Hitchcock One by One: THE LODGER: A STORY OF THE LONDON FOG (1927)

Who Made It?
Written by Eliot Stannard
Based on the novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Who's In It?
Ivor Novello as The Lodger
June as Daisy
Marie Ault as The Landlady
Arthur Chesney as Her Husband
Malcolm Keen as Joe, The Police Detective

What's It About?
Daisy's family takes in a mysterious boarder just as London is gripped by "The Avenger", a serial killer with a predilection for curly blondes. As the days go by, the family grows ever more suspicious: could their paying houseguest be the very fiend who terrorizes the city?

The film's opening scene. Hitchcock achieved this effect by having the actress lay flat on a glass pane, spreading her hair behind her, and lighting her from beneath.

Why Should I See It?

The Lodger is a superior silent film, stylish and atmospheric, fascinating and suspenseful. I was unprepared for just how good a film it is, especially coming on the heels of the enjoyable but unremarkable The Pleasure Garden (granted, Hitchcock's second film, the now-lost The Mountain Eagle was made in between). Clearly showing the influence of the German Expressionists in cinematography and design (Hitchcock had worked at Germany's UFA studios for a number of years and made 1925's The Pleasure Garden there), this is, hands-down, one of the finest silents I've seen. For many directors, this film would have been the high point of a career.

Ivor Novello, who was a matinee idol in the UK, plays the title role, the mysterious stranger who arouses fear and suspicion amongst the other occupants of the household, including Daisy's police-detective boyfriend, Joe. Could the lodger be the killer who roams the streets, claiming victims on Tuesday evenings? It certainly seems that he could be. He is a creepy guy (Novello does such a good job establishing this that it's tough to shake later when we're asked to be more sympathetic). He takes a liking to Daisy who happens to have blonde, curly hair—just the sort whom the killer finds attractive. And his behavior fits the pattern of the killer's activities to a T, a fact not lost on Joe the detective. (As I watched the film, I began to wonder if the lodger wasn't a misdirection and if Joe wasn't the killer. There's a point in the narrative where the pieces fit and either one of them could just as easily have been the villain.) It was Hitchcock's intent to film a faithful adaptation of Lowndes' novel, but Novello's status as silent-era heartthrob wouldn't allow it, so Hitchcock had to devise a new, somewhat ingenuous third act that deviates sharply from the novel while still telling a satisfying story. I think he did a good job. See what you think.



Ivor Novello as the lodger in the film's signature images.

Hitchcock was trained as a draftsman and his career in motion pictures began as a title designer, a talent which he put to good use here. In contrast to the traditional, textual intertitles of The Pleasure Garden, The Lodger's titles are stylish, bold, and even occasionally animated. They are works of art unto themselves and really help give the film a distinctive flavor. While such flamboyant treatment of intertitles is not unheard of elsewhere, it is fairly unusual. Seeing the impact they make here makes me wish that more producers of the era would have followed Hitchcock's example.


A few of THE LODGER's intertitles (click to enlarge). All three of these are animated in the film.

Also noteworthy are Hitchcock's attempts to compensate for the lack of sound. Chief among several examples is a scene in which the other occupants are chilled by the sound of the lodger's footsteps in the room above them. They look up, the chandelier sways slightly, and the ceiling fades away revealing the lodger, seemingly suspended in midair, walking over our heads. It's a bravura sequence and one that required innovation and ingenuity. It's worth pointing out that, had this been a talking picture, this scene would likely have been accomplished through sound effects and we would have missed out on what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest treats in all of silent cinema.


The lodger paces the floor above... (click to enlarge)

 What Else?
Many have pointed out the Christian imagery that appears here and there in The Lodger. As he peers out from an upstairs window at a newsboy shouting the news of the latest murder, the window grille casts a shadow in the form of a cross across the boarder's face. Later, during the film's climax, he hangs from a fence by his handcuffed wrists, a supplicant beaten by an angry crowd.

Where Can I See It?

As of January 2011, The Lodger is available in the US in a fine, tinted edition as part of MGM's "Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection" boxed set and, until recently, as a standalone DVD. There is also any number of cheapie public-domain editions available. Please avoid these and pay a few extra dollars for the MGM edition—the superior presentation is worth the investment.

The Lodger is currently undergoing a major restoration by the British Film Institute. Here’s hoping we see a sparkling new edition soon! 

What's the Bottom Line?
THE LODGER is a superior silent film, stylish and atmospheric, fascinating and suspenseful. A clear precursor to Hitchcock's later films, this is a must-see picture and an excellent starting place for those new to silent cinema.