After the success of Spellbound (1945), Alfred Hitchcock was able to re-hire Ingrid Bergman for his next film which would be a thriller about a secret agent. Cary Grant was hired as the male protagonist and thus Notorious (1946) was created. Notorious is considered one of Hitchcock's best films. However, it isn't one of my personal favourites. This was the first time -I think- that I've watched it and it seemed to me a little slower than what I would have prefered and a little less exciting than what I had expected. I have to admit, though, that the camera work is excellent as is the cinematography. Enjoy:
Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Begman) is a woman whose German father has just been convicted for treason against the U.S. After his conviction, she decides to drink and party with men to show to the world that she doesn't care about her father's fate.
At a party she meets T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) who flirts with her until she gets drunk.
Soon, she discovers that Devlin is a Government Agent who knows she disliked her father's "business". Devlin asks her to spy on a group of her father's nazi friends and work for the American Government.
However -and naturally if I may add- Devlin and Alicia fall in love. Their relationship develops in a way it shouldn't have and for that reason they have to hide their feelings from their boss.
After Alicia has accepted the job, she infiltrates the circle of the Germans and for that she resumes a relationship with a former "friend", the businessman Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains).
Soon, she gets too deep into her role and accepts Sebastian's proposal to marry him. Will she manage to find his secrets without exposing her true colours?
The film makes references to uranium and for that Alfred Hitchcock was under FBI surveillance for three months.
Claude Rains had to stand on a box to make him look taller than Ingrid Bergman and equal to Cary Grant. The truth is, though, that Grant was 7 inches taller than Rains.
After filming had ended Cary Grant kept the UNICA key. A few years later he gave it to his friend Ingrid Bergman who, some decades later at a tribute in Hitchcock's honour, presented the key to her director.
Some years after the movie was released, both "Lux Radio Theater" and "The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a radio adaptation of the film with Bergman reprising her role as Alicia.
The legendary on-again off-again kiss between the two protagonists was really difficult to film but necessary nonetheless as they had to skirt the Hayes Code which restricted kisses from lasting more than 3 seconds.
Director Cameo: About an hour in, Hitchcock is seen at a party drinking some champagne.
Memorable Quotes:
"- My car is outside. - Naturally."
Alicia and Devlin
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