Jamaica Inn / Rich And Strange (1939) Rating: Starring: Robert Adair, Betty Amann, Leslie Banks, William Devlin, Aubrey Dexter, Clare Greet, Stephen Haggard, Horace Hodges, Hannah Jones, Herbert Lomas, Robert Newton, Marie Ney, Hay Petrie Director: Alfred Hitchcock Category: Suspense / Thriller, Classic Studio: Ryko Discs Subtitles: [None] Length: 193 mins     Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980) Alfred Hitchcock was the most important film director of the 20th Century. Already established in Britain as a successful film-maker during the silent days, Hitchcock was wooed by Hollywood after a decade of internationally known pictures done in the 1930's. His move west in the 1940's allowed him the financial and artistic freedom which he found lacking in England and enabled him to produce films that were aesthetically cohesive, technically challenging and basically appealing to the common man. They were also enormous commercial successes. Apart form Charlie Chaplin, no other director was so personally identified with his collaborator. Hitchcock embodied the concept of "autuer" more than any other director and left an indelible mark on his craft, his audience, and the history of Western art in the last 100 years. Jamaica Inn (1939) Based on Daphne du Maurier's novel, this costume drama, set on the Cornish coast of England in the 19th century, was Hitchcock's last British film before he moved to America in 1940.The film was a debut for Maureen O'Hara who stars as Mary, a pretty girl who comes to Jamaica Inn to live with her aunt (Mary Ney) and uncle (Leslie Banks) after the death of her mother.Little does she know that the place is a haven for a group of pirates who lure ships off course, kill the crews and steal their cargo.Mary falls in love with one of the group, who is actually a spy for the British Navy.Together they seek help from the local magistrate (Charles Laughton) who is revealed to be the true leader of the murderous thieves.An all star cast and an excellent story line made this film wildly popular upon release and it remains a classic to this day. Rich And Strange (1932) One of Hitchcock's great early films, Rich And Strange (USA title East Of Shanghai) stars Henry Kendall and Joan Barry as Mr. And Mrs. Fred Hill, a middle class couple who lead a routine and monotonous life.A rich uncle dies and leaves them a small fortune and the couple take off on an adventure trip around the world.Each falls in love with another during the trip, which eventually ends in a shipwreck in the Far East.The film has a moral -- the shallowness of riches -- and was favored by Hitchcock as one of his best early films.