- This is going to be a short review, because I really don't know what the hell just happened. The plot of Number Seventeen, to the best of my ability to reconstruct it, is that a bunch of people go to a house (#17) that has something to do with a jewel heist. Various people enter in strange ways, and several guns are drawn for various reasons. Eventually, this leads to a chase scene in which a bus is trying to catch up with a train. Eventually, the train crashes into a ferry, and the bad guys get caught by the undercover detective.
- Have you ever started to fall asleep while watching a movie? When I do it, I notice that I'm starting to have some trouble following the plot, even though I can still hear that something is happening. Gradually, I stop caring. That's what it's like to watch this film.
- Now I could go through and list who was in the movie, but there really doesn't seem to be much of a point. Instead, I'll simply note that a combination of strong accents and lousy sound (on this version, at least) made much of the film difficult to follow. People describe Hitchcock as a visual storyteller, but apparently that wasn't enough to make this picture completely comprehensible. Also, the film was generally rather boring. That said, there are a few moments of note. First, two people are tied to a banister that collapses at one point. That is funny. Second, multiple people are mistaken for corpses at various times. Also funny. Finally, there is an extended chase sequence that is visually quite impressive. That is all you need to know about Number Seventeen.
- Hitchcock didn't even cameo in this film, and I can't say that I blame him.
