'Downton Abbey': How an Alfred Hitchcock Film Inspired 'A New Era' (Exclusive)
etonline.comthe first film, pulls from real-life events, with the historical drama drawing inspiration from a chapter in Alfred Hitchcock’s professional life as a director.
According to director Simon Curtis, the sequel’s movie-within-a-movie subplot is a direct reference to the prolific filmmaker’s early days of making silent movies, most notably 1929’s . [: Some spoilers for ]At the time, Hitchcock was working on his latest silent film, an adaptation of Charles Bennett’s 1928 play about a woman who is blackmailed by a man who tried to assault her.
Following the success of and, however, the production on Hitchcock’s film was converted to include sound to take advantage of audiences’ newfound interest in “talkies.” While the film was able to move forward with sound elements, it quickly became clear that its star, silent actress Anny Ondra, didn’t have a voice suitable for audio.
Apparently, the Czech actress’ accent was so strong they had to hire another actress, Joan Barry, to record her dialogue in real time.
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