somewhat unusual for a hitchcock film and i find myself drawn in and actually enjoy it . i think that probably have all to do with the performance of charles laughton a the haughty squire and sir humphrey pengallan . there no two way about his wickedness and he a perfect cad just catch the way he size up maureen ohara character when she first make her appearance at his home . and oh and those eyebrow . you will marvel at the makeup job that just add to the extreme of laughton over act . oh and and one other thing it hard to understand what he say sometimes and but he so entertaining in the delivery that you just do not seem to mind so much . the story itself deal with a band of cutthroat and thief and smuggler on the cornish coast of england and while the dark and moody atmosphere of the picture give it the feel of a pirate film that mostly take place on land . laughton pengallan be the mastermind that pull the string on waylay ship to their doom on the stormy coastline . robert newton appear a the anti pirate in this one and and after narrowly escape death at the hand of joss merlyn ( leslie bank ) rowdy bunch and he take charge to bring pengallan to his ultimate demise . here something to keep an eye out for . after trehearne ( newton ) and mary ( ohara ) escape from the villain by swim out to their boat and they wind up seek refuge at pengallan home . while still in his soaking clothes and trehearne pull a dry fold piece of paper from his pocket . how would he do that . a most of the comment on this board suggest and the film deserve a chance and even if it doesn not hold up well for the professional critic . the best way to view it would probably be late at night and with a nice warm brandy to take off the evening chill . a dark and stormy night would do just fine in keep with the on screen atmosphere . i think pengallan would agree .