![]() ![]() īy late September, with the help of Clifford Miskelley, the head of the Vermont Development Commission, the area around East Craftsbury and Craftsbury Common had been deemed suitable by Coleman and Erickson, which allowed the production to commence. The start of filming was delayed whilst Coleman and Erickson searched for new locations untouched by the storms. Unfortunately, a storm blew through the area at the start of September 1954, leaving trees bare, followed by heavy rain that washed out local roads. Hitchcock had initially planned to shoot the majority of the film - 23 days out of the 30 day schedule - on location, so producer Herbert Coleman and production manager "Doc" Erickson scouted for suitable scenic locations in Vermont around St. The Congregational Church in Shanon, Vermont, which appears in the opening sequence ![]() ![]() Other roles were filled by accomplished Shakespearean actress Mildred Natwick, in the role of spinster Miss Gravelly, and the 7-year-old Leave It to Beaver star Jerry Mathers as the boy who discovers the body of Harry at the start of the film. įor the role of the retired captain, Hitchcock cast his old friend Edmund Gwenn, who appeared previously in The Skin Game, Waltzes from Vienna and Foreign Correspondent. Whilst in New York, Hitchcock met with and cast John Forsythe, who had previously appeared several times in the Suspense radio series, which was a favourite of the director. Hitchcock also approached William Holden, but he wasn't available. Īlthough Cary Grant was briefly considered for the male lead, the film's budget wouldn't stretch to Grant's usually salary demands. Coleman quickly arranged a screen test for MacLaine and her lack of film acting experience appealed to Hitchcock: "All this simply means that I shall have fewer bad knots to untie". Coleman was so impressed with the leading lady's performance that he visited her backstage, only to discover that he'd actually been watching Haney's understudy on stage - Shirley MacLaine. Whilst in New York with his wife, Herbert Coleman's daughter had recommended that they see the Broadway musical The Pajama Game, starring Carol Haney. Hitchcock also considered the French actress Brigitte Auber - who had played the role of Danielle Foussard in To Catch a Thief - but her accent was a cause for concern. Grace Kelly was initially approached for the role of Jennifer, but a contract dispute with MGM meant she would be unavailable. Without mentioning the director's name, Citron purchased the rights for $11,000. With Hayes' script nearing competition, Hitchcock attended to the small matter of actually acquiring the rights to the novel and instructed MCA agent Herman Citron to negotiate a purchase. The Hitchcocks had travelled through New England in 1951 and the director felt the autumnal colours of Vermont would act as a good counterpoint to the more macabre elements of the story. The only major change was relocating the location of the story from the English countryside to New England. Although Hayes was keen to add a some extra action and suspense to the story, Hitchcock insisted on remaining faithful to the novel, and much of the film's dialogue is lifted verbatim. There were also a number of directors, with Robert Stevens directing the most, at 44.Before departing for France to film To Catch a Thief in early 1954, Hitchcock handed the novel to John Michael Hayes to begin an adaptation. The list was extensive, including Vincent Price, Robert Redford, Roger Moore, Walter Matthau, Bette Davis, and Jessica Tandy. The show was also noteworthy for its use of well-known actors. If a main character got away with a crime, Hitchcock would explain how the criminal was brought to justice, whether by the law or by fate. Each episode ended similar to the way it began, with Hitchcock concluding the episode rather than with a monologue. In later seasons, Hitchcock also spoke in German and French for the international versions. The monologue for European audiences, on the other hand, included jokes that were made at the expense of Americans. For the American audience, the monologue spoofed a recent commercial or poked fun at the sponsor. Allardice, and two versions were created for each episode. Hitchcock’s introductory monologue was written by James B. After the title sequence, he appeared again to introduce the story, either from the set of the episode or an empty studio. Typically, he said “Good evening” at this point. As he walked to the center, he eclipsed the drawing. In the background, the theme music, Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” played as Hitchcock appeared in silhouette on the right side of the screen. In the sequence, the camera faded in on a line caricature of Hitchcock’s profile incidentally, Hitchcock drew it. One of the recognizable features of the show was its title sequence. ![]()
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