Alfred HitchcockAuthor, Filmmaker, Director, and sometimes Actor

Biography

1899-1980

Born in England, but died a

US citizen in Los Angeles,

CA

Roman Catholic

His parents were

greengrocers

He is the youngest of three

children

Naughty Boy

As a five-year-old boy, he was sent to the local police station

by his father with a note in hand about young Alfred

participating in mischief-making

The sergeant read the note that the father wrote and put the

five-year-old into a prison cell

“This is what we do to naughty boys”

Hitchcock’s childhood inspired him to write about terror

being inflicted upon the unknowing and sometimes, innocent

Main themes of his works are guilt, fear, and redemption

Education / Career

High interest in numbers and technology

Studied at Jesuits’ St. Ignatius College until the age of 16

From JSIC, he went to the University of London to study

engineering and navigation

At 19, he started work as an estimator at Henley Telegraph

Company. From estimator, he went to advertising.

From HTC, he got a job with Paramount Studios in London

as a silent film title designer. By the age of 22, he was an

assistant director.

Love on Set

His first job assistant director was working on a film titled, “No. 13”

“No. 13” never finished production, but he met Alma Reville during production and they married in December 1926.

Alfred and Alma produced several projects together

Their daughter even worked as an actress in some of his projects

His Works

Shadow of a Doubt – Hitchcock’s favorite of his works

1925’s The Pleasure Garden – directorial debut

1926’s The Lodger – launched his career in England, making

him the most successful and highest paid director in that

country

1940’s Rebecca – AH emigrated to America to film and won

an Oscar

The Classics and the

Masterpieces1950-1960 was Hitchcock’s most

productive decade

Dial “M” for Murder

To Catch a Thief

Strangers on a Train

The Masterpieces

Rear Window

Vertigo

North by Northwest

Controversy

Psycho

1955 was a good year

Hitchcock became a US citizen

Launched Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Due to the popularity of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he became a celebrity in the US

Hitchcock drew his profile in nine strokes and became the symbol of his celebrity

Up until the day he died

(almost)…

He wrote, produced, and directed films up until 1979.

His late works The Birds, Marnie, and Family Plot were well-

known among Americans

He died in his sleep, which is ironic, because of his penchant

for murder, mayhem, and shock.

What is even more ironic, is that he and his family lead a

quiet and unostentatious life.

Up until this day…

Hitchcock’s legacy is vast:

books, tributes, film

festivals, and imitators

abound.

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery

Magazine, a monthly

magazine, and Alfred

Hitchcock Presents are still

going strong.

Did You Know?Alfred Hitchcock was once stopped at the French border by a

suspicious customs official. Eyeing the space where Hitchcock

listed his profession as "producer," the official demanded, "And

what do you produce?" "Gooseflesh," Hitchcock coolly replied.

Hitchcock never sat among an audience to watch his films.

Amazingly enough, Hitchcock never won a best director Oscar in

competition, although he was awarded the Irving Thalberg

Memorial Award at the 1967 Oscars. He did receive the American

Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1979 and his homeland

made sure he was properly acknowledged: In the New Year's

Honors list of 1980, he was named a Knight Commander of the

British Empire.

He went by the nickname, “Hitch”.

Man in

unexpected

trouble

Typical Hitchcock Ingredients

Blonde love interest

Domineering

mother

character

Authority is unhelpful or

not to be trusted

Horizontal travel

Danger

is

vertical

Technical competence

Elaborate set in Rear WindowMeticulous pre-planning

Inventive use of sound

Uses the same themes:Suspense, guilt, murder

Thriller is a broad genre of literature,

film, and television programming that

uses suspense, tension and

excitement as the main elements.

Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's

moods giving them a high level of

anticipation, ultra-heightened

expectation, uncertainty, surprise,

anxiety and/or terror. Thriller films

tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty,

rousing and fast-paced. Literary

devices such as red herrings, plot

twists and cliffhangers are used

extensively. A thriller is a villain-driven

plot, whereby he or she presents

obstacles that the protagonist must

overcome. (Wikipedia)

Hitchock is an auteur. Auteur—a filmmaker whose

individual style and complete control over all elements of

production give a film its personal and unique stamp.

Trademarks:

• Appears in cameos in his films, usually in the beginning

so the audience doesn’t get too distracted looking for

him and lose focus on the story.

• Bathrooms are often a plot device. What?!

• Liked using a shot to feature a female’s hairstyle.