Alfred Hitchcock

• Born Aug. 13,1899 in Leyston, London, England. Died April,29, 1980 in Bel Air, LA, California.

• Active in Film Industry 1921-1976• Spouse: Alma Reville 1926-1980 • Active in both silent and talkies films• Graphic artist for Murnau (Nosferatu)• Directed more than 50 feature films over 6

decades.

• Weekly TV series in 1950s-1960s (Alfred Hitchcock presents)

• Often regarded as greatest British Filmmaker

• Often withheld information from both characters and audience and engaged the emotions of the audience.

• Hired and brought to US by David O. Selznick

Early Life• Youngest of 3 children of William and Emma Jane

Hitchcock.• Father was a green grocer and poulterer• Family was mostly Roman Catholic. Attended Jesuit

classic school.• Led a lonely and sheltered childhood compounded by

his obesity.• On numerous occasions, his father would send him to

the local police station with a note asking the police to lock up the boy for 10 minutes as punishment for bad behavior. This idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is frequently reflected in his films.

• Mother would often make him stand at the foot of the bed and recite poetry for hours if he behaved badly. These experiences would later be used for the portrayal of Norman Bates in Psycho.

• Father died when Hitchcock was 14. He then left Jesuit school to study at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation. After graduation, he became a draftsman and ad designer with a cable company. During this time he became intrigued with photography and started working in film production as a title-card designer for what would later become the London Branch of Paramount Pictures, designing titles for silent movies. His rise from this to director took only 5 years.

• Married his assistant director (Alma Reville) in 1926, had 1 child, Patricia, born 1928.

• Greatest British films: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935)

• Brought to America by David O. Selznick with a 7 year contract in March,1939

• First US film, Rebecca, won best film. Selznick got the (Oscar) statuette

• For many years he either filmed on location in England or movies about England for his first several films in US.

• Rebecca starred Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. It was based on Daphne DuMaurier’s novel.

• The Birds was based on a short story by DuMaurier.• Made and known for cameos in his later American films.

Many directors follow this style today of making cameos in their films.

• Known as the Father of Suspense.