Alfred Hitchcock – The Ultimate Film Creator
Born and raised in England on August 13, 1899. The son of a grocer, he never forgot that at 5, his father sent him to the police station with a note for the police chief to lock him up for five minutes. “That’s what we do to naughty boys,” was the response from the chief. He was regularly beaten at the harsh Catholic school he attended and recalled that going to St. Ignatius was, “like going to the gallows.”
After school he works as an art director making layouts for ads. Although in his teen, he realized he wanted to break into films. He got one break then worked his way up to script writer, and assistant director. By 1925, he was a director. In 1929 he directed “Blackmail, “Britain’s first successfully talking feature.
It was not long before he was lured to Hollywood by producer David O Selznick. He quickly created a reputation as a quality director. He had patients for New York trained Method school actors. He never argued with an actor in front of the crew. Many of his stars referred to him a persuasive
In the last year of his life, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He avoided exercise and fiction, consumed biographies, travel books and true crime stories.
“A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theater admission and the babysitter were worth it.”
Hitchcock quietly died at his home of arthritis and kidney failure on April 30, 1980. It was quiet, peaceful, non-dramatic and if it could be said, somewhat ordinary. No twists, surprise ending, just an 80 year old genus passing on and leaving a legacy of work unrivaled.
“Actors are like cattle”
He was the master of the psychological thriller. He left no scene to chance. He storyboarded everything that the camera would capture, meticulously constructing it. Who forgets the dramatic visual power of the Statue of Liberty, Uthe nited Nations, or Mount Rushmore pulse racing scenes?
“I have a perfect cure for a sore throat: cut it”
It was said that one of his favorite themes was “the wrong man.” This man is an innocent dupe that events just seem to fall upon him. He might be accused of a crime, or a victim of mistaken identity- circumstances that could happen to any common man.
“The only way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them”
His heroines were always beautiful-bright, smart, capable, cool. He said that his ladies “don’t drip sex,” but “sex is discovered in them.”
“When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, ‘It’s in the script.’ If he says, “But what’s my motivation?’ I say “Your salary.”
He looked at childhood fears and exploited them within an adult context. He used such themes as fear of heights, enclosed places, open places, guilt, complexity, delusion, misunderstanding, misinformation, insecurity and isolation. His world was not steeped in reality. People lied; manipulated events had the luxury to bend time and events. Clearly watching a Hitchcock required the viewer to think and suspend belief.
“Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints”
He not only was a great director and writer, but he was also a student of film making. He once wrote the production section for the Encyclopedia Britannica. He could take a simple item as a glass of water and create a sense of impending doom around it.
“Always make the audience suffer as much as possible”
Ever the control master, he was one of the smartest businessmen in Hollywood. He became a multimillionaire via wise investments. He also was one of the earliest directors to gain complete control over every aspect of his films-screenplay, casting, photography, post production editing and editing.
His first American film, “Rebecca,” earned his an Oscar as the best film of 1940.He was also nominated for directorial Oscars five times for “Rebecca,” “Lifeboat,” “Spellbound,” “Rear Window,” and “Psycho” in 1960.
“I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach”
I suggest viewing, “North by Northwest,” “The Birds,” “Suspicion,” “Rear Window,” “Notorious,” “Vertigo,” and “39 Steps.” Take your time enjoying them-he did.
Contributed by staff writer George Khoury