Number Seventeen

Number Seventeen

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1932
Founder	Alfred Hitchcock (director), Joseph Jefferson Farjeon (playwright)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Comedy thriller film

Number Seventeen is a 1932 British film blending comedy and thriller elements, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and featuring performances by John Stuart, Anne Grey, and Leon M. Lion. Adapted from the 1925 burlesque play Number Seventeen written by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon, the narrative centers on a group of criminals who steal jewels and conceal them within a house numbered 17, situated above a railway leading toward the English Channel.

Plot

Detective Barton arrives at the property marked Number 17, which is up for sale or rent, where he encounters a mysterious figure named Ben and discovers a corpse. The plot develops through a series of encounters involving multiple characters, including Ms. Ackroyd, her father—who is secretly a police officer—and criminals such as Brant, Nora, Doyle, and Sheldrake. The storyline revolves around hidden diamonds and layers of deceit.

A diamond necklace concealed inside the house incites conflict among the thieves. Following several captures and escapes, the criminals board a freight train headed for Germany. Barton pursues them by bus in a high-speed chase that culminates with the train crashing into a ferry dock and plunging into the sea. Most of the criminals are caught except for Nora.

In an unexpected conclusion, Barton reveals his true role as the detective, unmasking Doyle’s impersonation. Ben, who initially appears as a vagrant, is revealed to be in possession of the diamond necklace, highlighting the intricate deception woven throughout the criminal scheme.

Cast

• Leon M. Lion as Ben
• Anne Grey as Nora – The 'Deaf-Mute' Girl
• John Stuart as Barton – The Detective
• Donald Calthrop as Brant – Nora's Escort
• Barry Jones as Henry Doyle
• Ann Casson as Rose Ackroyd
• Henry Caine as Officer Ackroyd
• Garry Marsh as Sheldrake

Production

After returning to England from the Caribbean, Hitchcock brought with him a new film concept but was assigned by producer John Maxwell to direct an adaptation of Joseph Farjeon’s play Number Seventeen, despite Hitchcock’s preference to adapt John Van Druten’s London Wall. Finding Number Seventeen clichéd and unsatisfactory, Hitchcock expressed dissatisfaction with the project. The screenplay was developed by writer Rodney Ackland, who emphasized its comedic thriller aspects.

While the film’s opening credits display the title Number Seventeen, much of its promotional material and its release in America refer to it as Number 17. Hitchcock later described this work as a "disaster."

The production made significant use of miniature models, including scaled trains, buses, and ferries. Notably, Hitchcock did not appear in a cameo role in this film.

Reception

Many critics who failed to recognize the film’s comedic tone assessed it as an unsuccessful serious drama. A 1932 review in Variety criticized the plot as unclear and unconvincing but commended the final train crash sequence as "very good," though it deemed this insufficient to elevate the movie beyond an ordinary feature.

Initial audience responses were mixed, with some viewers experiencing confusion or disappointment. In Hitchcock/Truffaut (1966), François Truffaut described the film as "quite funny" but also "rather confusing."

Number Seventeen continues to receive predominantly negative evaluations; review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes characterizes it as "highly entertaining but practically incomprehensible," labeling it an "unsatisfactory early tongue-in-cheek comedy/suspense yarn."

Copyright and Home Media Availability

Number Seventeen holds global copyright protection but has frequently been subject to unauthorized home video distribution. Officially licensed and restored editions have been made accessible through DVD releases and digital streaming services. On December 7, 2021, Kino Lorber released the title on Blu-ray in the United States.

Related Works

• Number 17 (1928)

External Links

• Alfred Hitchcock Collectors’ Guide: Number Seventeen at Brenton Film