Juno and the Paycock (1930)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Sean O'Casey (play)
Alfred Hitchcock (adaptation)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

During the Irish revolution, a family earns a big inheritance. They start leading a rich life forgetting what the most important values are.

Plot Keywords:

Inheritance | Execution | Sausage | Family Relationships | Informer

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Barry Fitzgerald	...	The Orator
Maire O'Neill	...	Mrs. Maisie Madigan (as Maire O'Neil)
Edward Chapman	...	Captain Boyle
Sidney Morgan	...	'Joxer' Daly
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. Boyle ('Juno')
John Laurie	...	Johnny Boyle
Dave Morris	...	Jerry Devine
Kathleen O'Regan	...	Mary Boyle
John Longden	...	Charles Bentham
Dennis Wyndham	...	The Mobiliser (as Denis Wyndham)
Fred Schwartz	...	Mr. Kelly (as Fred Schwarz)

Also Known As:

The Shame of Mary Boyle (USA)

Runtime:

85 min | UK:96 min (DVD version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

UK:A (1929) | UK:PG (2004) | Finland:S (1995) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Trivia:

Debut of Barry Fitzgerald.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Orator: Fellow countrymen, continuously and courageously we have fought and struggled for the national salvation of Ireland!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock (2009) (TV)

Highly underrated and misunderstood Hitchcock film.

Most people don't like this film, not realizing that a) it's one of Hitchcock's very first British films, on a low budget; and b) that it's not a thriller or suspense film, but based on a masterfully written comic tragedy by Irish playwright Sean O'Casey. Very faithful to the play, this film is fairly well acted, and fairly well cast. Though most seem to think Sara Allgood is the standout as Juno, I particularly like Sidney Morgan's wonderful portrayal as Joxer, and Edward Chapman's performance as Captain Boyle is also very good,

But writing and acting aside, this film is not without its flaws. Obviously on a tight and tiny budget, the quality of film and sound are fairly awful, and Hitchcock's direction and cinematography is less than stellar, with a rash of low shots and cut-off heads.

Still, the poor quality of film and filming can be excused for budgetary constraints, and the fact that this is such an early Hitchcock film. Definitely worth watching if you like the play, which I do, but don't expect and thrills or shocks; this is a talk-heavy play about Irish troubles during the uprising with some very sharp and wicked humour and some very tragic commentary. Not Hitchcock's best by a longshot, but severely underrated. 6/10.