The film is based on a novel by Daphne Du Maurier. It is about a young woman moving in with her aunt and uncovers his conspiracy which involves to murderers. She attempts to prevent him which leads to unexpected consequences.
Superb direction, excellent casting, expressive playing and fine production offset an uneven screenplay to make Jamaica Inn a gripping version of the Daphne du Maurier novel.
It could have come across as strictly a work-for-hire gig, but it displays enough Hitchcockery to show he wasn't as disengaged from the material as he would later claim he was.
Laughton is compelling from the first instant: His Pengallan is at least five of the seven deadly sins rolled into one, a cheerfully loathsome creature with wide-set eyebrows and a multitude of chins ...
