Horror 2021 Countdown: Saboteur (1942)

 Saboteur (1942) dir. Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd Productions/David O. Selznick Productions 

Moving into the director section of our countdown, Alfred Hitchcock was a still part of the studio system at this point. The first script was rejected by producer Selznick and the stars he wanted weren't available. So what did he offer to the public?

The Stewart Aircraft Works factory in Glendale has gone up in smoke, killing at least one worker. The top suspect is Barry Kane (Robert Cummings) but Kane swears he's innocent. He says the arsonist is a worker named Fry (Norman Lloyd). The catch is, there doesn't seem to any evidence that anyone named Fry ever worked at the factory.

Kane knows what he knows, so he flees to the desert and what he hopes is Fry's address. He finds a ranch and is told Fry headed towards Soda City. The ranch owner, Tobin (Otto Kruger) is working with Fry though and Fry is the guilty party. 

Kane manages to escape the ranch and ends in the home of old blind hermit Martin (Vaughn Glaser) and his niece Patricia (Priscilla Lane). Pat to her friends, of which Kane is not. Kane makes it clear he is not an arsonist. He is a kidnapper though, as he drags Pat off with him across the country looking for Fry. 

He takes her to Soda City, where he learns that Fry is going to blow up Boulder Dam. Things get worse from there. Can Kane prove his innocence? 

Not bad and while there are some moments that are shall we say less than subtle (this was the 40s and war films were all the rage) that doesn't take away from the story. Hitchcock framed the story perfectly.