Dial P for Podcast #2: Easy Virtue, Champagne, Blackmail, Murder!

About this episode

In this episode, Patrick Ripoll explores four early films by Alfred Hitchcock, discussing their significance in his career and the evolution of British cinema.

Good evening. Welcome back to Dial P for Podcast, Patrick Ripoll's year-long chronological voyage through the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Every month Patrick will be watching four Hitchcock features and talking about them here, from The Pleasure Garden to Family Plot, all across the year of 2026, examining the life and work of England's most famous cinema pervert. For episode 2 we see Hitchcock break free of his silent era and break ground by producing the first* British sound film. In Easy Virtue (1928) a fallen woman finds new love (and hate) among an upperclass family, in Champagne (1928) a playgirl heiress loses everything and is forced to work a regular job, in Blackmail (1929) a woman kills her rapist and gets blackmailed for it and finally in Murder! (1930) a famous actor turns amateur sleuth to unpack a whodunnit murder mystery. This is the era where Hitchcock goes from British film wunderkind to bonafide national celebrity, with even royalty visiting his sets to see how sound films are made. And his ascent isn't even close to done! Exciting! 0:00 - 0:40 - Intro music 0:41 - 26:52 - Easy Virtue (1928) 26:53 - 57:02 - Champagne (1928) 57:03 - 1:50:22 - Blackmail (1929)…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick Ripoll

Topics covered

• Alfred Hitchcock
• film analysis
• British cinema
• silent film transition
• murder mystery

Keywords

• Hitchcock
• Easy Virtue
• Champagne
• Blackmail
• Murder!
• British sound film
• film history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Easy Virtue, Champagne, Blackmail, Murder!

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