Alfred Hitchcock Collectors Guide, Part 2

British film collections

• Think you’re a fan? If you don’t know his British films, you don’t know Hitchcock
• Britain overflowed with talent but he still became its top director in under 10 years
• Works from the entire arc of his career should be seen in the best condition possible
• The worst Hitchcock-related crimes of all involve grand theft, hacking and slashing
• Most of his directorial output is largely known from terrible quality, edited bootlegs
• Collecting quality releases was an impossible mission but here’s the secret to success
• With this series of guides, you can build the ultimate Hitchcock home video collection
• Streaming: like physical media, pirates outnumber official sources; here’s who to trust

Note: this is part of an ongoing series of 150-odd Hitchcock articles; any dead links are to those not yet published. Subscribe to the email list to be notified when new ones appear.

Collectors Guide: Setting the scene, Pt 2: British films, 3: US ABC and Warner Bros., 4: US Universal Studios Collections

Simply the best: This 2024 UK 11-BD set, and its identical French and German counterparts, are easily the finest British film collections to date; artwork

Contents

• Preserved collections
• Restored collections
• Streaming
• Summary
• Related articles

Preserved collections

Hitchcock, So British!

If you’re unfamiliar as yet with Hitch’s British period and initially just want to dip your toes in the water, allow me: of his silents, The Lodger is easily the best-known and most widely available. However, instead I strongly recommend the more punchy, thrilling Blackmail as your first port of call. Quite honestly, The Lodger, as great as it is, wouldn’t even get my vote as second-best Hitch silent; that honour would likely go to the restored version of his first film, The Pleasure Garden. Ahead of its eventual – hopeful – home video release, I urge you to catch a live screening anytime you get the chance. As for Hitch’s talkies, you can’t go wrong with The Man Who Knew Too Much original, The Lady Vanishes or especially my fave, The 39 Steps.

• US: Lionsgate 5-film AH: 3-Disc Collectors’ Edition (2007)
• UK: Optimum 9-DVD Early H Collection (2007, reissued 2016)
  • Network 10-DVD/11-film H: The British Years (2008)

If you plan to pick up a goodly chunk or even all of Hitch’s silents and early talkies, you should start by getting at least one of these official box sets covering the period; any others are almost certainly bootlegs.

• Italy: Eagle Pictures 5-DVD/10-film AH Collection (2017) and 8-DVD/15-film AH Portrait (2005)
• Germany: Concorde 6-DVD/7-film AH: The Early Years (2003, reissued 2011)
  • Studiocanal 6-DVD/9-film AH: Master of Suspense (2006)

The ownership of Hitch’s British films is evenly split between ITV and Studiocanal, with the exception of Jamaica Inn (Cohen Films), therefore most box sets tend to only consist of films from either company. Despite what the odd erroneous listing may say, almost all licensed releases worldwide have fully English-friendly films with original English audio or intertitles by default and, where present, optional subs. The sole exceptions are some French releases with forced French subs, including their first two DVD sets, so avoid unless you need them. Alternatively, you may rip and reburn the discs, omitting the sub stream. A few players, like those from Oppo, have a useful “subtitle shift” feature to move them completely offscreen.

• France: Studiocanal 6-DVD/10-film AH: Premières oeuvres (2014) – forced French subtitles
  • TF1 Vidéo 5-DVD H: Le maître du suspens (2005, reissued 2010, 2016) – forced French subs
  • Filmedia 4-DVD AH box set (2015) – optional French subs
  • Universal 14 British films in these box sets

• Spain: Universal 4-DVD/7-film H Collection: La primera etapa del Maestro del Suspense (2007)
  • Filmax 4-DVD AH box set (2014)

If you intend building a career-spanning Hitch DVD collection from the ground up, consider starting with one of the massive, English-friendly French or Benelux Universal box sets. Just one of those will enable you to pick up half of his films in one go. Most links throughout the series of guides lead to places you can buy the item in question; if not it’s because they’re rare or deleted and I could only find temporary listings, eg eBay. In those cases, I’ve at least linked to relevant info on the release that may help you source it elsewhere.

Note these preserved-transfer releases of the six talkies Hitch made for British International Pictures following Blackmail, from Juno and the Paycock to Number Seventeen, all have incorrect 1.33:1 aspect ratios occasionally revealing set edges and studio equipment. All were originally composed and projected at 1.19:1, cropping the left edge that carried an optical soundtrack. Further, Murder! and Rich and Strange have faulty, remixed audio in all but the US Lionsgate box set. Nonetheless, these issues won’t hugely impact your enjoyment overall, though they have finally been corrected in the recent, restored European box sets below. On the flip side, some of these preserved sets also contain remastered or restored transfers of Hitch’s talkies from The Man Who Knew Too Much onwards.

• Benelux: Video/Film Express 5-DVD/6-film H Collection: The Classics, Volume 1 and 5-DVD Volume 2 (2002), and 10-DVD/11-film Classic H Collection/alt (2009)
  • Universal 5-DVD/9-film H Collection 3 (2007) and 20-DVD/24-film AH set/alt (2012)

• Poland: Studio Printel Digipak 7-DVD H: Wczesne filmy mistrza (2009) and 6-DVD set
  • Kino Świat 4-DVD H Masterworks/alt (2008) info
  • Kino Świat 3-DVD AH: Sekrety sukcesu/alt (2013)

O Cinema de Hitchcock discussion

• Scandinavia: Universal 5-DVD/9-film H Collection: Early Years of the Master of Suspense (2007) info, also in 19-DVD/23-film Hitchcock/info
• Sweden: Atlantic Film 8-DVD/9-film H Classic Collection (2006) info
• Finland: Future Film 8-DVD/9-film H Classic Collection (2006) info
• Denmark: Soul Media 13-DVD AH Movie Collection (2022)

The Swedish and Finnish Hitchcock Classic Collections, with four sets of subtitles, are identical but for translated packaging. The latter initially came in a slipcased, foldout Digipak but was reissued in 2008 in a thick Amaray keep case. The same discs were also released individually in Norway (Star Media Entertainment) and in a Danish 4-disc set (On Air Video).

• Brazil: Universal 18-DVD/23-film AH Collection (2010) info
  • Versátil 2-DVD/4-film A Arte de AH/alt (2016) info
  • Versátil 3-DVD/6-film O Cinema de H/alt (2015) info
  • Versátil 3-DVD/7-film O Cinema de H, Vol. 2 /alt (2019) info

• Japan: Universal 4-DVD/9-film H Classic Selection (2007)
  • IVC 5-DVD His Early Works (2010)
  • IVC 19-DVD The Meister of Suspense (2011)

Restored collections

• Kino 3-DVD and 2-BD/5-film H: British International Pictures Collection (2019)
• UK: Studiocanal 11-BD Hitchcock: The Beginning (2024)
• Germany: Studiocanal 11-BD Hitchcock – Die frühen Filme (2025) trailer
• France: Carlotta 7-BD Hitchcock en 10 Films (2025) trailer

The definitive releases of all Hitch’s Studiocanal-owned films, excepting his part-directed Elstree Calling, have arrived in the shape of three UK, German and French, region B BD box sets. The identical English and German-subtitled discs include both versions of Blackmail, and Mary, the German multiple-language version of Murder! That’s a whopping 12 of the 26 films he directed before sailing to America; imagine a similar set of his ITV-owned films rounding up everything else, bar Jamaica Inn! There’s also a 64-page booklet, translated in the German and French, and a poster of the box art.

The French set has the exact same content, apart from the poster, but on a far more sensible seven discs. There’s no need for these films to have a whole disc each, as B&W, pillarboxed video and 2.0 stereo scores don’t require nearly as much space as modern, widescreen, colour films with surround audio. Plus, half of these are under 90 minutes, with Number Seventeen only 64 minutes!

From both Blackmails onwards, all except Murder! and Mary have brand new 4k restorations. The Skin Game is another exception as original elements were deemed in good enough condition, given the high cost of restoration, so it’s just been remastered. Personally, I’d much rather they’d used the money spent on another restoration of the silent Blackmail for restoring The Skin Game instead. But there you go. Overall, these are a moderate to significant improvement over Kino Lorber’s earlier boxed and individual US releases of the same films, several of whose transfers had aspect ratio and audio issues but have now been corrected here – thanks to my articles.

Poster for the latest restored European box sets’ documentary; clip

In terms of the films themselves, the set is essentially flawless. Aside from restoring Murder!, Mary and The Skin Game, the only way it could realistically be improved is if it also offered the BFI-restored silent transfer of Blackmail and Kino Lorber’s exclusive silents scores. Oh, and the three MIA, BFI-commissioned scores for The Ring, Champagne and Blackmail wouldn’t go amiss either!

Various old and new extras are included, chief of which is Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail (2024, 72min, Prime Video HD, soundtrack) which focuses on his first sound film and its many instances of the Hitchcock touch echoing throughout his long career. It’s written, produced and directed by film historian, author and prolific documentarian Laurent Bouzereau, who has made more than 20 such works concerning the Master alone.

Note Via Vision in Australia have announced an upcoming BD box set of the Hitchcock 9 (Fb/Tw/In). No further details can be confirmed yet.

A note to any licencees or labels intending to release Hitch’s silents: strongly consider including all their restorations and available scores. Then round up the multitude of extras scattered across various international releases and, most importantly, include the previous preserved versions with their own unique scores. The latter in particular can be added for minimal cost and that way you can make any release truly definitive. I have all the contacts and information you need, much of which is detailed here and throughout the films’ individual articles, so get in touch!

Streaming

Streaming video services may have largely usurped physical media in recent years but if you’re a fan of classic film and especially of Hitch, you’ll very quickly realise their limitations. Netflix, Disney Plus et al. may have their place but carry relatively little pre-2000s content, although the former is very slowly improving in that regard. The Criterion Channel, Kino Film Collection, TCM, Peacock and HBO Max are excellent options, providing you live in the US, while Apple TV and BritBox (International), the UK’s ITVX and free-to-air Talking Pictures TV are also absolute champs.

It’s also always worth checking out Sky UK and BBC iPlayer; you can also look up where individual films are streaming worldwide via JustWatch. But broadcasters and legit streamers like these aside, in most cases if you watch any old copy, especially – god forbid – via the likes of pirated uploads on YouTube and elsewhere, you’ve no way of knowing exactly which likely-substandard version you’re getting. Just don’t do it: the Master deserves much better.

At least most of Hitch’s American films, apart from Under Capricorn and the four Hitchcock-Selznicks, can be bought widely in decent quality online. They often feature the latest transfers, which thankfully correct various faux pas present on earlier physical releases, such as having the wrong aspect ratio, or the censored version of Psycho. But newest is not always best, as some introduce new faults of their own. Many Hitchcocks, including To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho, have gimmicky surround-remixed audio that’s nothing like what Hitch designed for them. Sadly, streaming copies only carry the revisionist remixes in addition to other ways they spoil the experience, so caveat emptor. With judiciously chosen physical releases, you at least get the option of experiencing them just as the Master intended; aspect ratio, editing, audio and all.

Amazon, Google Play, YouTube Movies and others are also awash with crappy pirated uploads, so bear in mind that only a handful of Hitch’s pre-1940 British films are officially available for streaming in the US and only two outside of it: Downhill and Jamaica Inn . Legitimate streams on Amazon and YouTube are detailed individually throughout this series; as ever, if it isn’t listed don’t watch or buy it. Some other services, like iTunes and Vudu, are more diligent about checking their sources are kosher, so buy with confidence. But for the foreseeable future, there’s no doubt that when it comes to properly seeing and appreciating Hitchcock just as he intended, physical media is best overall.

Criterion Channel: British Hitchcock

Summary

There’s never been a better time to sample Hitch’s British career and despite the seemingly confusing number of releases, there are fewer viable options than at first seems apparent, which makes things even easier. Do note: with a few notable exceptions, the lion’s share of quality Hitch BDs and DVDs are European region B or 2 (PAL) respectively. If you don’t yet have multi-region playback capability, why on earth not? It’s easier and cheaper than you might think and crucial for acquiring the best versions possible.

Almost all authorised releases use the best prints available at the time of their production and most include a moderate to copious amount of extras. Transfers on more recent DVDs are often improved even further and post-2012 releases of the silents mostly feature the Hitchcock 9 versions. With regard to the talkies, most DVDs have excellent transfers of preserved prints although the latest, along with the BDs, have full digital restorations or remasters; the only film yet to be updated is Secret Agent.

We’re incredibly privileged to be able to collect almost all of Hitch’s British films in excellent condition on home video, but there are a few casualties. Aside from those missing in action, the only print of The Pleasure Garden currently available is heavily butchered and one to skip unless you’re desperate, in which case lower your expectations. At least we’ve the fully restored Hitchcock 9 version to look forward to, unlike with poor old Easy Virtue, which only survives in battered, incomplete condition. Not to worry: that still leaves us with a whopping 22 of the Master’s motherland masterpieces to enjoy unfettered, along with a couple of other films he worked on and the prospect of more to come. Happy uneasy viewing!

Retrospective

Collectors Guide: Setting the scene, Pt 2: British films, 3: US ABC and Warner Bros., 4: US Universal Studios Collections

Related articles

This is part of a unique, in-depth series of 150-odd Hitchcock articles.