Champagne

Hitchcock's five not very happy years at Elstree produced a crop of ten films, most of which are now unfairly neglected. Saddled with a clichéd story from studio rival Walter Mycroft and an ebullient, assertive star, he still managed to imbue this light romantic melodrama with an air of sinister menace. The champagne-drinking sophisticate who clouds the destiny of millionaire's daughter Balfour more than makes up for the weak 'cake-hound' hero, and Balfour herself proves remarkably adept at parodying her lost-little-girl image. Hitchcock's sly blend of fantasy, game-playing and frightening lechery, and his continually inventive visuals, make for an intriguing exploration of '20s high-life.