Hitchcock's movies

Written by:
Anthony Shaffe

Based upon the novel by:
Arthur La Bern

Cinematography by:
Leonard J. South
Gilbert Taylor

Production design by:
Robert W. Laing
Simon Wakefield

Music by:
Ron Goodwin

Film editing by:
John Jympson

Produced by:
Alfred Hitchcock
William Hill

Cast

Jon Finch (Richard Blaney)

Alec McCowen (inspector Oxford)

Barry Foster (Bob Rusk)

Billie Whitelaw (Hettie Porter)

Barbara Leigh-Hunt (Brenda Blaney)

Vivien Merchant (Mrs. Oxford)

Anna Massey (Barbara Milligan)

Bernard Cribbins (Felix Forsythe)

Bunny May (barman)

Michael Bates (sergeant Spearman)

Jean Marsh (Monica Barling)

Clive Swift (Johnny Porter)

Madge Ryan (Mrs. Davison)

Elsie Randolph (Gladys)

John Boxer (Sir George)

George Tovey (Mr. Salt)

Rita Webb (Mrs. Rusk)

A dead girl's body comes on the Thames' surface, a sex serial killer is terrorizing
the city.
Richard Blaney, a barman, is sent away 'couse he has been suspected to rob
money from the pub; he is searching for an economic help by his friend Bob Rusk
and by his ex wife Brenda who owns a wedding agency. Richard and Brenda
have a violent quarrel while the lady's secretary is hearing.
Next day Bob Rusk enters Brenda's agency, but he is not searching for a wife: he
strangles the woman with his tie; he is the "neck tie murderer".
Brenda's secretary tells the police about the quarrel of the day before and Richard
becomes the first accused of the crime, so he must hide himself.
The killer strikes again: the victim is Babs, Richard's ex girlfriend.
Blaney asks Rusk to hide him in his house, the man accepts then he calls the
police and Richard is brought to prison.
Blaney escapes from the jail: he wants to have a revenge against Rusk so he goes
to the killer's house: he jumps on the bed and strikes the man who is sleeping under
covers, but he finds out that the body on the bed was the murderer's last victim.
Police arrives at the house; the inspector was suspecting on Rusk and they wait for
him to come back home: when the man opens the door he is not wearing his tie and
he is carrying a big bag.

Times are changing and Hitchcock's style has now become very explicit:
sex and violence are clearly shown in this movie, while they were only shadows
in the director's previous films where all the interpretations were left to audience's
fantasy and where the thrilling atmosphere seems to be a little stronger.