by now i figured i'd seen every alfred hitchcock film at least a half-dozen times -- not that i'm complaining . to call him the " master of suspense " is an understatement . the paradine case ( 1947 ) , admittedly one of hitchcock's lesser movies , turned out to be one i'd missed . this one , like all hitchcock films , is well worth savoring . the story opens with the rich mrs . maddalena anna paradine being arrested in her home for poisoning her blind husband . as mrs . paradine , alida valli plays an aloof but alluring woman of the world . to franz waxman's stark and moody music , we see the prison guards divesting her of her luxurious garments and jewels . stripped of her fine raiment , she becomes a commoner again , which , as it turns out , was what she was before she met her husband . " a brief skirmish , and you'll be lunching at the savoy again , " anthony keane , her ultraconfident attorney tells her in their first meeting , predicting a fast and easy trial . gregory peck plays the successful and debonair barrister . " she's no murderess , " he argues simplistically , smitten by her beauty . " she's too fine a woman . " his attitude upsets his beautiful and increasing jealous wife , gay ( ann todd ) . unlike most hitchcock movies , which are centered on the thriller and the mystery , this one is more a romantic melodrama . typical is the scene in which gay flings her head back and shakes her hair while bathed in light . she deflects her husband's affections as she fears that he is beginning to fall in love with his client . the dramatic music then comes up high as the camera dwells on mrs . paradine's portrait nearby . in the relatively unsatisfying first half , little happens other than domestic squabbles and overtones of intense adulterous desires . to the sound of sweeping violins gay tells anthony that he must get mrs . paradine acquitted because , if mrs . paradine dies , his heart will go with her . if she is freed , he will be able to forget her . as part of the soap opera , a mysterious louis jordan plays mr . paradine's valet , who has had some not to be discussed relationships . charles coburn plays anthony's legal partner , sir simon flaquer . and charles laughton , who looks like coburn , is judge lord horfield . this being proper british society , they will all dine together at the judge's house not long before the case begins . court tv junkies will probably pick up the many differences , some subtle and others not , between the american and the british judicial systems . one , for example , of which i was not aware is that the barrister cannot speak to his own client during the recess if she is the process of testifying . one sometimes wonders what the academy is thinking when they make their oscar nominations . as the judge's wife , lady sophie horfield , ethel barrymore got a nomination for best supporting actress -- the film's only nomination -- for an inconsequential part with which she did little of merit . ( so the big question is when does hitchcock make his obligatory walk-on ? at 37 minutes into the film , he leaves a train station carrying a large musical instrument case . don't miss it . ) in the second half the story finally comes alive when it gets into the courtroom . the great master shows his hand there as the tensions build as rapidly in the second part as they lay fallow in the first . watch how the camera angles are sometimes from the back and other times from way on high to set the exact tone for the trial's action . as anthony explains it , the simple case has only 3 possibilities : mr . paradine poisoned himself , mrs . paradine did it , or the valet did it . the end includes many devastating revelations and some nice twists so it is too bad the first half is so languid . the paradine case runs 1 : 53 . the picture is in black and white . it is not rated but would be pg for mature themes and would be fine for kids around nine and up if they are interested . 
