Sadly, not so. I detected the enthusiasm in the reviews of other posters on this board, but I'm far from enthralled by this early effort from director Hitchcock. Admittedly, the Master shows a flair for some of the techniques that would gain him accolades in his later work. I particularly liked his use of the swaying camera to illustrate the rolling of the ship to the ocean waves. The view through the champagne glass was also a nice touch, and decidedly novel way back in the silent era. What I found most disconcerting however were the abruptness of the moods and facial expressions of the central characters, particularly Betty (Betty Balfour) and The Man (Ferdinand Von Alten). Within seconds, their demeanor would go from happy to grim or vice versa, with no apparent change in circumstances within the scene. That only managed to convey an unusual amount of 'huh?' moments, as I tried to imagine myself in the same situation. So a lot of the picture didn't work for me.
There was also the simplistic set up of having Betty chase down her boyfriend aboard ship to Paris. Later it's learned that Betty's father is 'busted' due to his investment misfortunes, and The Boy (Jean Bradin) declares that he'll get a job to help them out. Well then, how did the well dressed, impeccably groomed traveler afford to go on an ocean cruise? See what I mean? The continuity of what Hitchcock was trying to convey doesn't hold up under close inspection.
And then there's The Man. Hired by Betty's father, his on screen appearance suggested a lecherous womanizer who would use any means to conquer yet another victim. The scene in the cabaret that suggested just that turned out to be a mirage sequence of sorts with an abrupt turnabout. More confusing than necessary I thought, and a curve ball thrown at the viewer.
Say, how did Father (Gordon Harker) get 'The New York Advertiser' to post a headline that he was teaching his daughter a lesson? I did get a kick out of his description of The Boy in the telegram he sent to The Man - it described The Boy as a 'boulevard sheik'.
As for a recommendation - see it for an early Hitchcock effort and as a curiosity piece. It will help one's understanding of the director's views on his way to greater film creativity and story telling.
There was also the simplistic set up of having Betty chase down her boyfriend aboard ship to Paris. Later it's learned that Betty's father is 'busted' due to his investment misfortunes, and The Boy (Jean Bradin) declares that he'll get a job to help them out. Well then, how did the well dressed, impeccably groomed traveler afford to go on an ocean cruise? See what I mean? The continuity of what Hitchcock was trying to convey doesn't hold up under close inspection.
And then there's The Man. Hired by Betty's father, his on screen appearance suggested a lecherous womanizer who would use any means to conquer yet another victim. The scene in the cabaret that suggested just that turned out to be a mirage sequence of sorts with an abrupt turnabout. More confusing than necessary I thought, and a curve ball thrown at the viewer.
Say, how did Father (Gordon Harker) get 'The New York Advertiser' to post a headline that he was teaching his daughter a lesson? I did get a kick out of his description of The Boy in the telegram he sent to The Man - it described The Boy as a 'boulevard sheik'.
As for a recommendation - see it for an early Hitchcock effort and as a curiosity piece. It will help one's understanding of the director's views on his way to greater film creativity and story telling.