by now i figured i'd seen every alfred hitchcock film at least a half-dozen times -- not that i'm complaining . 
to call him the " master of suspense " is an understatement . 
the paradine case ( 1947 ) , admittedly one of hitchcock's lesser movies , turned out to be one i'd missed . 
this one , like all hitchcock films , is well worth savoring . 
the story opens with the rich mrs . maddalena anna paradine being arrested in her home for poisoning her blind husband . 
as mrs . paradine , alida valli plays an aloof but alluring woman of the world . 
to franz waxman's stark and moody music , we see the prison guards divesting her of her luxurious garments and jewels . 
stripped of her fine raiment , she becomes a commoner again , which , as it turns out , was what she was before she met her husband . 
 " a brief skirmish , and you'll be lunching at the savoy again , " anthony keane , her ultraconfident attorney tells her in their first meeting , predicting a fast and easy trial . 
gregory peck plays the successful and debonair barrister . 
 " she's no murderess , " he argues simplistically , smitten by her beauty . 
 " she's too fine a woman . " 
his attitude upsets his beautiful and increasing jealous wife , gay ( ann todd ) . 
unlike most hitchcock movies , which are centered on the thriller and the mystery , this one is more a romantic melodrama . 
typical is the scene in which gay flings her head back and shakes her hair while bathed in light . 
she deflects her husband's affections as she fears that he is beginning to fall in love with his client . 
the dramatic music then comes up high as the camera dwells on mrs . paradine's portrait nearby . 
in the relatively unsatisfying first half , little happens other than domestic squabbles and overtones of intense adulterous desires . 
to the sound of sweeping violins gay tells anthony that he must get mrs . paradine acquitted because , if mrs . paradine dies , his heart will go with her . 
if she is freed , he will be able to forget her . 
as part of the soap opera , a mysterious louis jordan plays mr . paradine's valet , who has had some not to be discussed relationships . 
charles coburn plays anthony's legal partner , sir simon flaquer . 
and charles laughton , who looks like coburn , is judge lord horfield . 
this being proper british society , they will all dine together at the judge's house not long before the case begins . 
court tv junkies will probably pick up the many differences , some subtle and others not , between the american and the british judicial systems . 
one , for example , of which i was not aware is that the barrister cannot speak to his own client during the recess if she is the process of testifying . 
one sometimes wonders what the academy is thinking when they make their oscar nominations . 
as the judge's wife , lady sophie horfield , ethel barrymore got a nomination for best supporting actress -- the film's only nomination -- for an inconsequential part with which she did little of merit . 
 ( so the big question is when does hitchcock make his obligatory walk-on ? 
at 37 minutes into the film , he leaves a train station carrying a large musical instrument case . 
don't miss it . ) 
in the second half the story finally comes alive when it gets into the courtroom . 
the great master shows his hand there as the tensions build as rapidly in the second part as they lay fallow in the first . 
watch how the camera angles are sometimes from the back and other times from way on high to set the exact tone for the trial's action . 
as anthony explains it , the simple case has only 3 possibilities : mr . paradine poisoned himself , mrs . paradine did it , or the valet did it . 
the end includes many devastating revelations and some nice twists so it is too bad the first half is so languid . 
the paradine case runs 1 : 53 . 
the picture is in black and white . 
it is not rated but would be pg for mature themes and would be fine for kids around nine and up if they are interested .