spoiler represent like any good film enthusiast and i consider hitchcock one of the best director who ever live and right along with the like of fellini and bergman and and welles . hitch consistently make film that be not only as entertaining a a film can possibly get and but also film that be extraordinarily intellectual and human . film such a lifeboat and rear window and and vertigo work as art as much a any other film ever make and study the human condition and utilize the tool of cinema to the utmost . hitch be also the most prolific film artist of all time . he make over 50 film . he make more masterpiece than any other filmmaker and too . several and such a vertigo and psycho and and rear window and be bona fide masterpiece . no one in their right mind would disagree with their status a some of the best film ever make . but everyone have that one hitchcock film that they feel that they understand good than anyone else and and always claim that it deserve to belong in the same status a the more accepted masterpiece . i seem to have discover several . in fact and every time i see one of his less popular film and i think that it have get a bum rap . rope be my favorite underrated hitchcock film and but i think that it be start to be accept by the mass more . two other great one that be less popular be lifeboat and i confess while lifeboat be well respect by hitchcock fanatic and but i confess be usually dismiss . this sort of dismissal happens because of financial failure upon first release . hitch certainly be an artist and but and if you have read the truffaut interview book and you realize that he take a film financial success or failure very personally . now we come to stage fright . i do not think that it be an enormous failure and but it be also not an enormous success . truffaut say something like represent this film neither add to nor take away from your reputation . the main complaint be that the opening flashback be a lie and and that audience could never accept that . i think that that technique work well now than it may have in 1950. it be sort of daring and but it fail at the time . although most people still do not want to ever think that the character in a film be lie and you still see it and especially in neo noir ( think chinatown and body heat and etc and although those aren not flashback and per se ) . truffaut also deride it for be a whodunit and which hitch do not like . i do not think that stage fright be at all a whodunit . we assume through the entire film that marlene dietrich be unquestionably guilty in the crime . there be just a few very minor problem in the film and most of them stem from the trick end represent trick ending be in style right now and but they hardly ever work . this one do and mostly and but as soon a we realize we have be trick and just a happens at the end of the sixth sense and a very good film otherwise and we begin to go over the early event to see if there be any cheating . there be in stage fright and and it lose a tiny bit of credibility from this . the other main problem be just how the police deal with the criminal at the end . it hardly believable and and they kill the main criminal in a very gruesome way that i would think would get them reprimand by their superior ( although it be cool ) . anyway and it nowhere near as bad a the way the police act at the end of hitch next film and stranger on a train and where a cop shoot randomly at a crowd ( with the criminal in it ) and accidentally kill an innocent man . the gold of this film come in the complex situation and character . one reason why hitch film stand so far beyond the run of the mill thriller be that his character be so well develop . the actor in stage fright be also superb . jane wyman and the main character and have an extraordinarily complicate role and where she have to act at several different level ( she play an actress who believe that her skill can help her learn more about a murder ) while she pretend that she someone else and and a she meet more people and the more difficult it become to handle the situation . she also switch horse in midstream and where she begin to doubt her relationship with the man whom she be help and to fall for a detective on the murder case simultaneously . richard todd play a man frame for murder . one excellent twist in the script be that his character be not intelligent . be so use to character be as astute a sherlock holmes in mystery film and but he an illogical hothead who take very stupid risk . marlene dietrich have a lot of fun here play a demon goddess . she just hilarious and try really hard to act depressed over her husband death ( and she one of the most terrible singer you will ever hear . ) . i love how she control everyone in the film and even those who be try to be her enemy . you just can not refuse marlene . possibly the most memorable and amusing performance in the film be that of alastair sim and most famous for play ebenezer scrooge a year later . he hilarious a wyman father . micheal wilding and play the detective who be fall for wyman and be also great and especially when he find that she be betray him and may have only be use him . there be a few very memorable cameo and too and include the bibulous gent and a turtle like man who offer wyman comfort and and the shooting gallery matron ( the whole shoot gallery scene be great ) . stage fright have be trample by the more outstanding hitchcock picture . it be a small gem and not bore in any way . it deserve to be rediscover by more people .