Overview
Alfred Hitchcock: the name conjures chills and thrills, whispers of suspense and iconic imagery. This master of cinema crafted a career spanning a half century, leaving an indelible mark on the world of film. He began his career in the British film industry but moved to Hollywood in 1939 to make Rebecca, and his very first American film won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Hitchcock’s genius lay in manipulating audience emotions and building tension to unbearable levels. Films like Psycho and Vertigo remain masterclasses in suspense, forever imprinted in our collective memory. Though renowned for his thrillers, Hitchcock’s repertoire was diverse. He explored romance, adventure and psychological drama in many of his films. Each film, regardless of genre, bore his unique stamp, a blend of meticulous craftsmanship and playful wit.
More than just a filmmaker, Hitchcock became a cultural icon. His cameos in his own films, his signature silhouette and his dry humor cemented his image as the enigmatic “Master of Suspense.” His influence on cinema is immeasurable, inspiring generations of directors and leaving an enduring legacy of psychological chills and cinematic brilliance.
Field of contribution: Filmmaking, Direction
Years when active: 1925-1976
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Memorable movies
The Birds, Blackmail, Dial M for Murder, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 version), North by Northwest,, Notorious, Psycho, Rear Window, Rebecca, Rope, Shadow of a Doubt, Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo
Awards & Recognition
Amazingly, this incredible director did not win any Academy Awards, though he was nominated five times for the following films: Rebecca (1940), Lifeboat (1944), Spellbound (1945), Rear Window (1954), Psycho (1960).
Hitchcock received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Motion Picture Academy in 1968. He also received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979. Both awards were given near the end of his long career and recognized his lifetime contributions to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television.
Frequent collaborators
Hitchcock’s wife Alma Reville was his closest collaborator and sounding board. He acknowledged her contributions when accepting the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, as quoted below.
“Four people who have given me the most affection, appreciation and encouragement, and constant collaboration. The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter, the third is the mother of my daughter, Pat, and the fourth is as fine a cook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen. And their names are Alma Reville.”
Among the actors who worked the most with Hitchcock were Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly.
Did you know?
One of Hitchcock’s favorite stories (which some consider to be of doubtful authenticity) was about his father once sending him to the local police station with a note when he was five; the policeman looked at the note and locked him in a cell for a few minutes, saying: “This is what we do to naughty boys.” Hitchcock said the experience left him with a lifelong phobia of law enforcement and made him “scared stiff of anything to do with the law.” Whatever happened that day must have certainly shaped Hitchcock’s thinking and it probably influenced the way that he depicted crime and the police in his movies.
The film Hitchcock (2012) dramatizes the story of the complicated relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho in 1959.
Additional Information
A great website covering Hitchcock is the Alfred Hitchcock Wiki.
Among the books featuring Hitchcock’s life and career are the following:
The Complete Hitchcock, by Paul Condon and Jim Sangster (1999)
The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock, by Robert A. Harris & Michael S. Lasky (2002)
The Alfred Hitchcock Story, by Ken Mogg (2008)
A great series of interviews with Hitchcock were conducted by the famous French filmmaker Francois Truffaut, and can be found here.