Alfred Hitchcock

August 13, 1899

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980), was an English director and producer. Labeled as the "Master of Suspense", he became known for thrillers, often combined with a dark sense of humor. After a successful career in his native country, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939. Over a career spanning more than half a century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognizable directorial style. He pioneered the use of a camera made to move in a way that mimics a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. He framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing. His stories frequently feature fugitives on the run from the law alongside icy blonde female characters. Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime, although many of the mysteries function as decoys —or MacGuffins— meant only to serve thematic elements in the film and the extremely complex psychological examinations of the characters. Hitchcock's films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, film trailers, and the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1965), he became a cultural icon. Hitchcock is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In 2002, Hitchcock was ranked 2nd behind Orson Welles in the critics' top ten poll in the list of The Greatest Directors of All Time compiled by the Sight & Sound magazine. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Hitchcock's critically most acclaimed film is the psychological thriller film Vertigo (1958). Although being a mild failure upon its release, it has risen in popularity over the decades. In 2012 it even replaced Orson Welles' Citizen Kane as the greatest film ever made in the Sight & Sound critics' poll. Regarding visual style, Vertigo is often declared as Hitchcock's most perfect film. The use of color symbolism, meticulously composed shots, and the famous "Vertigo effect" (dolly zoom) continue to be studied and admired. Hitchcock's most commercially successful and most famous film is Psycho (1960), which had a significant impact on the horror genre, especially the slasher film. Hitchcock was able to prove his skills with the mystery thriller film Rear Window (1954), to create suspense within a confined setting - primarily the protagonist's apartment. In this film, voyeurism, one of Hitchcock's favorite subjects, is an essential aspect. Many of Hitchcock's spy films, most notably North by Northwest (1959) and Notorious (1946), had a major impact on the Mission: Impossible and James Bond series.

Cast

Rebecca

(Man Outside Phone Booth (uncredited))

Psycho

(Man Outside Office (uncredited))

Rear Window

(Clock-Winder in Songwriter's Apartment (uncredited))

The Movie Orgy

(Self (archive footage))

Monsieur Truffaut Meets Mr. Hitchcock

(Self (archive footage))

Ingrid Bergman Remembered

(Self (archive footage))

Strangers on a Train

(Man Boarding Train Carrying a Double Bass (uncredited))

Murder!

(Man on Street (uncredited))

78/52

(Self (archive footage))

Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel

(Self (archive footage))

Tales of the Uncanny

(Self (archive footage))

Normandie ne partira pas ce soir

Dial M for Murder

(Banquet Member (uncredited))

Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock

(Self (archive footage))

Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock

(Self (archive footage))

Marnie

(Man Leaving Hotel Room (uncredited))

Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words

(Self (archive footage))

Documenting John Grierson

Once Upon a Time... 'Notorious'

(Self (archive footage))

Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels

(Self (archive footage))

The Making of 'Psycho'

(Self (archive footage))

My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock

(Self (archive footage))

The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock

(Himself)

Hitchcock’s Pro-Nazi Film

(Self (archive footage))

Sabotage

(Man Walking Past the Cinema as the Light Is Renewed)

Stage Fright

(Man Staring at Eve on Street (uncredited))

The Illustrated Hitchcock

(Self)

The Children of Alda Nuova

(self - host)

The Birds

(Pet Store Customer (uncredited))

Blackmail

(Man on Subway (uncredited))

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

(Self (uncredited))

Hitchcock and Dial M

(Self (archive footage))

Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin

(Self (archive footage))

Night Will Fall

(Self (archive footage))

The Pervert's Guide to Cinema

(Self - Filmmaker (archive footage))

Masters Of Cinema - Alfred Hitchcock

(Self)

Alfred Hitchcock And To Catch A Thief: An Appreciation

(Self - Archival Footage)

Writing And Casting To Catch A Thief

(Self (archive footage))

Alfred Hitchcock: The Early Years

(Self (audio archival footage))

Sound Test for Blackmail

(Self (uncredited))

To Catch a Thief

(Man Sitting Next to John Robie on Bus (uncredited))

Hitchcock/Truffaut

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

The Trouble with 'Marnie'

(Self (archive footage))

Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man

(Self (archive footage))

Gregory Peck: His Own Man

(Self (archive footage))

Memory of the Camps

(Self (uncredited archive footage))

Under Capricorn

(Man at Governor's Reception (uncredited))

Hitch x 4

(Himself)

Mais qui a tué Alfred Hitchcock?

(Himself)

North by Northwest

(Man Who Misses Bus (uncredited))

Shadow of a Doubt

(Man on Train Playing Cards (uncredited))

The 39 Steps

(Man Walking Past Bus (uncredited))

A Talk with Hitchcock

(Self)

Notorious

(Man Drinking Champagne at Party (uncredited))

The Man Who Knew Too Much

(Man in Marrakesh Marketplace (uncredited))

I Confess

(Man Crossing the Top of Long Staircase (uncredited))

Foreign Correspondent

(Man with Newspaper on Street (uncredited))

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style

(Self (archive footage))

Mondo Hollywood

The Psycho Legacy

(Self (archive footage))

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

(Man in Newspaper Office (uncredited))

Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin

(Self (archive footage))

Easy Virtue

(Man with Stick Near Tennis Court (uncredited))

Family Plot

(Silhouette at Office of Vital Statistics (uncredited))

The Trouble with Harry

(Passer-by (uncredited))

Hitchcock at the N.F.T.

(Self)

Destination Hitchcock: The Making of 'North by Northwest'

(Self (archive footage))

Plotting 'Family Plot'

(Self (archive footage))

The Making of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'

(Self (archive footage))

All About 'The Birds'

(Self (archive footage))

'The Trouble with Harry' Isn't Over

(Self (archive footage))

'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic

(Self (archive footage))

The Story of 'Frenzy'

(Self (archive footage))

Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood

(Self (archive footage))

In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy

(Self (archive footage))

The Wrong Man

(Prologue Narrator (voice) (uncredited))

The Ring

(Man-Dipping Attraction Worker (uncredited))

The Lady Vanishes

(Man in London Railway Station (uncredited))

German Concentration Camps Factual Survey

(Self (archive footage))

Show-Business at War

(Self)

The Universal Story

(Self (archive footage))

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

(Self (archive footage))

The Man Who Knew Too Much

(Man in Raincoat Passing Bus (uncredited))

Young and Innocent

(Photographer Outside Courthouse (uncredited))

Cinema: Alfred Hitchcock

(Himself)

Suspicion

(Man Mailing Letter (uncredited))

Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions

(Self - Filmmaker (archive footage))

Spellbound

(Man Leaving Elevator (uncredited))

Hitchcock: The Early Years

(Self (archive footage))

Hitchcock Confidential

(Self (archive footage))

Frenzy

(Spectator at Opening Rally)

What Is Cinema?

(Self)

Topaz

(Man in Wheelchair (uncredited))

Vertigo

(Man Walking Past Elster's Office (uncredited))

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

(Man Passing David Smith on Street (uncredited))

Torn Curtain

(Man in Hotel Lobby with Baby (uncredited))

Rope

(Man Walking in Street After Opening Credits (uncredited))

Saboteur

(Man in Front of New York Drugstore (uncredited))

Her Name Was Grace Kelly

(Self (archive footage))

Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess

(Self - Filmmaker (archive footage))

I Am Alfred Hitchcock

(Self)

Terror in the Aisles

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

When Hitchcock Met O'Casey

(Self (archive footage))

When Hitchcock met O'Casey

(Self (archive footage))

Hitchcock on Grierson

(Self)

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Self - Host)

The Oscars

(Self)

The Men Who Made the Movies

(Self)

Talking Pictures

(Self (archive footage))

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Self - Host (archive footage))

Tales from the Crypt

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

(Self - Host)

V.I.P. Schaukel

(Self)

Spécial cinéma

(Self (archive footage))

Lux Video Theatre

(Self)

Midi trente

(Self (archive footage))

Star Life

(Self (archive footage))

The Dick Cavett Show

(Self - Guest)

What's My Line?

(Self - Mystery Guest)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Self - Interviewee)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Self (archive footage))

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

Samedi soir

(Self)

Cinépanorama

(Self)

Crew

North by Northwest

(Producer)

Rebecca

(Director)

Notorious

(Producer)

North by Northwest

(Director)

The 39 Steps

(Director)

Notorious

(Director)

To Catch a Thief

(Producer)

To Catch a Thief

(Director)

Vertigo

(Producer)

Marnie

(Producer)

Blackmail

(Screenplay)

Dial M for Murder

(Director)

Marnie

(Director)

Blackmail

(Director)

Dial M for Murder

(Producer)

Psycho

(Producer)

Psycho

(Director)

Frenzy

(Producer)

The Man Who Knew Too Much

(Director)

The Birds

(Producer)

Rear Window

(Director)

The Birds

(Director)

Frenzy

(Director)

Rear Window

(Producer)

The Man Who Knew Too Much

(Producer)

Rope

(Director)

Rope

(Producer)

Topaz

(Director)

Strangers on a Train

(Director)

Strangers on a Train

(Producer)

Under Capricorn

(Producer)

Secret Agent

(Director)

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

(Director)

Young and Innocent

(Director)

Under Capricorn

(Director)

Spellbound

(Director)

Stage Fright

(Producer)

Stage Fright

(Director)

The Lady Vanishes

(Director)

I Confess

(Producer)

I Confess

(Director)

The Trouble with Harry

(Director)

The Trouble with Harry

(Producer)

The Manxman

(Director)

Torn Curtain

(Producer)

Torn Curtain

(Director)

Shadow of a Doubt

(Director)

Family Plot

(Director)

Family Plot

(Producer)

The Wrong Man

(Director)

Suspicion

(Director)

The Paradine Case

(Director)

The Man Who Knew Too Much

(Director)

Foreign Correspondent

(Director)

Murder!

(Director)

Jamaica Inn

(Director)

Saboteur

(Director)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

(Director)

Sabotage

(Director)

Lifeboat

(Director)

The Farmer's Wife

(Director)

The Ring

(Writer)

Rich and Strange

(Adaptation)

Champagne

(Writer)

Easy Virtue

(Director)

Rich and Strange

(Director)

Champagne

(Director)

The Ring

(Director)

Number Seventeen

(Director)

Number Seventeen

(Screenplay)

The Pleasure Garden

(Director)

Juno and the Paycock

(Writer)

Juno and the Paycock

(Director)

Madagascar Landing

(Director)

Bon Voyage

(Director)

The Skin Game

(Director)

Downhill

(Director)

Waltzes from Vienna

(Director)

Elstree Calling

(Director)

Mary

(Director)

The Mountain Eagle

(Director)

The White Shadow

(Art Direction)

The White Shadow

(Editor)

The White Shadow

(Screenplay)

Watchtower Over Tomorrow

(Co-Director)

The Passionate Adventure

(Writer)

Woman to Woman

(Writer)

The Spanish Jade

(Art Direction)

Three Live Ghosts

(Art Direction)

The Man From Home

(Title Graphics)

The Man From Home

(Art Direction)

Three Live Ghosts

(Title Graphics)

Notorious

(Additional Writing)

Psycho

(In Memory Of)

The Passionate Adventure

(Art Direction)

The Farmer's Wife

(Writer)

The Skin Game

(Adaptation)

Always Tell Your Wife

(Director)

The Blackguard

(Assistant Director)

The Blackguard

(Writer)

The Blackguard

(Art Direction)

The Fighting Generation

(Director)

Memory of the Camps

(Treatment)

Lifeboat

(Idea)

Lifeboat

(Producer)

The Prude's Fall

(Writer)

The Prude's Fall

(Assistant Director)

Number 13

(Director)

Number 13

(Producer)

The Bonnie Brier Bush

(Title Designer)

German Concentration Camps Factual Survey

(Treatment)

Woman to Woman

(Art Direction)

The Princess of New York

(Title Designer)

The Call of Youth

(Title Designer)

The Great Day

(Title Designer)

Tell Your Children

(Title Designer)

The Spanish Jade

(Title Designer)

Vertigo

(Original Film Writer)

Murder!

(Adaptation)

Sound Test for Blackmail

(Director)

Lord Camber's Ladies

(Producer)

The Passionate Adventure

(Assistant Director)

The White Shadow

(Assistant Director)

Woman to Woman

(Assistant Director)

Saboteur

(Story)

Saavi

(Adaptation)

The House Across the Bay

(Assistant Director)

An Elastic Affair

(Director)

Lifepod

(Short Story)

The Wrong Man

(Producer)

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

(Screenplay)

Vertigo

(Director)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Producer)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Director)

Robert Montgomery Presents

(Director)

Suspicion

(Director)

Suspicion

(Producer)

Alcoa Premiere

(Producer)

Startime

(Director)

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

(Director)

Frontline

(Treatment)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Creator)

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(Creator)

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

(Creator)