This week’s movie, Downhill (1927) was one I had been
looking forward to since having watched The Lodger, two weeks earlier as it too
starred, the wonderful Ivor Novello as well as being based on a play that
Novello co-wrote. Can you tell I’ve developed kind of a thing for Ivor
Novello? Yeah. It’s gotten serious. I’m already trying to find a decent bio on
him but most everything seems to be currently out of print so we’ll have to
wait and see how that goes.
On to the actual film – I LOVED Downhill. It, while not
critically as successful as some of Hitchcock’s other silent pieces, just
managed to tick a whole bunch of boxes for me.
The story starts with two public school boys, Roddy and Tim
(played by Ivor Novello and Robin Irvine) and their “friendship” with a local
shop girl. It doesn’t take long for flirtation to become something more and
before you know it Miss Sultry Shopgirl is knocked up and blaming Roddy for
something that Tim did. The school doesn’t take too kindly to such reckless
behaviour and Roddy is expelled, taking the blame and promising to keep Tim’s
secret as Tim needs his reputation intact in order to gain a scholarship to
Oxford. Unfortunately Roddy’s father doesn’t believe he’s innocent and so
begins the downward spiral that becomes poor Roddy’s life.
Now as we already know, I am becoming a little biased when
it comes to Ivor Novello but I really did adore the character of Roddy and
really felt for him throughout the film. Not only does the poor boy get
expelled from a school he loves and fall out with his father but he also gives
his heart to an actress who only marries him for his money (after he inherits a
lump sum from some relation or other), while continuing an affair with her
acting partner, before ditching Roddy as soon as she’s finished spending his
money. To top it all off Roddy ends up becoming a gigolo in Paris for older
women until his self-loathing takes over and he ends up delirious, broke and
alone.
 |
| Roddy in somewhat happier times. Poor chap didn't know what was coming to him. |
This film is not exactly what I would describe as uplifting
but to be honest I quite like a bit of misery in my stories and the many
dramatically charged trials Roddy was forced to go through just made me love
him more. But as we learned from The Lodger, Ivor Novello must come out on top.
So after quite a period of desperation and melancholy, Roddy is shipped back to
his family by some helpful sailors and returns to find that his father now
knows he was wrong and is ready to beg for his son’s forgiveness, culminating
in Roddy seamlessly slipping back into his former life. Kind of a cop out but a
relatively pleasant one, I suppose.
I just want to take a moment to say that the scene where Roddy
is returning home by boat is positively nauseating, a clearly intentional decision
on Hitchcock’s part but one that worked maybe a little too affectively for me.
Still kudos to Hitch for his wonderful innovations, still as impacting today as
they would have been in the 20s.
Overall, Downhill was a winner for me. I completely
understand why it wouldn’t work for everyone but I enjoyed every minute of it
an am sure it will be a movie that I seek out time and again over the years.
Be sure to check back next week for thoughts on the next
film, The Farmers Wife.
- Lesley
xx
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