5 Top Lesser-Known Alfred Hitchcock Classics

Think of an Alfred Hitchcock film, and you're most likely to conjure one of his 1950s Technicolor triumphs -- Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest -- or perhaps later classics like The Birds or Psycho. But five relatively unknown features released before and during World War II, all in black and white, also showcase his inimitable touch.

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

On the eve of war, reporter John Jones's editor needs more color from the European bureau's reports, so he sends the brash, plucky newshound abroad. No sooner does Jones arrive than he is caught up in political intrigue, and he risks his life to uncover a faked assassination that threatens a peace treaty. Great setpieces include Jones's hair-raising escape from a high-rise hotel room, a tense sequence in a Dutch windmill, and a well-staged plane crash into the ocean. Gary Cooper turned down the lead role (and later regretted it), which went to Joel McCrea, best known for his frequent roles in B westerns; George Sanders, who usually played cads and heels, is charming in a rare likeable role as Jones's British colleague and compatriot.

Lifeboat (1944)

This character study based on a John Steinbeck story is anything but typical Hitchcock: Survivors of a U-boat attack on an American merchant ship, hauled aboard the titular craft one by one, try to remain alive long enough to get rescued. There's no murder (though several characters are killed in what would have in peacetime been considered as such), but things get complicated when one among them admits he's the commander of the U-boat, which was also sunk during the attack. The tension between the working-class crew members and the upper-crust passengers adds to the fun. The entire film was shot in the lifeboat in a studio-bound tank, but Hitch kept the boat moving and the cast drenched, resulting in seasickness and pneumonia for most of them -- no doubt contributing to the veracity of the frayed tempers. Tallulah Bankhead stars as a sharp-witted socialite gossip columnist, and the great character actors William Bendix, Hume Cronyn, and Walter Slezak also shine among the strong ensemble cast.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Forget Strangers on a Train -- this, Hitchcock's last British production before he embraced Hollywood, is his signature railway romp: A young finishing school graduate returning home through a fictional European country has a pleasant conversation with a charming old lady, nods off, and wakes to discover that not only has her erstwhile companion gone missing, but no one else on the train remembers seeing her. Just when she thinks she's going nuts, a dashing young fellow swoops to the rescue to help her investigate the politically tinged intrigue. This initially lighthearted thriller darkens a bit, serving as Hitchcock's kick in the pants to pre-World War II England, but it's still great fun, with a trainful of engaging characters and a steady stream of suspenseful touches. Margaret Lockwood plays the spirited ingenue, Sir Michael Redgrave is her admirer and assistant, and Dame May Whitty is the title character.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Teenage girl Charlie is delighted when the adored uncle she was named after pops up for an unexpected visit in her quiet town. But news reports querying the whereabouts of the fugitive Merry Widow Killer set her thoughts down a dreadful path, and eventually she can no longer deny that Uncle Charlie is hiding a terrible secret. Do you think he'll end up knowing that she knows, and that she'll end up knowing that he knows that she knows? Double-check the name of the director, and get back to me with your answer. I'll wait. Considering this was Hitch's favorite film, you'll probably like it, too. Joseph Cotton is spot-on as charming Uncle Charlie, and Teresa Wright plays his nervous namesake.

The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935)

Richard Hannay learns that no good deed goes unpunished when he harbors a distraught young woman who claims to be a secret agent and is dismayed to later find her murdered in his London flat. Realizing he is the prime suspect, and that he can clear himself only by relying on a few enigmatic clues to uncover an espionage plot, he flees to Scotland. There, his efforts are complicated by an unwilling accomplice he eventually finds himself handcuffed to, and eventually, he finds himself repeatedly in and out of the clutches of the plot's mastermind. This breezy adventure, based on a story by British thriller writer John Buchan and costarring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll as the fugitives, will feel familiar to fans of North by Northwest, but it has a creaky charm all its own.