Jamaica Inn

1133. JAMAICA INN (1939-ENGIAND). WITH Charles laughton, maureen o-hara, robert newton, LESLIE BANKS. Directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK. Lesser-known than other Hitchcock films of the 1930s, this highly entertaining tale of piracy and intrigue in 19th Century England is still a must-see. The year is 1819, and the setting is the coast of Cornwall. Young Mary Yellen (a radiant Maureen O’Hara, in her second year as a film actress j all of 19 years old) arrives at lamaica Inn, after the death of her mother, to stay with her aunt and uncle. The island however, is a haven for ship wreckers and thieves. One of them has been withholding booty, and the prime suspect is Jern Traherne (Robert Newton). Mary saves him from lynching, and the pair seek assistance from the supposedly respectable justice of the peace. Squire Pengallan (Charles Laughton, in a flamboyant, delightfully hammy perforÂmance that sets the tone of, and then thoroughly dominates, the film). There are kidnappings, cat-and-mouse chases, wild flights and midnight escapes in this tense, exciting melodrama, an adaptation of Daphne du MaurierÕs best- selling novel (with additional dialogue by J.B. PRIESTLEY). It also was Hitch cock’s final feature in Britain before conÂtinuing his career in Hollywood. 94 minutes. Hitchcock