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Home , Frenzy, Janet Leigh, Mrs de Winter, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt

Alfred Hitchcock

Born: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, August 13, 1899 (Leytonstone, London, England); died 1980 (Los Angeles, , U.S.). Directing style: Venerated master of thriller genre; genius of suspense; trademark cameos in his own films; fluid camera takes; detailed social observation.

When he died in 1980, Sir Alfred “Hitch” Hitchcock had completed 57 feature films without ever winning an Academy

1890s Award. For some, Hitchcock is among the greatest of all filmmakers; he was indisputably the master of suspense. From

early in his career he was eager to dispel the notion that 1890s suspense and surprise are similar. With surprise, the audience Top Takes… discovers something it does not know. With suspense, the audience knows something the character does not know, and 1972 Topaz 1969 watches to see what will happen as the character learns it. Marnie 1964 Hitchcock grew up in Leytonstone, in London’s East End, The Birds 1963 and received a Jesuit education. He wrote macabre short 1960 I fiction, became terrified of jails and the police, was deeply 1959 bonded to his mother, and was intrigued by railway timetables, Vertigo 1958 especially for far-off places. After drafting advertisements for The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956 1955 an electrical firm, he made title cards for Famous Players-Lasky 1954 I in the 1920s, and then assisted on set, where he met Alma Strangers on a Train 1951 Reville. They were married in 1926, a harmonious union, with for which helped shape his world-renowned figure. Hitchcock ABOVE: Hitchcock directs the action from Rope 1948 Alma loyally assisting Hitchcock on scripting and editing. She was generally sober and businesslike at work, chummy to his above on the set on the thriller Rear Window. The Paradine Case 1947 also served up formidable cooking, her husband’s appreciation confederates, yet so demanding that more than one writer was Notorious 1946 dismissed following long sessions of collaboration when, on Spellbound 1945 I Lifeboat 1944 I a vital matter, he did not see eye to eye with the moviemaker. 1943 Filmmaking was principally an optical Saboteur 1942 matter for Hitchcock. He would envision “The length of a film should be Suspicion 1941 shots and sequences, and frequently 1940 I worked from detailed sketches. After a sour 1938 directly related to the endurance experience working with the testy producer Sabotage 1936 1935 David O. Selznick on Rebecca (1940), his first of the human bladder.” Blackmail 1929 film in the United States (he was naturalized The Lodger 1927 in 1956), he devised a shooting system that made it impossible to edit in any but the way he wanted. His British films, including

RIGHT: Joan Fontaine is wide-eyed as the The Lodger (1927) about serial murder; the first British sound second Mrs. de Winter in the eerie Rebecca. feature Blackmail (1929); the espionage thrillers The 39 Steps

112 • Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock • 113 Vertigo (1936) Rear Window Sabotage (1943) about a (1959); Leigh blithely Spellbound (1945) about (1947) about a beautiful (1938); and Shadow of a Doubt Saboteur (1942) with its compelling finale on North by Northwest Notorious (1946) about a Nazi cadre in South The Paradine Case Psycho (1960); Hedren being attacked by gulls in The Lady Vanishes The The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956); the deeply (1948) is shot with 11-minute masters, and carefully By the late Hitchcock was producing his own work. To see To that Hitchcock enriched the cinema, one need only showering showering in (1963); or thieving in Marnie (1964). MP Birds the finale of The woman accused of murdering her husband. her of murdering accused woman Rope edited so as to seem a single fluid cumbersome camera of camera the time and take. the intense Given the lighting it required, the production required moving sets and strategically choreographed performances of the movements, highest quality, since each actual as take verywas repeat. long and difficult to well as (1954); the U.S. tourist screaming during remake of a concert in the disorienting dolly/zoom combination in the tower of (1958); Grant diving into a cornfield to escape an crop-duster attacking in brought brought him a huge reputation. In the United States of 1940s, the he made a number of stylish black Suspicion (1941); and white films: the Statue of Liberty; The work of a movie master Beyond technical experimentation, Hitchcock’s true mastery lay in his melding of dense philosophical reflection on themes of universal significance to brilliant, often scathing, detailed social observation. Viewers can gain a deep appreciation for Hitchcock’s work by noting meticulous its camera placement and profoundly movement, use visual of insert nature: shots to detail objects and views, and a dialogue is not only color and profound On form. top of Hitchcock’s this, sense of and oftenwitty stunning. but refined and apt, recall the photographer paralyzed in a cast in (1935) and psychoanalysis; America; and troubled troubled family in a California town; itchcock H itchcock H lfred was Hitchcock’s last movie for for movie last was Hitchcock’s Psycho much of the film although Paramount, was shot at his new offices at Universal. Alfred Hitchcock’s traditional cameo role traditional cameo role Hitchcock’s Alfred in, when he minutes occurs about four wearing office, appears outside Marion’s hat. a cowboy When the shower scene was being When the shower Perkins was actually Anthony filmed, a play. for preparing York, in New Janet Leigh had to cover her private cover had to Janet Leigh parts with a moleskin filming suit while “obscenity.” avoid scene to the shower Bosco Chocolate Syrup was used as fake Syrup Bosco Chocolate syrup The scene. blood in the shower the United is still on sale throughout and Europe. States The film was shot in black and white shot in black and white film was The keepas Hitchcock to the cost wanted Itdown. make cost only $800,000 to and than $40 million. Ithas earned more is also said that Hitchcock thought the film gory be too would color. if shot in Hitchcock bought the rights the to Robert from $9,000. novel Bloch for • A lfred • • • • • • • In Background the 1960 highly acclaimed Hitchcock’s Alfred based was film Psycho suspense/horror Robertof the same name by on the novel the by in turn Bloch, which was inspired serial killer. Wisconsin crimes of a real-life the as Marion starred Crane, Janet Leigh Perkins secretary on the run, and Anthony . as the lonely psychopath A Lobby card for Alfred Hitchcock’s RIGHT: Hitchcock’s Alfred for card Lobby . Psycho movie horror highly praised 114

1890s