The other evening I watched one of Alfred Hitchcock's classics, Strangers on a Train, on TCM. I was surprised how quickly and thoroughly I found myself wrapped-up in this thriller. Robert Walker is a wickedly fun villain to Farley Granger's 'backed-into-a-corner' leading man. Though Hitchcock is well-known for some heavy-hitters (Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Norhtwest, Psycho) this film stands just as tall. As well as the harsh test of time.
Why is this on a tennis blog? Granger's character is a tennis pro and Hitchcock famously lensed a few scenes of him playing at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills where the US Open was played from 1915-1977. In fact, The climax of this thriller is a race against time as Granger must win his match before it gets too dark so he can foil a sinister plot to frame him. Except for the last two Wimbledon finals never has a tennis match been so suspenseful. NetFlix this gem - it's all aces.
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