Cheap The Paradine Case (DVD) (Gregory Peck, Ann Todd) (Alfred Hitchcock) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Paradine Case

"That woman is bad, bad to the bone..."
Thus spake Andre La Tour, the valet and the catalyst for the murder of Col. Paradine. Valli is Mrs. Paradine, and she wants Andre La Tour, so badly she murders her husband and benefactor to remove any and all obstacles standing between her and La Tour. Louis Jourdan is La Tour, and handsome in a sharp, chiseled way; Valli is really something to see, very beautiful and arresting, and the accent further enhances her mysterious image. Gregory Peck, her attorney, falls for her, hard and fast, and is almost sympathetic in his desire to possess her. Ann Todd, a curious mixture of ice and warmth, is steadfast in her loyalty to her husband, and Joan Tetzel is good as her friend and the daughter of Charles Coburn, (I enjoy the banter between Coburn and Tetzel, he is always a joy to watch)who is a colleague of Gregory Peck's. The score by Franz Waxman is one of the stars of the movie, and haunting, as his music always is. The movie is unusual and quieter than the typical Hitchcockian fare, but should not be judged more harshly for that, but taken on it's own merits, which it has in abundance. Charles Laughton ("curious how the convolutions of a walnut resemble those of the human brain...") is wonderful as the censorious and righteous Judge of the proceedings, and rather an unpleastant bully to his wife, Ethel Barrymore, who seems rather wasted in this weak role as the much maligned wife. She is one of my favorite actresses, but I much prefer her in "The Spiral Staircase", a much richer role and one more worthy of her immense talent. I own this on VHS and DVD, and of course, the DVD is far superior in quality.

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After all these years . . .
I finally got to see this film. As a long-time Hitchcock fan, I didn't go out of my way to see it in any format. I'm so glad my first exposure to this great film was on the terrific B&W transfer to DVD! The picture is stunning, and from the very beginning, Hitch's camera moves and tells the story with angles and framing only he can create. The acting is superb, and look at the cast: Ethyl Barrymore, making the most of her small role, Charles Laughton, especially in his scene of lechery with Ann Todd, the beautiful Valli, and the almost-as-beautiful young Louis Jourdan, Gregory Peck, Charles Coburn, Leo G. Carroll (in an understated role, as usual)and, of course, Hitch himself who doesn't make his cameo appearance until more than 38 minutes into the movie. I'm so glad I purchased this DVD -- it will get a lot of use. Even with the sound turned off and not hearing the clever and snappy dialogue and Waxman score, I can enjoy the tremendous camera work and lighting. If you, like me, have been avoiding this belittled Hitchcock gem, give it a try -- you'll be surprised. Heck with the so-called critics!

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delusive obsession
This marvelous, lesser-known Alfred Hitchcock work deserves wider recognition. Gregory Peck stars as an attorney defending a beautiful woman (Ann Todd) who is accused of poisoning her older, blind husband. Although Mrs. Paradine seems cooly unapproachable, he is increasingly drawn to her, magnetically attracted. He soon begins to believe that anyone as lovely as she must also possess a spotless soul, and in no way could have committed this crime.

Alida Valli plays his devoted, intuitive wife who early on senses his obsession with Mrs. Paradine. She lays it on the table---she knows he is strongly attracted to the mysterious woman, but she leaves it up to him to decide what he will do.

As events unfold, the attorney's reason fights with his passion to produce a climactic finish. This film will spellbind you and is worth seeing more than once. Highly recommended!