Strangers on a Train (1951) First Time Watching! Full Movie Reaction!!
Added 2024-01-25 17:48:39 +0000 UTC
Comments
I'm over a year late to this party, so this may be something of a "dead letter" at this point. But I did want to point out that two of the Morton clan should have been recognizable.
Already discussed was Babs, played by director Hitchcock's daughter Patricia, whom you've seen in Psycho (1960) as Marion's office co-worker.
Senator Morton was played by the wonderful Leo G. Carroll, who appeared in six Hitchcock films. In North by Northwest (1959) which you've seen, he was the Professor, the head of the intelligence agency who at first was perfectly willing to let Roger (Cary Grant) fend for himself, lest they expose their own agent in the villain's inner circle.
Carroll's best Hitchcock outing was in Spellbound (1945), which I strongly recommend. But he was also seen more briefly in Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), and The Paradine Case (1947, a rather missable effort, frankly).
Less prominently, Miriam was played by an actress calling herself Laura Elliott at this point, though she reverted to her own name of Kasey Rogers by the time she became a rather bemused recurring neighbor on Bewitched in the 1960s.
Stargazing and trivia busting could go on at length in such a cast as this. For example, Marion Lorne (Bruno's mother) was also a recurring character on Bewitched, as the bumbling witch Aunt Clara.
'Nuff said.
Alan Jones
2025-06-02 21:37:11 +0000 UTC
Great reaction! I've been on a journey to watch all of Hitchcock's filmography, and I completed it tonight with the both of you; I've purposely been saving Strangers on a Train for last to end on a high note, and just got lucky that your reaction lined up with my schedule!
One of the things that stands out about Hitchcock, when looking at the totality of his work, is how often he hit the top mark. In a career spanning fifty years he directed over fifty movies, at least fifteen of which range from perfect to great--not even including the ones which are only "good" lol. I'm sure they're already on your recommendation list, but I hope the next ones you check out include Rebecca (1940), my personal favorite of them all and the only Hitchcock film to ever win Best Picture, Rope (1948) which is his other movie starring Farley Granger, and Notorious (1946) with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
TBR is right, all of those moments were intentional jokes. As a previous commenter mentioned, Hitchcock had a very particular type of silly humor that he inserted into most of movies and the more you watch the more you'll pick up the brand. Think of moments in Psycho when his daughter mentions taking tranquilizers on her wedding day, or when Norman Bates says he still changes the unused sheets reguarly so they don't give off a "creepy smell." That actually goes for a lot of Classic Hollywood movies, which include lines and performance choices and scenes which today people are quick to dismiss as strange or bizarre or "unrealistic" without considering that they're intentionally silly to make people laugh. We just have a hard time imagining that people 80 years ago were telling the same jokes we were!
Absolute best part was when same turns and says, "Okay, no merry-go-rounds..."
Hunter DeRensis
2024-02-04 06:20:32 +0000 UTC
No way Fincher's version is better. Just my opinion.
David Martin
2024-01-29 04:30:46 +0000 UTC
I've always believed that the very first scene of the very first episode of Killing Eve (Villanelle spilling the little girl's ice cream cone) was inspired by Bruno's popping of the little boy's balloon at the carnival.
David Martin
2024-01-29 04:27:12 +0000 UTC
Hitchcock was known for mixing comedy with serious moments. The very fact that he staged the ending on the merry go round and had it end with such a smash up was his idea of an ironic comment. You would not expect that on something usually associated with fun and children. I am so glad to see you enjoyed this older film.
sharkey197
2024-01-29 00:34:45 +0000 UTC
A great murder mystery is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011, David Fincher). Sam will love that for sure.
(Yes I have seen the original. Fincher's version is better)
Odd Thomas
2024-01-28 19:06:14 +0000 UTC
“Throw Momma From
The Train” is a must-see after this. Very underrated comedy.
Jeff Mills
2024-01-28 14:40:50 +0000 UTC
I liked it a lot! Hitchcock is always fun to watch. The concept is what I loved the most.
Bruno was an awesome antagonist, a complete nightmare. Well acted and written. I'm with you guys, Barbara was great too- I loved the actor's expressions and how she's always moving the plot.
The merry-go-round in the end... well, it was hilarious. I was let down a bit on how silly it was, but the real life set of it falling apart was really incredible. Not my favorite Hitchock film but it's only my first watch. Was fun watching it along with both of you.
Hitchcocks' "Rope" was my intro to his films. I've seen it maybe 20 or 30 times when I was a kid. So I suggest that one in the future.
PIG
2024-01-27 12:02:58 +0000 UTC
After the first episode of Fargo, I had a feeling you two would like this movie
f hf
2024-01-27 03:24:26 +0000 UTC
But, more to the point, will it spoil things for later Hitchcock films?
They want to go into films without any hints.
PIG
2024-01-26 22:41:13 +0000 UTC
Neat! That's cool
PIG
2024-01-26 22:39:05 +0000 UTC
Omg she’s Hitchcock’s daughter?!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-26 18:17:39 +0000 UTC
Great reaction as always. I actually hadn't seen this film all the way through. It was based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, who also wrote "The Talented Mr. Ripley", which was also turned in to a movie with Matt Damon , Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow which I definitely recommend watching. I noticed quite a similarity between certain characters in the two films (I don't want to say too much without spoiling it).
I liked the performance of Patricia Hitchcock (Hitch's daughter) as Babs- she was actually a decent actress. She also had a walk-on role in Psycho as Marion's office mate at the beginning of the movie.
Samolina Pilchard
2024-01-26 18:16:28 +0000 UTC
Oh yes you have. Even without seeing any Hitchcock it's a pretty funny movie, and you would get things that are common knowledge cultural references.
Samolina Pilchard
2024-01-26 18:05:08 +0000 UTC
Have we seen enough Hitchcock for this yet?!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-26 17:25:02 +0000 UTC
Yay so glad that you liked it!!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-26 17:24:21 +0000 UTC
PLEASE, see the Mel Brooks comedy "High Anxiety" (1977). It's a spoof of Hitchcock movies.
Mr. Writhms
2024-01-26 15:29:01 +0000 UTC
Charade is great, feels very much like a Hitchcock movie.
Memmo
2024-01-26 14:32:18 +0000 UTC
Oh yeah that was great. Bruno was such a great creepy character, loved the reveal when the light comes on and it's him instead of his father, and the scene with everyone's heads going back and forth except Bruno's, so effective at giving him that serious stalker vibe.
And I see some patrons beat me to recommending "Throw Momma From the Train" which is a great dark comedy directed by Danny DeVito, although my favorite of the movies he's directed is actually "War of the Roses", another dark comedy I definitely recommend.
Joe D. MacGuffinstuff
2024-01-26 09:58:42 +0000 UTC
Throw Mama From the Train immediately next
Jason Dolan
2024-01-26 03:12:23 +0000 UTC
Charade.
James
2024-01-25 22:51:50 +0000 UTC
I think "Throw Mama From The Train" is in order for a reaction since it was inspired by this movie....And Danny Devito is in it, so.....
Mr. Chumpus
2024-01-25 22:41:07 +0000 UTC
Great reaction! Never seen this before and was an absolute treat. Especially loved the use of the light and dark contrasts throughout the movie, especially surrounding Bruno. Looking forward to more older films I've never seen or even heard of potentially.
Forrest
2024-01-25 22:03:50 +0000 UTC
Haha yesss!!! Always enjoy his films 😊
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-25 21:56:18 +0000 UTC
YES! Daniel loved that scene too!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-25 21:56:00 +0000 UTC
Aww yay! So glad you liked it, Brent!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-25 21:55:42 +0000 UTC
Hope you enjoy!!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-25 21:55:28 +0000 UTC
Woo, super glad to read people are getting to see more of Hitchcock's works via this channel. Makes me real happy as a Hitch gal. 😁
Look out, Arbogast!
2024-01-25 21:53:51 +0000 UTC
Oh, hell yes! The scene where they're watching tennis and everyone's heads moves but theirs...fucking love this movie.
Steve Mercier
2024-01-25 21:03:31 +0000 UTC
Such a good film, glad I got to experience it for the first time with you guys!! 😁
Brent
2024-01-25 20:28:01 +0000 UTC
Yeah here too. I love Hitchcock but never took the time. Schmitts are getting me into it.
PIG
2024-01-25 20:27:27 +0000 UTC
Yay! Can't wait to hear what you think!
-Sam
TBR Schmitt
2024-01-25 18:13:15 +0000 UTC
Ah man, I've always wanted to watch this but somehow still haven't, definitely watching it now, thanks!