Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, later known as Sir Alfred Hitchcock, was born on August 13, 1899, in Leytonstone, Essex, England. Over the next eight decades, the son of a London greengrocer became the “Master of Suspense,” directing films such as Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, and The Birds.
Hitchcock attended the Jesuit-run St. Ignatius College before studying mechanics, electricity, acoustics, and navigation at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation. After his father died in 1914, Hitchcock went to work for the W.T. Henley Telegraph and Cable Company as a technical clerk. He continued taking night classes, including art history and painting. During World War I, he joined a cadet regiment of the Royal Engineers in 1917, attending drills and training but never serving overseas.
At Henley, Hitchcock began exploring his creative side. He helped produce the company magazine, The Henley Telegraph, contributing short stories and illustrations before moving into advertising. His artistic experience soon helped him enter the rapidly growing film industry.
Around 1920, Hitchcock began designing title cards for silent movies at the London studio of Famous Players-Lasky. He worked his way through several filmmaking jobs before becoming a director. His 1927 thriller The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog displayed many traits that would become Hitchcock trademarks, including an innocent man under suspicion and suspense created through carefully planned images.
Hitchcock successfully made the transition from silent movies to sound. His Blackmail (1929) was produced in both silent and sound versions and is generally regarded as Britain’s first full-length talkie. His international reputation grew with The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1934, followed by British thrillers such as The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes.
Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939 to work with producer David O. Selznick. His first American film, Rebecca (1940), received 11 Academy Award nominations and won Best Picture. Hitchcock himself was nominated for Best Director but did not win. He later worked repeatedly with major stars including Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, James Stewart, and Grace Kelly. For Spellbound (1945), surrealist artist Salvador Dalí designed imagery for a striking dream sequence.
The 1950s and early 1960s produced many of Hitchcock’s best-known films. Rear Window (1954) confined much of its story to what James Stewart’s character could observe from his apartment. Vertigo (1958) used an unusual zoom-and-camera movement to create a dizzying sensation of fear. Psycho (1960) paired rapid editing with Bernard Herrmann’s sharp string score during its famous shower scene. Hitchcock carefully controlled what audiences saw and knew, often creating suspense by giving viewers information that his characters did not have.
Television made Hitchcock’s face and voice nearly as recognizable as his movies. Alfred Hitchcock Presents debuted in 1955, followed by The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Hitchcock introduced stories of murder, deception, and strange twists with dry, often morbid humor. He also made brief cameo appearances in about 40 of his films, turning his own silhouette into a familiar trademark.
During a career spanning nearly six decades, Hitchcock directed more than 50 feature films. He received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award on March 7, 1979. Later that year, he was named a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in Queen Elizabeth II’s 1980 New Year Honours.
Hitchcock died at his home in Bel Air, California, on April 29, 1980, at age 80. His methods of building suspense through editing, camera movement, sound, and carefully controlled points of view remain closely studied by filmmakers and film historians.
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AS ALWAYS, THESE STORIES ARE GREAT—WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY AS READING THIS AS THE FIRST THING I READ. THANK YOU FOR THE ENLIGHTMENT.
I totally agree with Mr Rauschenberg’s post!
I have enjoyed these famous films many times over the years. British film and television are usually of very high quality,worth repeat viewing.
Wonderful article. Hitchcock was once asked why he did use a lot of visually violent mayhem in his films. He explained that an exploding bomb did not create suspense. Watching someone set a timer on a bomb, place it under a table in a crowded restaurant, and then have the audience watch as the timer clock ticked away usually put them on the edge of their seats, even if they had seen the movie several times. Having watched most of his films I can only say that he nailed that one.
I have enjoyed many of his films and feel that they are superior to most of the more recent suspense films. A truly great director. Thank you Mystic for today’s article.
Like Bob Hope, Alfred Hitchcock had a silhouette that was easy to recognize. Never a fan of suspense films, I still enjoyed and admired Hitchcock and his work. I was stationed in California near where the Birds was filmed. Never could go there without thinking of those birds. I will close with his expression, Goooood Evenink!
This man was a genius at his movies I remember seeing at least two of his films and they spooked me good I still see scene from them in my mind almost 50 years past enjoyed them. Thanks for the great article.
In New York City, we have the MeTV channel. Weeknights, Alfred Hitchcock Presents is shown from 1:05 to 2:05AM usually with two half-hour episodes.