller drama film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Anny Ondra, John Longden, and Cyril Ritchard, and featuring Donald Calthrop, Sara Allgood and Charles Paton. The film is based on the play Blackmail by Charles Bennett, as adapted by Hitchcock, with dialogue by...
.
The Manxman was filmed almost entirely in the small fishing village of Polperro
Polperro
Polperro is a village and fishing harbour on the south-east Cornwall coast in South West England, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles west of the neighbouring town of Looe and west of the major city and naval port of Plymouth, it is well-known for...
in Cornwall.
After being thought in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
media company Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
in 2005. A restored and remastered print of the film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment and most former Artisan Entertainment releases. Its library of more than 8000 films owes some of its size to output deals with other studios...
in 2007
2007 in home video
-Film releases:-TV show releases:...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of two childhood friends, a poor fisherman, Pete Quilliam (Carl BrissonCarl Brisson
Carl Brisson , born Carl Frederik Ejnar Pedersen was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 12 silent films between 1918 and 1935, including two films directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
), and a lawyer, Philip Christian (Malcolm Keen
Malcolm Keen
Malcolm Keen was an English film and television actor.Born in Bristol, Keen was an early collaborator with the director Alfred Hitchcock, starring in his silent films The Mountain Eagle, The Lodger and The Manxman.Keen was the father of actor Geoffrey Keen, and the two both played Iachimo in...
). Pete is in love with Kate (Anny Ondra
Anny Ondra
Anny Ondra was a Czech film actress. She was born Anna Sophie Ondráková in Tarnów, Galicia, Austria–Hungary, now Poland, and died in Hollenstedt near Harburg, Germany.-Life:...
), but when her father, Old Caesar (Randie Ayrton), refuses to consent to their marriage, Pete sets off for Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to make his fortune, asking Philip to take care of Kate until he returns.
In his absence, Kate and Philip fall in love. When news reaches them that Pete was killed, they begin planning their lives together, as Philip prepares to assume the position of Deemster
Deemster
A deemster is a judge in the Isle of Man. The High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man is presided over by a deemster or, in the case of the appeal division of that court, a deemster and the Judge of Appeal...
, the island's chief magistrate. The news is false however, and Pete returns to the island a wealthy man. Old Caesar agrees to let Kate marry him, and neither she nor Philip have it in them to break Pete's heart. As the wedding party proceeds in an old mill, Old Caesar sternly warns the newlyweds to remember how serious the vows of marriage are.
Kate is still in love with Philip. Shortly after a daughter is born, she decides to leave Pete, leaving him both the child and a note saying that she loves another man. However, Philip is about to become the Deemster and is unwilling to give up his career for her. Frustrated, she returns to Pete to take the baby, telling him that he is not the father, but he refuses to believe her or hand the child over. Distraught, Kate leaves and attempts to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by throwing herself off the quay, a crime on the Isle of Man.
Kate is brought to trial on the first day that Philip serves as Deemster. He is reluctant to sentence her, and when Pete appears in the courtroom to plead for his wife, he agrees to hand her over to him. Kate refuses to go, and Old Caesar, who is watching, gets up and condemns Philip for being the "other man". Philip admits this and leaves the court.
In the final scene, Philip and Kate prepare to leave the Isle of Man and come to Pete's house to pick up the baby. In a shot reminiscent of the theater, Kate picks up the child, while Philip and Pete stand at opposite ends of the room. She brings the child over to Pete to say one last goodbye, and he breaks down, having lost everything. Philip and Kate leave the cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
to the jeers of the villagers, who have been watching the scene.
Cast
- Carl BrissonCarl BrissonCarl Brisson , born Carl Frederik Ejnar Pedersen was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 12 silent films between 1918 and 1935, including two films directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
- Pete Quilliam - Malcolm KeenMalcolm KeenMalcolm Keen was an English film and television actor.Born in Bristol, Keen was an early collaborator with the director Alfred Hitchcock, starring in his silent films The Mountain Eagle, The Lodger and The Manxman.Keen was the father of actor Geoffrey Keen, and the two both played Iachimo in...
- Philip Christian - Anny OndraAnny OndraAnny Ondra was a Czech film actress. She was born Anna Sophie Ondráková in Tarnów, Galicia, Austria–Hungary, now Poland, and died in Hollenstedt near Harburg, Germany.-Life:...
- Kate Cregeen - Randle AyrtonRandle AyrtonRandle Ayrton was a British actor, producer and director.-Career:Ayrton was educated at the King's School in Chester and Geneva University. In 1890 he made his stage debut at the Old Avenue Theatre in London and has been successful on stage in London and in America into the late 1930s...
- Caesar Cregeen - Clare GreetClare GreetClare Greet was an English film actress. She appeared in 26 films between 1921 and 1939, including six films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.She was born in England and died in London....
- Mother (as Claire Greet) - Kim PeacockKim Peacock-External links:...
- Ross Christian (uncredited) - Nellie Richards - Wardress (uncredited)
- Wilfred Shine - Doctor (uncredited)
- Harry TerryHarry TerryHarry Terry was an English film actor. He appeared in 68 films between 1927 and 1952, including two films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He was born in London.-Selected filmography:* The Ring...
- Man (uncredited)