Saboteur [DVD]

Some Alfred Hitchcock movies have become inextricably associated with particular scenes, such as the shower scene in "Psycho" or the carousel scene in "Strangers on a Train." Perhaps the earliest iconic Hitchcock scene was the climactic Statue of Liberty scene, which serves as the climax of "Saboteur," one of the more entertaining early American Hitchcock films."Saboteur," made in 1942, was Hitchcock's first movie with an all-American cast and with good reason. It's a decidedly patriotic movie about the war effort at home and another variation of Hitchcock's familiar "wrong man" theme. Robert Cummings plays a worker at an aircraft factory who finds himself framed for sabotage when another worker (Norman Lloyd) burns the factory down, killing Cummings' best friend in the process. Cummings has to avoid the police and clear his name, and the only clue is an envelope Lloyd dropped whose address Cummings briefly saw. The more he investigates, the more Cummings realizes that Lloyd is just a small cog in a major sabotage ring whose members are some very prominent individuals."Saboteur" showcases the basic decency and fairness of the average American, as contrasted with the greed and snobbery of the upper classes who are the villains. The average working people he meets, like a blind writer, a friendly truck driver, and some circus workers, are willing to help him out and give him the benefit of the doubt, while the villains, headed by Otto Kruger, belittle and demean him. Viewers can probably guess what's going to happen, but Hitchcock has set up the dividing line between good and evil so clearly that it's quite enjoyable seeing Cummings turn the tables. Naturally, there's a pretty blonde in the mix, Priscilla Lane, who plays the niece of the blind man, who originally wants to turn Cummings in but gradually falls for him.In many ways, "Saboteur" seems like a junior version of "North by Northwest." Cummings of course is no Cary Grant, and the villains' plans seem to fall apart somewhat too conveniently, as if Hitchcock figured the movie had gone long enough and wanted to end it abruptly. But the biggest similarity between "Saboteur" and "North by Northwest" is the finale on a national landmark, in this case the torch arm of the Statue of Liberty, where Cummings and Lloyd wrestle and the latter winds up dangling for his life. The scene is part of the Hitchcock display in the Universal Studios tour and with good reason: it still looks good today, even though Hitchcock did not have nearly the technology available in 1942 as we have today to film such a movie. Still, using greenscreen and some well designed sets, the scene looks remarkably realistic.The DVD contains a valuable added bonus, a 30-minute "making of" documentary, largely featuring Norman Lloyd, who is still alive. Lloyd talks about being cast in the movie, his experiences with Hitchcock, and, especially, how the Statue of Liberty scene was filmed. It's one of the better documentaries on any of the Hitchcock DVDs."Saboteur" may seem a bit square and dated for today's audiences, but it's a fast paced, entertaining film with a likable hero and a classic finale. Plus, it gives viewers an opportunity to experience one of the master's best set pieces. It's an ideal alternative to the better known Hitchcock movies for those looking to expand their familiarity with the Hitchcock library.

Like their previous Blu-ray upgrades of "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Psycho", Universal finally gives "Saboteur" it's due with a near pristine picture for it's Blu-ray debut. I've owned every format of this Hitchcock film(VHS,DVD) and was stunned by the picture and sound. "Saboteur" has never looked better on Blu-ray and the restoration team at Universal deserves the highest praise for making this film finally look the way it should. Filmed in black and white, there is no print damage(vertical lines, dirt, white specs, etc.) compared to previous video versions with blacks, whites, and grays looking clear and sharp. You can make out the smallest details and the overall picture quality is well balanced throughout. The story is a familiar one for Hitchcock that he returned to time and again-that of a man wrongly accused of a crime and the things he does to clear his name. The storyline might not be familiar to those not well-versed in World War II espionage on the home-front, but it does contain the famous Statue of Liberty scene that is the climax of the film. As for the Audio, it's been cleaned up too and there is no more static or hiss that plagued previous versions. Credit once again should be given to the expert restoration team at Universal for their superb work. Besides the above mentioned Hitchcock titles that have been restored on Blu-ray, the team at Universal has recently given new life to such black and white classics as "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Cape Fear"(both from 1962) for new audiences to discover and enjoy. "Saboteur" is 109 minutes(Aspect ratio: 1.33) and contains the following subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, and French. Audio includes: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and English Dolby Digital 2.0. Special features include "Saboteur: A Closer Look" which is carried over from the standard DVD. "Saboteur" has never gotten the respect it should from critics but hopefully this superb new Blu-ray presentation from Universal will get a second look from not only Hitchcock experts but fans as well. Watching it, you'll be rooting for Robert Cummings and Priscilla Lane just like audiences did in 1942. I sure did.

This was suspenseful and fun, but also left some loose ends and the climax was a little unsatisfying. Some parts were less believable or the bad guys were defeated too easily.

NOTE: This is NOT a DVD. It's a 12" laser flip-disc. Until the advent of Blu-Ray, laser discs were the finest quality digital videos available..David O. Selznick loaned out Alfred Hitchcock to UNIVERSAL for SABOTEUR. Dorothy Parker (and others) wrote its screenplay based on Hitchcock's original story idea. Newsreel footage of an actual capsized liner (the Normandie) precedes this exciting film's Statue of Liberty finale, a scene that's cinematic newcomer Norman Lloyd's big moment.Hitch later recycled elements of his quirky "wrong man" thriller for  NORTH BY NORTHWEST  (1959). These include a man pursued by authorities for a crime he didn't commit, a society auction escape scene, and a climactic fall from a national monument, followed by a "boy gets girl" coda.Many odd characters appear, including circus "freaks" like (fake) Siamese twins, a bearded lady and Billy Curtis, Munchkin City's mayor in  THE WIZARD OF OZ  (1939). There's also a bored OTRer and a blind fella who "sees" more clearly than his headstrong granddaughter. The story is quickly paced with a level of tension that never flags..Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 IMDb viewer poll rating.(7.3) Saboteur (1942) - Priscilla Lane/Robert Cummings/Otto Kruger/Alan Baxter/Clem Bevans/Norman Lloyd/Ian Wolfe/Murray Alper/Pedro de Cordoba/Billy Curtis (uncredited: Rex Lease/Milton Kibbee/Kermit Maynard/Art Gilmore - voice)

Liked the movie a lot. Al

is a treasure,and this is no exception.To see this fine set I feel gets you somewhat closer to understanding him.But you dont want to get into that,just to say watch them as an introduction to him.

a wonderfull entertaining film.I never liked Cummings,but in this he is very beleivable,unlike his other roles.Look out for a much better copy than this.

it arrived in good condition,highly recommended

Enjoyable with exciting finale

Arrived promptly. Well packaged. I have not watched them all yet, but they seem fine from a quick check. Many thanks.