Alfred Hitchcock’s Hollywood title, was The Master of Suspense. He directed films in England, before coming to America. The Lodger, is one of his early movies. He doesn’t use suspense as much. It seems he borrows more from German horror cinema. This involves the use of shadows, and closeups of terrified victims. The evening fog of London, is perfect for the storyline of murders. It is loosely based on a book, by Marie Belloc Lowndes, Who is He, loosely based on the Jack the Ripper murders, of the late 19th century. Hitchcock was involved in the screenplay.
There is a killer prowling the streets of London. He is calling himself The Avenger. His choice of victims are pretty blonde women. A mysterious man, (Ivor Novello), has taken lodging with The Landlady, (Marie Ault), and her husband, (Arthur Chesney). His late night comings and goings don’t bother them at first. It is only when the young man, takes an interest, in their daughter, Daisy, (JuneTripp), that they become suspicious. Another young man, Joe-A Police Detective, (Malcolm Keen), likes Daisy. He becomes jealous of her attentions shifting to The Lodger. He listens to Daisy’s parents about their tenant’s mysterious behavior. They like Joe, because he has a respectable job, and believe he will be good to their daughter. Joe is able to act on his jealousy and suspicion, when he is assigned to The Avenger case. It is at this point when the obvious, isn’t so obvious. This is what makes Hitchcock films so good. The Master, would make Arthur Conan Doyle proud.
Alfred Hitchcock’s mastery of his craft, was helped by his casting. In the lead role, he cast Ivor Novello. He was at the time, a star. His role in The Lodger, only made him bigger. This would happen many years later, when Hitchcock, made Cary Grant, a multi dimensional actor. Hitchcock was able to write and direct well. The Lodger, is not as memorable as other films by Hitchcock. He does give the audiences, some interesting things. One of them is the the glass ceiling. This shows The Lodger, pacing up and down in his room. Another is the shot of the Lodger, leaving his room, dressed in a concealing hat and scarf. Alfred Hitchcock gives the audience a sense of suspense and terror, with this film.
The horror films of the silent era, were a precursor to the great scary movies of the 1930’s. They had to show terror, without any spoken dialogue. This movie does that, although not quite on the level of Nosferatu or The Phantom of the Opera. The Lodger should be viewed, because it shows the emerging talent, of one of Hollywood’s greatest directors.