The Lodger 🇺🇸 (Podnájemník)

The unresolved case of the serial killer Jack the Ripper has stimulated artists’ imaginations for more than 130 years. One of the most popular interpretations is the novel by English novelist Marie Belloc Lowndes, which has been adapted several times into film, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 silent version. In the early era of classic film noir, Twentieth Century-Fox picked up the material and assigned it to German expatriate John Brahm who delivered a atmospheric thriller that successfully evokes London’s Whitechapel district. Apart from the impressive cinematography and set design, the film can also rely on a fine cast, with Merle Oberon, George Sanders and Laird Cregar getting most of the screen time. Sadly, the latter died tragically less than a year after the premiere of The Lodger – the drastic weight loss treatment he underwent for his Hollywood career left him with severe health consequences and eventually led to heart failure. He was only 31 years old.

Milan Hain

The film is screened in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Prague.

Screening on 23/8 is sold out.