Table of Contents
Alfred Hitchcock
First Job
Hitchcock, who was born on the suburbs of London, began his career in the film business in 1919 as a title card designer after working as a technical clerk and copywriter for a telegraph-cable firm.1)
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
His first successful film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, influenced the thriller genre, and his 1929 film, Blackmail, was the first British “talkie”.2)
1930s Thrillers
Two of his 1930s thrillers, The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, are considered among the best British films of all time.3)
Move to Hollywood
By 1939, Hitchcock had established himself as a major international director, and film producer David O. Selznick urged him to go to Hollywood.4)
Hollywood Releases
Following Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt, and The Paradine Case, a run of popular films were released in Hollywood, including Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt, and The Paradine Case.5)
Rebecca
Rebecca, his film, was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won Best Picture.6)
Hitchcockian Style
The use of camera movement to resemble a person's stare, so turning spectators into voyeurs, and framing pictures to maximum dread and horror are all examples of “Hitchcockian” style.7)
Robin Wood
The significance of a Hitchcock picture, according to film critic Robin Wood, “is there in the method, in the evolution from scene to shot.” “A Hitchcock picture is an organism in which the whole is suggested in every detail and every detail is tied to the whole.”8)
Greatest Films
By 1960, Hitchcock had directed four films that are widely considered to be among the best of all time: Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho.9)
Preservation In LOC
By 2016, seven of his films, including his personal favorite, Shadow of a Doubt, have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.10)
AFI Life Achievement Award
He earned the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979 and was knighted four months later, in December of that year.11)
Education
Hitchcock attended St. Ignatius College, a Jesuit school in London, as well as the School of Engineering and Navigation and the University of London.12)
Childhood
According to Hitchcock, he had an extremely secluded and lonely upbringing, which was exacerbated by his weight. He claimed that his mother would have him stand at the foot of the bed for hours, narrating his daily activities.13)
Unfit For Military
During the First World War, he was excused from serving in the British military with a “C3 classification” due to his height and weight.14)
Henley's
His first employment was with Henley's, a cable firm, as an advertisement designer and draftsman. His creative writing career began with “The Henley Telegraphy”, the company's in-house journal.15)
The Lodger
Because of its economic and critical success in the United Kingdom, Hitchcock believes the suspense thriller “The Lodger” to be his debut picture.16)
Alma Reville
In 1927, he married Alma Reville, his then-assistant director, whom he had known since 1920, and on July 7, 1928, he became the father of his only daughter, Patricia Hitchcock.17)
Daughter
Alma Reville was only a day younger than him. Patricia Hitchcock, their daughter, had also acted in three of his films.18)
Rejected At Beginning
The majority of motion picture studios turned down Hitchcock, claiming that he couldn't create a Hollywood-style film.19)
Strategy For Casting
Hitchcock tended to hire highly known performers with whom people were familiar with his films. He claimed that it allowed him to change his emphasis and focus more on the narrative.20)
Use Of Shadows
His use of shadows to build suspicion and anxiety in his screenplay narration was unusual, and it kept the viewer engaged with the characters.21)
Strict Father
As a child, his father sent him to the local police station with a letter as a kind of punishment. He was confined in the cage for 10 minutes before being released with the warning, “This is what happens to terrible people”.22)
Portrayal Of Police
His representations of cops have always been either terrible men, or as characters who must die slowly, uncompromisingly nasty and gruesomely.23)
Studio Shooting Over Location
Hitchcock didn't like on-location shooting because he had little control over the lighting or other important aspects. As a result, he chose to shoot his films in a studio. This is why his films use rear screen images and special effects composites.24)
Blonde
He favors blonde actresses because “Blondes make the ideal victims.” They're like fresh snow that reveals the bleeding tracks.“ He also regularly employs close-ups of women's hairstyles.25)
In Suits
On the shoot, he was usually dressed in a suit. When he wasn't filming, he didn't do much socializing. He also had an odd habit 26)
Joker
Hitchcock was well-known for his cast and crew practical pranks.27)
Banned From Disneyland
Because of the film Psycho, Hitchcock was barred from entering Disneyland in the early 1960s.28)
Walk Of Fame
In Hollywood, California, he was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for Television at 7013 Hollywood Boulevard and one for Motion Pictures at 6506 Hollywood Boulevard.29)
Dressed Up In Drag
He dressed up in drag at one of his events. According to reports, film of this was retained in his office. However, when his office was cleared up after his death, there was no trace of the film.30)