1932
Alfred Hitchcock
Head of BIP, John Maxwell, forced Hitchcock into making Number Seventeen,
based on the play by Joseph Farjeon play. He considered the play cliche-ridden and so when writer Rodney Ackland adapted the script with Hitch and Alma, their approach was to play up the comedy and send up the genre.
A detective (John Stuart) tracks a group of criminals to a deserted house above a rail depot which they are using to escape to the continent.
Number Seventeen does make interesting and entertaining use of concealed identities and notably contained the first appearance of what was to become a characteristic of Hitchcock’s work – a MacGuffin – in this case a stolen necklace.
Written by Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Rodney Ackland. Based on the play by Joseph Farjeon.
Please note Number Seventeen is only available as part of the Hitchcock The Beginning blu-ray box-set
This 2021 restoration was scanned in 4k by Silver Salt Restoration in the UK, from a 35mm duplicating positive. Colour grading and restoration were completed by Silver Salt Restoration.
A restoration by STUDIOCANAL, supervised by Jahanzeb Hayat
