Alfred Hitchcock
Biography
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.
Known For
Man Outside Phone Booth (uncredited)
Rebecca
Man Outside Office (uncredited)
Psycho
Clock-Winder in Songwriter's Apartment (uncredited)
Rear Window
Self (archive footage)
The Movie Orgy
Self (archive footage)
Monsieur Truffaut Meets Mr. Hitchcock
Self (archive footage)
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
Man Boarding Train Carrying a Double Bass (uncredited)
Strangers on a Train
Man on Street (uncredited)
Murder!
Self (archive footage)
78/52
Self (archive footage)
Kim Novak, l'âme rebelle d'Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Tales of the Uncanny
Normandie ne partira pas ce soir
Banquet Member (uncredited)
Dial M for Murder
Self (archive footage)
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
Self (archive footage)
Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
Man Leaving Hotel Room (uncredited)
Marnie
Self (archive footage)
Jag är Ingrid
Documenting John Grierson
Self (archive footage)
Il était une fois... « Les enchaînés »
Self (archive footage)
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
Self (archive footage)
The Making of 'Psycho'
Self (archive footage)
My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock
Himself
The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock
Self (archive footage)
Le Film Pro-Nazi d’Hitchcock
Man Staring at Eve on Street (uncredited)
Stage Fright
Man Walking Past the Cinema as the Light Is Renewed
Sabotage
Self
The Illustrated Hitchcock
self - host
The Children of Alda Nuova
Pet Store Customer (uncredited)
The Birds
Man on Subway (uncredited)
Blackmail
Self (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Self (archive footage)
Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin
Self (archive footage)
Hitchcock and Dial M
Self (archive footage)
Night Will Fall
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
Self
Masters Of Cinema - Alfred Hitchcock
Self (archive footage)
Alfred Hitchcock And To Catch A Thief: An Appreciation
Self (archive footage)
Writing And Casting To Catch A Thief
Self (audio archival footage)
Alfred Hitchcock, films de jeunesse
Self (uncredited)
Sound Test for Blackmail
Man Sitting Next to John Robie on Bus (uncredited)
To Catch a Thief
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Self (archive footage)
The Trouble with 'Marnie'
Self (archive footage)
Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man
Self (archive footage)
Gregory Peck: His Own Man
Self (uncredited archive footage)
Memory of the Camps
Man at Governor's Reception (uncredited)
Under Capricorn
Himself
Mais qui a tué Alfred Hitchcock?
Himself
Hitch x 4
Man Who Misses Bus (uncredited)
North by Northwest
Man on Train Playing Cards (uncredited)
Shadow of a Doubt
Man Walking Past Bus (uncredited)
The 39 Steps
Self
A Talk with Hitchcock
Man Drinking Champagne at Party (uncredited)
Notorious
Man in Marrakesh Marketplace (uncredited)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Man Crossing the Top of Long Staircase (uncredited)
I Confess
Man with Newspaper on Street (uncredited)
Foreign Correspondent
Self (archive footage)
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
Mondo Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
The Psycho Legacy
Man in Newspaper Office (uncredited)
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
Self (archive footage)
Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin
Man with Stick Near Tennis Court (uncredited)
Easy Virtue
Silhouette at Office of Vital Statistics (uncredited)
Family Plot
Passer-by (uncredited)
The Trouble with Harry
Self
Hitchcock at the N.F.T.
Self (archive footage)
Destination Hitchcock: The Making of 'North by Northwest'
Self (archive footage)
All About 'The Birds'
Self (archive footage)
Plotting 'Family Plot'
Self (archive footage)
The Story of 'Frenzy'
Self (archive footage)
The Making of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
Self (archive footage)
'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic
Self (archive footage)
'The Trouble with Harry' Isn't Over
Self (archive footage)
Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Prologue Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Wrong Man
Man-Dipping Attraction Worker (uncredited)
The Ring
Man in London Railway Station (uncredited)
The Lady Vanishes
Self (archive footage)
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
Self
Show-Business at War
Self (archive footage)
The Universal Story
Self (archive footage)
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
Man in Raincoat Passing Bus (uncredited)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Photographer Outside Courthouse (uncredited)
Young and Innocent
Himself
Cinema: Alfred Hitchcock
Man Mailing Letter (uncredited)
Suspicion
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Terreur et glamour : montée et déclin du studio Hammer
Man Leaving Elevator (uncredited)
Spellbound
Self (archive footage)
Hitchcock: The Early Years
Self (archive footage)
Dans l'ombre d'Hitchcock, Alma et Hitch
Spectator at Opening Rally (uncredited)
Frenzy
Self
What Is Cinema?
Man in Wheelchair (uncredited)
Topaz
Man in Hotel Lobby with Baby (uncredited)
Torn Curtain
Man in Front of New York Drugstore (uncredited)
Saboteur
Man Walking in Street After Opening Credits (uncredited)
Rope
Man Passing David Smith on Street (uncredited)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Man Walking Past Elster's Office (uncredited)
Vertigo
Self (archive footage)
Elle s'appelait Grace Kelly
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Grace face à son destin
Self
I Am Alfred Hitchcock
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Terror in the Aisles
Self (archive footage)
When Hitchcock Met O'Casey
Self (archive footage)
When Hitchcock met O'Casey
Self
Hitchcock on Grierson
Self (archive footage)
Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail
host (self)
Human Interest Story
Self (archive footage)
Hitchcock in the News
self (host)
The Man Who Found the Money
Himself (Archival Footage)
Hitchcock: Alfred the Great
Self - Host
Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid
Self (uncredited archive footage: 1960 Psycho trailer)
Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film
Himself (Archive)
Shepperton Babylon
Self (archive footage)
Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Lynch/Oz
Self (archive footage)
기생충
Personal Info
Known For
Directing
Known Credits
116
Gender
Male
Birthday
1899-08-13
Place of Birth
Leytonstone, London, England, UK
Also Known As
Hitch