The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) User Reviews (129)

"Murder – wet from the press"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 9 November 2007]

The Lodger was the feature which Hitchcock himself described as his first true film (it was actually his third complete one), and film historians, particularly auteurists tend to focus upon it because it is it introduces themes of murder and suspense that Hitch's name would later be synonymous with.

To be honest, the first thing that strikes me upon watching The Lodger is its sense of rhythm. Hitchcock's earliest films were always very rhythmic and the opening moments of The Lodger are a great example, with a dynamic and attention grabbing sequence of shots and title cards. Much of this however may be down to the style of the seldom referenced screenwriter Eliot Stannard, who has a credit on all but one of Hitchcock's silents. Stannard was a master at telling stories in purely visual terms, and his screenplays often go as far as to map out series of interlocking images.

The next very obvious thing about The Lodger is that right from the start Hitchcock was more interested in cinematic technique than he was in performances or artistry. The Lodger is crammed with Expressionist effects, in particular double exposures. Hitch clearly hadn't learnt the art of subtlety yet and these are massively overused. We can also tell early on that Hitchcock was interested in using his camera to involve the audience in the film, throwing in point-of-view shots or drawing our attention to specific items. In this regard his technique was not yet refined. He was develop it in his later silents.

Of course what generally interests followers of Hitchcock's career is the fact that The Lodger is the first time he deals with the grisly subject of murder. It's true that there are many Hitchcockian elements here – murder, blondes, a love triangle and even a MacGuffin in the form of the Avenger whom all the characters are concerned about but isn't the focus of the story. There is a kind of morbid sensationalism concerning the killings, something we'd see right through to the other end of Hitch's career with the comment about "ripped whores" in 1972's Frenzy. There's also of course a "wrong man", although here he appears more as the subject of a whodunit. The later Hitchcock would have focused upon the plight of the wrongly accused, and made a more suspenseful film in the process.

All in all, The Lodger isn't really as significant an early Hitchcock as some would believe. For one thing there is the influence of screenwriter Stannard and the fact that Hitchcock, although he may have relished the material, was still very young and inexperienced. The fact is The Lodger may contain more of Stannard's influence than it does Hitchcock's. It's not as if Hitchcock immediately began making more murder thrillers. The majority of his British thrillers are of the espionage/adventure variety, and it would take up until the early 40s for Hitchcock to really begin making masterpieces in the domestic murder genre. It's also nowhere near being Hitch's best silent film, even though it tends to be remembered over more polished works like The Ring and The Manxman. Taken out of context though, it is a fairly decent late silent thriller, with only a few minor flaws in plot and direction.

Hitchcock's breakthrough hit...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 29 January 2023]

... a thriller based on the book by Marie Belloc Lowndes. A mysterious killer known as "the Avenger" is terrorizing the streets of London. He targets women with blonde, curly hair, and the police are at a loss to stop him. Meanwhile, a sketchy new lodger (Ivor Novello) takes up residence in the rooming house of a landlady (Marie Ault) and her husband (Arthur Chesney). The landlady becomes convinced that the lodger is really the Avenger, which proves problematic as the lodger has caught the attention of the landlady's daughter, Daisy (June Tripp). Also featuring Malcolm Keen as Daisy's policeman boyfriend.

Inspired by the Jack the Ripper case, this was Hitchcock's first suspense picture, and was an immediate success, with one critic at the time even calling this the "best British film ever made". This is my second time watching it, and the first time watching the beautiful BFI restoration. The quality of the print is outstanding, and the commissioned score is excellent. Hitchcock uses a number of visually impressive double exposure shots, and I also liked the stylized intertitles. I still find the movie a tad too long, and Novello, who looks striking, is a silent-era-style ham, but it's still worth checking out for silent film fans. Arthur Chesney, playing the landlord, was the lookalike younger brother of Edmund Gwenn, and the former husband of Estelle Winwood.

A very good early Hitchcock film

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 20 July 2004]

A story loosely based on Jack the Ripper. In London a killer called the Avenger goes around killing blond-haired girls. Around this time Mr. and Mrs. Bunting take in a lodger (Ivor Novello). He's quiet but very odd. He takes a liking to their blond-haired daughter Daisy (June Tripp). But then the Buntings begin to suspect that he may be the Avenger and want Daisy as his next victim...

Hitchcock's first thriller and a very good one. Very few title cards are used--he uses images to carry the film. Sometimes it works but, more than once, I was confused. It was one of his first films though so this can be forgiven. It also moves a bit too slow. But it's still worth seeing.

You can see the beginnings of his later work peeking through and there are some sequences so well directed that they're stunning (the one where Novello and Tripp kiss is just SO beautiful). Also the acting is actually quite good by everybody--especially Novello. He was a box office draw in the 1920s and it's easy to see why. The man is not only a good actor he was undeniably beautiful. It's easy to see why he was once called one of the most beautiful men alive.

Novello was gay--I wonder if Hitch knew that. There are two lines in this film where people talk about his character--"Good thing he doesn't like girls" and "Even if he is a bit queer". These lines are quite interesting now--I wonder if they were put in on purpose or just happened to be written without anyone knowing. Interesting to think about...

The real Hitchcock is born

[MR 17 · 15 October 1998]

This is the first real Hitchcock movie. The one in which he really starts to use all his abilities, although we can see that they are still not mature yet. It's very interesting because he makes a lot of experiments in this film, like the glass ceiling, and we see how hard he wanted, at the time, to really make his mark, to stand above the rest. Although the ending is not very good, the first 20 minutes of The Lodger are impressive, with Hitchcock slowly telling us (visually, of course) about the killer and his particularities, until the arrival of Ivor Novello. A must-see picture to any real Hitchcock fan

For a 1926 production it's inventive, smart, and a great opening to Hitchcock

[secondtake · 7/10 · 22 August 2012]

The Lodger (1927)

This is the first of three movies in a 30 year period based on the same plot, and in terms of plot this is the best of them. (There is also a recent one that is the worst of the bunch.) It is, for sure, an early Alfred Hitchcock film. It's early in the sense that it's still creaky at times. It's Hitchcock because it's tightly made, visually dramatic, and it combines sympathy and suspense really well.

If you are into what makes Hitchcock tick, you really have to see this movie. Not that you should mind--it's great stuff. First of all you get the presumably innocent man accused of a string of murders (this is ambiguous). Then you have the mixing of sex and murder (or lust and murder--there is no sex here). And then you have the way Hitchcock mixes every day regular people and very safe and homey situations with genuine terrible murderous events. And finally there is his filming and editing.

Take a look even at the very first shot--a close up a screaming woman shot at an angle (a "Dutch angle"). Look next at how dark and impressionistic the next shots are of a horrified crowd, a cop, and a reporter. Later there are other interesting cuts to lead you to thinking a certain way about the characters. And the overlapping of images. And the shot of a man walking overhead on glass, as if you can see through the ceiling.

The humor and clever conversation of later versions of this story are naturally lost on us here. Also in good Hitch fashion there are few intertitle cards. Good thing. The visuals tell the story. And wait until the final scenes, the Pieta all over again, really gorgeous. Some of these last shots were redone at the request of the studio to change the impressions of the main character, a handsome man with an acting reputation to protect. Hitchcock went along, and it seems to be acceptable all around by the time it was released.

It's hard to find a decent "print" of this (a version from a good copy of the film, on DVD or streaming), but it has recently been restored and re-scored (orchestrated) and that's for sure the one to get. It is so far only a U.K. release, apparently even a blu-ray version is out (look for the red and black Constructivist cover). Criterion has not released a version. The original release has different scenes tinted blue or amber for greater effect and the usual version on Hitchcock DVDs and DVD sets in the U.S. is all black and white.

So, if you don't like silent films and can't stand choppy or grainy or badly cropped releases of early films, don't see this. But if you can find the clean new restoration, or you just love Hitchcock, or if you really like silent films (they get more and more amazing the more you see), then see this! It's the director's first really characteristic feature.

Hitchcock's best silent film

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 18 July 2013]

The Lodger is not without its faults, the music does feel too bombastic at times and the ending is too tacky and too conventional. However, the film looks great, the foggy atmosphere, crisp black and white photography and expressionistic images add a lot to the suspense and story and enhances it too as well as holding up terrifically well. There's also a scene with Novello and June's kiss, and it is beautifully done. The story, loosely based on the infamous Jack the Ripper, is suspenseful and compelling with the suspenseful moments appropriately eerie. There are a few darkly funny moments too that are done subtly and the thriller aspects do thrill and are done audaciously. Hitchcock directs splendidly and in his distinctive style helped by a story that serves him well, the innocent in danger theme was a favourite of his and it shows. The acting is good, Ivor Novello especially in a performance that is ambiguous and creepy but also extravagant and sympathetic. June is alluring and Malcolm Keen has a character that is not as sympathetic and he doesn't hold back. Marie Ault and Arthur Chesney give solid support. All in all, a great film, the best of Hitchcock's silent films and possibly one of the best silent films as well. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A compelling whodunit

[raymond-15 · 7/10 · 30 August 2004]

A stranger (Ivor Novello) in fog-bound London seeks accommodation from a family and they provide him with a small apartment upstairs. Their blond daughter is drawn towards this fascinating and somewhat mysterious gentleman. Her parents become suspicious of the intentions of the lodger and they live in fear of her safety. There is a serial killer abroad in the foggy streets and who knows? this stranger could be that maniac.

It is interesting to view an early Hitchcock film as far back as the silent era. I am surprised at the quality (despite a few scratches here and there). The addition of music is rather overdone in my opinion but it does fill in the empty silence and does add a dramatic effect. No doubt in the early days a capable pianist (below the screen) bashed out some impromptu music to fit the mood of each scene.

It is an uncomplicated story but that does not mean the guilty person is easily recognized (if at all!) Hitchcock likes to tease with a lodger who has shifty eyes, who paces the floor (what an original idea to photograph through a transparent floor), who has the wall pictures removed and who creeps out silently at night.

I feel that the atmosphere created is exceptional. Certainly a bit theatrical with exaggerated eye expressions but compelling nevertheless.

When you see a film of this vintage you realise how much film production had already advanced in the 20's and without the aid of all our recent technological contrivances.

A Story Of The London Fog

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 28 July 2004]

With a savage murderer stalking the night, dark suspicion swirls about THE LODGER living in a London home.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) became a director of note with this silent film, his first thriller and only his third directorial effort, which shows the young Master's talents being developed in embryo. Based on the novel by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes and the tales of Jack the Ripper, Hitchcock was able to embroider upon the theme of mistaken identities and incorporate an intense chase sequence, both of which would become important elements in his later suspense films. He also made the first of his famous cameo appearances, twice actually, which would also become part of his trademark.

The film is well plotted and moody, told in an almost expressionistic style, relying mainly on visuals and a somewhat frugal use of title cards. The staging in the narrow, multi-level home is especially well managed, with characters on different stories interacting in the plot simultaneously.

Fans of the 1944 American remake with Laird Cregar may be surprised at its very different ending from this film. This is probably largely due to the fact that the earlier movie (including some very incongruous and never explained plot elements) was planned as a showcase for its star, matinée idol Ivor Novello, who plays the title role. Born David Ivor Davies in Wales, Novello (1893-1951) was the son of famed singing teacher Dame Clara Novello Davies. He found success on the stage at an early age and became a very popular actor-manager, playwright & composer, his most lauded song being the World War One patriotic tune 'Keep The Home Fires Burning.' Although he appeared occasionally in films, Novello's greatest renown came from his acting in the lavishly romantic stage plays he authored, his handsome good looks being especially appreciated by the ladies in the audience. A hint of his melodramatic stage persona, especially the use of his mesmeric eyes, can be seen in Hitchcock's film, projecting the actor into a virtual Epiphany during the most exciting sequence. Novello would also star in THE LODGER's 1932 British talkie remake.

The rest of the cast does well in support of Novello, especially Marie Ault & Arthur Chesney as his increasingly frightened landlords. Monosyllabic actress June flounces prettily as their flirtatious daughter; Malcolm Keen, whose character is done rather dirty by the script, plays the suspicious cop who loves her.

A Nation of Shopkeepers and Murderers

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 18 July 2004]

I wonder if this would be identifiable as a Hitchcock movie if it weren't identified as such. Maybe. It as a few innovative touches anyway although it's often a little primitive.

For one thing it's a theme -- a serial murderer in a comfortably bourgeois setting -- that Hitchcock would return to from time to time. "Frenzy," for instance, and "Shadow of a Doubt." But this isn't really typical in that the later Hitchcock would have complicated the story, or juiced it up, by having the innocent eponymous "lodger" guilty of something or other -- maybe just having a closet full of ladies' garments. As it is, he's made Ivor Novello a bit odd looking, given him effete gestures, more makeup than the other men, suggesting that he's gay. Other characters refer to him as "queer" (in the old-fashioned sense of quirky) and say of him that "he's not keen on the ladies." (Ivor Novello was himself gay.)

There's also a scene in which a sexy young girl is happily taking a bath while the lodger tries to sneak into the bathroom. Shades of "Psycho."

And when the lodger is pacing back and forth in his upstairs room, the family look up at the ceiling at the jiggling chandelier and the ceiling becomes transparent so we can see the shoes of the suspect. Oh, it's not "elegant," but it IS "original." Hitchcock was trying something new even then.

Then too, there is a scene in a kind of -- boutique? Is that the right word? A fancy dress shop where the heroine models. The prissy looking lodger is seated between two dolls in cloche hats -- I'm afraid I'm guessing again -- and one of them puts an unlit cigarette in her mouth, waiting for the smooth gentleman to light it for her, and maybe buy her that smashing dress too. But the lodger has noticed that -- well, to be frank -- the woman's bare KNEE is on display, the flapper! So, get this, staring straight ahead, he takes out his lighter, flicks it lit, and moves it to the side so she can reach it. Then he disengages himself, stands up, and walks off, to her irritation. It was not necessary to do the scene in that particular fashion but it's the kind of thing Hitchcock would dream up, a small but telling detail.

Hitchcock makes his cameo in the crowd of people trying to clobber the lodger, who is hung up on a fence by his handcuffs. (Christian symbolism? I doubt it.) Hitchcock's presence is clear enough in still shots but the print I saw was so old and scratchy half the scene was obscured.

Why didn't Hitchcock make an outright movie about Jack the Ripper instead of this one, with an innocent "Avenger." We never find out who or what the real murderer is avenging. Come to think of it, we never even see him. Maybe Hitch wasn't too fond of period pictures. The few that he made were anything but hits. Hitch making a movie set in 1885? What's next? Hitch remaking the shootout at the OK Corral? Hitch doing a biography of Moses? Nah. He had a pretty good sense of his talents and their limitations. When he misjudged them it was usually in the matter of technique, not subject.

Worth seeing. In fact, an interesting story.

Vintage Hitchcock at his best.

[blueapplejack · 8/10 · 19 July 2004]

In a quiet British town, a serial killer known as The Avenger is on the loose. Noted for his partiality for blondes, The Avenger has killed seven women-and shows no signs of stopping.

Ivor Novello, as the title character, is a quiet and mysterious man who appears at a boarding house soon after the seventh murder is committed. The landlady reluctantly allows him to stay in an upstairs room, but becomes suspicious when she notices the young man turning over all the portraits of blonde-haired women in his room. It doesn't help the landlady's suspicions when the man begins showing an interest in her daughter, Daisy (naturally, a blonde). Daisy's boyfriend, a detective, is assigned to The Avenger's case, and (almost immediately) becomes suspicious of the lodger as well.

Although The Lodger isn't Hitchcock's first feature, it most certainly is the film that launched his career as the "Master of Suspense." Noticeable Hitchcock trademarks are apparent here-namely the lodger's arrival and the ceiling/mirror scene.

Loosely based on the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper, this silent thriller is fast-paced with exceptional performances. The score, at times, seems out of place, but Hitchcock fans will nonetheless enjoy this film.

It was the start of what came to be known as "the Hitchcock touch..."

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 24 April 2005]

The film begins with the head of a girl in close-up... She is very blonde, and her curling hair fills the screen... She is screaming... Cut to a theater sign, announcing a show called "Tonight, Golden Curls." The lights of the sign are reflected in water... From that water the golden-haired girl is drawn out to land... She is no longer screaming... She is dead... Assassinated!

That scene was more than the start of a film... It was also the real start of suspense films in England...

"The Lodger," based on a novel by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes, was set in a Jack the Ripper-style murder wave in a foggy London... The victims were always blonde girls, always killed on the same day of the week...

While the whole capital speculates in contagious fear, a new lodger turned up at a peaceful boarding house... He wears a black cloak and carries a black bag...

There are other details which make us mistrust the mysterious tenant without, obviously, conclusive proof… So is he or isn't he the serial killer? Well, you have to see the film, and to follow a plot that was to dominate and control several of Hitchcock's later films: the concept of suspicion, the essential point for suspense

"Be careful, I'll get you yet."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 26 July 2006]

The lodger's first appearance, dressed like the description of a murderer named 'The Avenger' with a wrap across his face, makes it a bit too obvious that Jonathan Drew might be the killer. That's what hooks the viewer into wondering who the Avenger might actually be, and with only a handful of credited characters, the only other reasonable suspect would be police detective Joe.

Alfred Hitchcock masterfully directs his first British thriller with hallmarks of the style that in later years would make his name a household word. The steep stairways of the boarding house, a recurring black cat and Hitchcock's own understated presence were all to be repeated in later films, not to mention central characters in a tense game of identity crisis. What makes the lodger character (Ivor Novello) particularly creepy is his unusual behavior in turning women's pictures away from view and the borderline malevolent interest he takes in young Daisy Bunting, a fair haired girl who has all the prerequisites for the Avenger's next victim.

There are a couple of anomalies that bear mentioning. I found it more than a bit unusual that the lodger's murder map would have been drawn in exactly the same way as the one the police have, a set of smaller triangles within a larger one to mark locations of the stranglings. Speaking of triangles, perhaps it was unintentional, but the one between Drew, Daisy and Joe presents a lot of unresolved tension as events unfold.

The other scenario I had some problem with involves the mob chase after the lodger and Daisy leave the pub - just where did ALL those people come from? Presumably it was late evening with most people staying safe at home, but it looked like a hundred plus people were after the innocent victim.

At times excessively grainy and marked with imperfections, I was fortunate to have this rare movie turn up on a Hitchcock DVD compilation of nine British films on three discs put out by St. Clair Vision. These early Hitchcock efforts have been easy to find for a long time now except for "The Lodger", and "Blackmail" which is also part of the set. Even if you're not a Hitchcock fan per se, it's a great set to get into to see the early development of the suspense genre, with an opportunity to see how the director progressed over the course of his early career.

Not so subtle

[Igenlode Wordsmith · 6/10 · 7 January 2008]

Unfortunately, this famous film was for me a bit of a disappointment. The novice Hitchcock is clearly in love with special effects and the manufacture of suspense, but he resorts to devices that are all too obviously manufactured in his endeavour to throw suspicion on the eponymous lodger. It's pretty difficult to poke a fire in such a way as to poise the poker threateningly above the head of the girl on the other side of the table, even if she is bending down to retrieve a lost chess-piece; and it's pretty crude to have your suspect pretend to stab the heroine with a table-knife. And when the murderer is known to have a fixation of blonde girls, it's not exactly subtle to have your suspect talk not about the beauty, but the colour of the heroine's hair -- lack of subtlety is the main theme here, culminating in the lodger's 'crucifixion', when a trickle of blood oozes from his mouth in what is doubtless intended to be a deeply significant shot. The story is a potentially good one, but the execution is too often ham-handed... not aided, I'm afraid, by some poor acting.

It does annoy me when people dismiss bad acting in silents with airy phrases such as 'you had to overact to get the story across without dialogue' and 'that style of acting was normal in those days'; any decent silent-era actor can get his message across just by the way he moves and reacts without making eyes at the camera or gesturing around, and wooden acting is wooden acting in any era. Top silent actors were often better than talkie actors because they didn't have the crutch of dialogue to distract from awkward body language; if it looked unnatural, everyone would notice.

Ivor Novello had no pretensions to be a great screen actor -- he was originally selected for film roles simply on the grounds of his striking good looks, and cheerfully admitted it -- but this is far from being his best performance. He gives every indication of reacting to off-screen directions as to what expression to pull next, rather than communicating clearly with the audience; some scenes are far more successful than others. Malcolm Keen in the role of his rival Joe, the detective, is little better, and the mysterious "June" (perhaps a contemporary society celebrity with whom the audience was expected to be on first-name terms?) acts them both off the screen, as do the character actors who play her parents.

The film has good moments, generally when a touch of humour is allowed to break up the would-be intensity or when the actors relax enough to give more natural performances, but it left me feeling nakedly manipulated. There are flashes of talent, but all concerned are trying too obviously and too hard; I'm not sure I could honestly recommend it, save for curiosity's sake.

Disappointing...

[km_dickson · 4/10 · 10 July 2005]

Regarded as a classic by most people simply because it is Alfred Hitchcock's first suspense film. Unfortunately, The Lodger is almost completely bereft of the fine craftsmanship that would come to be Hitchcock's calling card in his later films. Inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders, the story centers on a family who takes in a mysterious young man amidst a series of killings going on in the city. Unengaging and slow moving, the film drags on as the family begins to suspect the young man of being the killer. Their suspense builds, but ours does not. The film picks up nicely in the last twenty minutes with a couple of plot twists and a jealous boyfriend / detective, but it's not quite enough to save the film. There are also a couple of examples of artistic cinematography and symbolic imagery, but it never really pays off. Hitchcock's best work was still well ahead of him.

Important Historically & Very Good In Its Own Right

[Snow Leopard · 14 June 2001]

Usually remembered as Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller, "The Lodger" is also a very good film in its own right. Although the acting is somewhat dated, and although there is not a really appropriate musical score that has survived, it has the carefully crafted plot and suspense that Hitchcock would become famous for.

The opening sequence uses the director's creative touches in setting the mood of a city terrorized by a mysterious killer, "The Avenger", who is targeting light-haired women. Then we meet the actual characters: an older couple and their daughter Daisy, and Daisy's policeman boyfriend. When a mysterious lodger appears and rents the family's extra room, his strange behavior begins to make them suspect that he might be the mad killer, even as he builds a close friendship with Daisy. As the story proceeds, tension and fear continue to build until an ending that is exciting, if somewhat melodramatic.

Hitchcock shows his mastery of silent film technique in using a wide variety of camera techniques and props to communicate the emotions of the characters. The acting is mostly good, although Ivor Novello as "the lodger" overplays his role rather noticeably. This is the kind of movie that could really benefit from a good musical soundtrack, and the fact that it is exciting to watch even without an appropriate score shows the quality of Hitchcock's craftsmanship.

Anyone who enjoys Hitchcock or silent films will definitely want to see "The Lodger".

Early style

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 24 September 2021]

THE LODGER (1927) is a stand-out movie in the career of Alfred Hitchcock, his first suspense film and one that helped usher in his trademark style which is in full flow even at this early stage of his work. The simple storyline involves Jack the Ripper-style murders in and around the Embankment in London and a household who become convinced that their mysterious lodger (matinee idol Ivor Novello) is the man responsible.

Hitch is the master of style here, his camerawork in full force: there are creative camera angles, fades, zooms, atmosphere, set-pieces, expressionist shadowing and of course the obligatory cameo. It's hard to rate acting in a silent film as it's always so over-exaggerated, but Novello's dark looks are put to good use and it's nice to see the female characters taking such important roles. An hour and a half running time that flies by with speed and style.

Fun stuff, very Hitchcock!

[Devotchka · 8/10 · 28 September 2004]

This movie is fantastic and fascinating mostly because of its director, but it would be fun either way. I'd say that it's better than many films of the same period, but not to the same extreme degree that Hitchcock's movies eventually achieved.

You can see it's his work, though. Hitchcock knew that what made a suspenseful movie good had nothing to do with gore or loud noises, and this shows even in his early work. The Lodger has a distinctly Hitchcock feel to it--fun and scary--and it's interesting to see how he gets around the lack of sound, considering the fact that most (all?) of his other films were talkies.

Atmospheric Hitchcock Silent

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 8 August 2019]

Super atmospheric Hitchcock silent film set in London about a young male boarder who may or may not be a serial killer.

The boarder is played by actor Ivor Novello, and the main draw for me in this film -- aside from it being a Hitchcock movie -- is that Ivor Novello is a character in Robert Altman's murder mystery "Gosford Park," and "The Lodger" specifically is mentioned in an exchange between Novello (played by Jeremy Northam) and a snooty dowager played by Maggie Smith. In "Gosford Park," Novello is constantly singing and playing the piano, and it wasn't until I watched "The Lodger" and learned a bit more about Novello that I found out he was more known as a musician than an actor, and that much of the music in "Gosford Park" is his.

So this isn't really a review as much as a lot of trivia, but I don't have a lot to say about this movie anyway. I enjoyed it, and it feels like what it is -- an early film by someone who would eventually grow into one of the masters of the art form.

Grade: B+

Meet young Hitchcock. He's already obsessed with "Psychos"

[Coventry · 8/10 · 5 February 2018]

I'm hardly ever in the right mood to watch silent movies, but as a self-declared cinephile, you should make some necessary exceptions. The earliest work of Alfred Hitchcock, for example, since he undoubtedly is one of the (if not THE) most important director of all times. Admittedly I don't worship the Master of Suspense's entire repertoire, but I am extremely fond of his horror/thriller movies dealing with psychopathic murderers, and thus "The Lodger" ought to be considered as mandatory viewing. I can only concur with what I've read in numerous reviews, namely that Hitchcock's preferences for macabre tales, mentally burdened lead characters, pitch black humor and unorthodox plot twists are already clearly noticeable here in this primitive story inspired by the Jack the Ripper case. Visually and stylistically, young Alfred's creative mind also was already far more advanced than the technological possibilities of that era. It's abundantly clear that he wanted to do so much more with his cameras, lighting effects and sound, but the film industry simply wasn't ready or equipped yet. How frustrating that must have been. Anyway, as said, the story is a slightly more polished re-enactment of the Ripper murders that kept London under siege at the end of the 19th century. Instead of prostitutes, the killer is exclusively targeting "fair-haired" girls and for some reason he's only prowling the streets on Tuesday evenings. When a mysterious and deeply introvert young man applies for the room she has for rent, the landlady slowly begins to suspect that he might be wanted killer. After all, he often covers half of his face with a scarf, just as how witnesses described the killer, and he shows a lot of interest for the beautiful fair-haired daughter Daisy. Hitchcock demonstrates his vision and talents through maintaining a continuously unsettling atmosphere, a couple of genuinely tense sequences and a few stunning (especially for 1927) camera angles. The finale, illustrating a relentless manhunt by a furious mob, is truly astounding and certain themes from the denouement would later grow out to be director's trademarks. Acting performances are always difficult to judge in silent films, but I must say I was perplexed by the appearance of Malcolm Keen. He's supposed to be the honest police detective, but his eyes and charisma are far more evil and menacing than those of any serial killer I've ever seen!

Primordial

[jldmp1 · 7/10 · 6 October 2006]

The value in this doesn't come from the story, the acting or the intertitles. There's nothing exotic about the locales or the people; in fact, there seems to have been a deliberate use of a cast that precisely resembles the sort of audience that was expected to attend the movie.

Where the value lies is in the twisting effect that comes from the editing of the imagery that has us convinced of one thing, to the point of siding with the indignant mob within the film, only to have the rubber band harshly snapped at the precise climactic moment. Ideas that filmmakers -still try- to rearrange and perfect.

Along the way, we are treated to some uniquely cinematic ideas; partly the camera angles and the shot to shot edits that twist our perceptions. But note also the superposition of images to denote imagination and memory. What we have here is evidence of Hitchcock's early recognition of the power of the camera to tell the story in it's own unique and new language.

It's All Atmosphere

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 12 September 2008]

We can see the master attempting to hone his craft here. The beginning of the film sets up everything. As a matter of fact, Hitchcock did a great job with exposition in almost every one of his films. So those first ten minutes introduces us to the terror and threat that hangs over the Embankment as a Jack the Ripper type murderer does in his victims. Ivor Novello has trouble keeping a low profile. Considering why he is there, one might think he could try to be a little less suspicious. But then we would not have a movie nor the ultimate mob mentality at work. The young heroin never doubts him, though she really should. He lurks around, runs out at night, and seems like the perfect suspect. All that aside, there is so much mood and atmosphere at work. Hitchcock uses everything that the black and white medium can do to move this picture along. The crowd scene at the end is priceless: Hitchcock's man alone. When he is hung up on the fence, too exhausted to free himself, he becomes a sort of Christ figure; the "Romans" jeering at him. This works better than the later sound version, although that is also pretty interesting. HItchcock is able to pull this off and it must have given him great confidence.

The Hitchcock Legacy Begins

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 13 January 2020]

This is Hitchcock's third film and the one he considered his first "true" film. It definitely reveals aspects of Hitchcock's constant desire to deliver stylish images through the use of light/shadow and lens angle. It also includes nods to German expressionism, which Hitchcock was known to have explored just before filming this thriller. One might assume that he also saw "Nosferatu" because of certain images in this film.

When a new lodger comes to the Bunting household, he inspires suspicions because of his peculiar behavior. He is expressionless and seemingly preoccupied. Still, he pays for a month in advance.

Meanwhile, that section of town has been victimized weekly by a fiendish killer who preys on blondes. The newspapers play up the story and everyone is buzzing.

Hitchcock expertly creates a puzzle of occurrences and circumstances that have the viewer wondering if the lodger might be the criminal. As he did in "Rear Window", he uses doubts and suspicions to draw the viewer in, though this film lacks mature Hitchcock's ability to develop relationships and fully engage the emotions.

One of Hitchcock's Early Works!

[Sylviastel · 8/10 · 6 September 2013]

I don't know if this is first actual film as writer and director. Anyway the film's dark plot is about London's serial killer known as the Avenger. The landlady and the landlord suspect the lodger could be the Avenger. This film is dark but definitely worth watching just to see how he evolved as a director. The cast includes Ivor Novello as the mysterious lodger. Up until film, almost all actors and actresses had only stage experience. The early silent films offered another to way act for better salaries. This silent film is actually an early thriller classic. The cast do a terrific job especially Ivor Novello. The film might have been inspired by the Jack the Ripper case in London, England.

Feels like the first true Hitchcock film

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 28 December 2018]

Alfred Hitchcock made a few movies before The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, but this one feels like the first true Hitchcock film. It features mystery, suspense and plenty of murder. I also thought I had the movie figured out, only to be surprised in the end. It's not as polished as his later work, but it's fun to see Hitchcock's progression as a filmmaker.

Hitchcock's's first thriller

[disdressed12 · 5/10 · 15 March 2009]

this first screen adaptation of the novel(with the same title) by Marie Bellock Lowndes is Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller.it's a silent film,the only silent film adaptation of the novel.its biggest value to me is the curiosity and novelty factor.of the silent films i've seen so far,this is not one of the best ones.i found it much too slow,and the music accompaniment is is irrelevant to ht film.i think whoever produced this print just picked some public domain music and slapped it onto the film.i did get this film as part of a very cheap collection and so it my be this particular print that has that problem.for me,The Lodger is a 4/10