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Auction History Result 6y1462 BLACKMAIL deluxe English 7.25x9.75 still 1929 Hitchcock's 1st talkie, Anny Ondra, ultra rare! Date Sold 7/30/2024 Sold For: Login or Register to see sold price. An Original Vintage Theatrical 7 1/4" x 9 3/4" [18 x 25 cm] Deluxe English Movie Still (Learn More) Blackmail, the 1929 Alfred Hitchcock English romantic murder blackmail thriller ("The Powerful Talking Picture"; "A Romance of Scotland Yard"; "The first British talkie"; "Mystery, Drama, Suspense, Action."; "See & hear it"; "From Charles Bennett's famous stage play"; about a woman who kills a man in self defense, but another man who witnessed the murder blackmails her, and her lover is the detective who is investigating the case, and the blackmailer dies, falling through the glass dome at the top of the British Museum; at the end, the girl, not knowing the blackmailer has died, goes to Scotland Yard to confess, but just before she can, she learns of his death, and she and her detective lover are free to leave!) starring Anny Ondra (she was married to director Carl Lamac, and was a major star in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s; she continued working with her husband after they were divorced, and in 1933, she married boxer Max Schmeling, and they appeared in "Knockout" together, and remained married for over 50 years, until her passing in 1987), John Longden, Donald Calthrop, Cyril Ritchard, Sara Allgood, and Charles Paton. Note that this was originally intended to be a silent movie, but after the massive success of The Jazz Singer, it was decided that parts of this would be given sound. Apparently, Hitchcock thought this ridiculous and had the entire movie filmed in sound, making it England's first all-talking movie. Also, star Anny Ondra had a very thick accent, so Hitchcock hired another actress to speak her lines as Ondra mouthed the words, so her part was in effect "dubbed", even though it was not in the modern sense, where a different voice is added post production (that technology did not exist in 1929). NOTE: Click on linked names to see a biography. Important Added Info: Note that this is a "country of origin" still for this Alfred Hitchcock English movie, which is printed on a deluxe heavyweight paper stock. We have never before auctioned a first release English still, only a first release U.S. still (which sold for $343). There is a fascinating "back story" to this still. The legendary later English director Michael Powell was the "still photographer" for this movie, and in his autobiography he relates that he took images of Anny Ondra for this movie at Elstree Studios three months before the movie was released, and it would seem extremely likely that this is one of those images that Michael Powell took, but we can't prove that. If anyone knows more about this, please e-mail us and we will post it here. Also note that this still has been trimmed and it now measures 7 1/4" x 9 3/4" [18 x 25 cm]. Condition: fair to good. The still had its left blank border trimmed off. It was used in a magazine or newspaper, and it has the top and bottom folded back directly above and below Ondra's figure, because that was the only part they were reproducing. It also has touch up paint scattered in the background areas, and paint on one her shoulder by her hand, so that the image would show better in the magazine or newspaper. There is a crease and surface paper loss in the top right corner. Obviously, one would prefer to find this image in better condition, but the stills are beyond rare, so that might take the rest of your life to find! Learn More about condition grades 
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