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THE STORY:
The lovely Mrs. Paradine is accused of poisoning her older, blind husband. She hires lawyer Anthony Keane to represent her. Through Keane is marriedto a striking and devoted women, he finds himself strangely attracted to his glamourous defendant. His deepening feelings convince him she is innocent, even though the evidence and his usual sense of logic and reason might suggest otherwise.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Hitchcock began to think about making "The Paradine Case" towards the end of 1945. In 1946 he went to England to look up the background. Spectators at two Old Bailey murder trials were intrigued by the tubby little man who stared so hard at everything, making notes and solemnly sizing up the judge through an instrument which told him what lenses he would have to use on his cameras. (from Film Illustrated Monthly, date unknown)
Before casting Valli, who had starred in over 30 Italian films, Hitchcock saw Ingrid Bergman as the only women capable of expressing the difficult dramatic changes and moods while sitting motionless and speechless in the witness-box. Bergman was unavailable for the film.
THE DIRECTOR:
Greg on Hitchcock: "A remarkable experience...I admire him greatly. He is the greatest of all film technicians and all directors learn from him."
Later in '67, and after a few more movies under his belt, Peck would say, "I wish I could work with him now. When I worked for him I was still untutored and not able to do my best for him."
THE AWARDS:
Ethel Barrymore was nominated for her supporting role.
RELATED LINKS:
Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense
The David O. Selznick Collection
The Great Filmmaker's Society: Hitchcock
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