I just saw Jamaica Inn (1939) and was shocked to find it right at home at any exploitation film fest. While it was directed by Hitchcock, it doesn't feel like a Hitchcock movie at all, and the true auteurs of the film are the dialogue writer (separate from screenplay writer in the credits), Sidney Gilliat, and the star, who is also the villain, Charles Laughton. The dialogue seemed straight out of A Clockwork Orange, as if both films take place in the same alternate universe. One character in particular sounded like one of Alex's droogs. Coupled with this fantastic dialogue was one of my top ten favorite villains in movie history. Charles Laughton chewed the #$*! out of the scenery in this role, with better-than-perfect comic timing and a villainous role straight out of an exploitation film. While not technically an exploitation film, I think you could only get into it by watching it in the same way you would watch an exploitation film, otherwise you probably wouldn't 'get it' and think it was just some early undeveloped Hitch film. For example, I thought the last 10 minutes or so of Laughton kidnapping Maureen O'Hara's character was just a 1930's metaphorical way of filming an exploitation rape scene. Just watch the way Laughton does the most insanely despicable things and seems to have the most blasé and yet innocently boyish fun doing it. Play this in the middle of a triple bill of 1970's exploitation films and it would feel right at home. Probably the only way to watch it. Viewing this instead as most people do, as Hitchcock-in-development, will probably only lead to disappointment, as can be seen from other user comments.