I Confess (1953)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

George Tabori (screenplay) and
William Archibald (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 March 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

FILMED IN CANADA'S COLORFUL QUEBEC BY WARNER BROS. (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Refusing to give into police investigators' questions of suspicion, due to the seal of confession, a priest becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Police | Murder | Lawyer | Confession

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Montgomery Clift	...	Fr. Michael William Logan
Anne Baxter	...	Ruth Grandfort
Karl Malden	...	Inspector Larrue
Brian Aherne	...	Willy Robertson
O.E. Hasse	...	Otto Keller
Roger Dann	...	Pierre Grandfort
Dolly Haas	...	Alma Keller
Charles Andre	...	Fr. Millars
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nan Boardman	...	Maid (uncredited)
Henry Corden	...	Det. Sgt. Farouche (uncredited)
Carmen Gingras	...	1st French Girl (uncredited)
Albert Godderis	...	Nightwatchman (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man crossing the top of long staircase (uncredited)
Renée Hudon	...	2nd French Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
George Tabori		(screenplay) and
William Archibald		(screenplay)
Paul Anthelme		(play)

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Robert Burks

Film Editing by
Rudi Fehr

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth		(as Edward S. Haworth)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sherry Shourds	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Alvarado	....	assistant director (as Don Page)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Orry-Kelly	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Ray Heindorf	....	musical director
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Barbara Keon	....	production associate
Father Paul LaCouline	....	technical advisor
Oliver Tangvay	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• C. F. R. (1953) (France) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• Warner Bros. (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1953) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Carlotta Films (1999) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's 'I Confess!' (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Italian | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (1988) | Brazil:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16036) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Eglise Saint-Zéphirin de Stadacona, quartier Limoilou, 972 rue Saint-Jean, Québec, Québec, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Walking through the town, priest Logan pass in front of a cinema which is showing The Enforcer (1951).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just before Logan accidentally smashes the car window when he's attacked by the mob, the window can clearly be seen to have been "pre-cracked" to allow it to break upon impact.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fr. Michael William Logan: Who's there?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Veni Creator Spiritus

The new DVD is excellent.

This may not be one of Hitchcock's greatest movies, but it's still a great film, since it was made by the master, who somehow managed to survive beautifully in Hollywood for many years. It contains many of his favorite things: lamps, the backs of people's heads, bedposts, ladies pacing in front of mantelpieces, obvious symbolism, architecture, performing arts halls, etc. More somber in tone than most Hitchcock thrillers, it should not be missed by any Hitchcock fan.

Nor by any Montgomery Clift fan. At one point Clift is juxtaposed against a statue of Christ dragging his cross, taunted by soldiers. This could be the impishly sadistic Hitchcock poking fun at the "plugged-up" persona that Clift was developing for himself, but Clift is nevertheless excellent as the brooding, sensitive priest trapped by his own devotional vows. And of course he's physically beautiful: the hair, the eyes, the eyebrows.

Less effective, although she has her moments, is Anne Baxter who was a replacement for a European actress. It's too bad, because it's hard to buy Baxter as the luscious Hitchcock blonde. Her hairdo is awful (well, it was 1953, so it's not entirely her fault)and she does that line reading that she does in every movie, including "All About Eve," where each line fades to a whisper, or starts as a whisper and stays that way. Once you become aware of it, you can't not notice it! She does, however, have at least one great Orry-Kelly dress and the way she snaps "Yes" at her husband was worth a rollback for a second viewing.

The new DVD is excellent. It has a little documentary which is enjoyable, if you can stand Peter Bogdanovich doing his Hitchcock impersonation. Hitchcock's daughter is also in the documentary. It's amazing how she seems to not really understand what her father was up to sub-textually, but she continues to enjoy his success.