Downhill - Alfred Hitchcock

 The second film (included on the Criterion edition of The Lodger) that Ivor Novello was in for Hitchcock is Downhill. It was produced and released in 1927, and was based on a play written by Ivor Novello (under the pseudonym of David LeStrange) and Constance Collier. While I have seen The Lodger at least twice, I have only watched Downhill once. The theme of the story is one that Hitchcock returns to in The Manxman, and possibly others. It is the story of two men (well, boys as they are in school, but clearly the actors are adults) - one from a well-off family (Roddy Berwick played by Ivor Novello), and the other (Tim Wakeley played by Robin Irvine) from a middle-class family. Roddy and Tim have made a pact to be friends for life, and take care of each other. This pact creates trouble when a girl accuses Roddy of treating her poorly, leading her astray, and getting her in the family way. Both boys, and the girl know it was Tim that did this, however due to the pact Roddy takes the fall. Because of this action, he is kicked out of school and his life starts going... yep, Downhill. 

After Roddy is kicked out of his home, he keeps making choices that lead him to lower depths - trusting people he shouldn't, getting involved in drugs, and loose women. Eventually he ends up as a gigolo (or at least a dancer for hire) and that is the bottom for him. From there he realizes the mistakes he has made and eventually ends up back at home, and back at school. Visually Hitchcock works his magic with some slightly obvious visuals (Roddy going down into the underground) but also some fantastic dissolves, follow shots, and a dream sequence - all in support of the story he is telling. While maybe not his best work, again you can see his creativity in doing the best he can with what he has. There is no cameo from Hitchcock and I watched this on the Criterion edition of The Lodger (spine 885).