The wrong corpse

Number 17

(1932)

Another obscure early Hitchcock. Whiplash editing makes this barely more than an hour of confusion, but the Master's signature is still visible: at least 3 McGuffins (a diamond necklace and the identities of two characters), laughable miniatures that nonetheless serve, a romance out of nowhere, and a fluent merger of comedy and suspense. The opening shot, silent for three minutes or more, establishes mood, character, and plot perfectly.