Hitchcock movies, Tighten your seat belts

The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock (August 13, 1899-April 29, 1980), previous to being an acclaimed film director, started his career as a title designer and an art director by working for a range of silent films in the 1920s. His first film, ‘The Pleasure Garden’, hit the silver screen in 1925 followed by his second, ‘The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog’. ‘Blackmail’, his first audio thriller appeared in 1929 and ‘The 30 Steps’ in 1935 followed after that. ‘The Lady Vanishes’ came three years later.

Hitchcock movies: Psycho (1950)

Many critics considered Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Psycho’ the first psychological horror film in the global film industry. Psycho caused controversy over the scene of its heroine dressed in white underwear and a scene of flushing in a bathroom. The murder scene in a shower of actress Janet Leigh also became a landmark of USA cinematography. Critics editing the film, especially the above scenes acclaimed it very much thus providing examples of good film directing for future generations. The film based on a novel of the same name written by Robert Blotch, starred Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John Mcintire, and Jane Leigh with music provided by Bernard Hermann.

Hitchcock movies: The Birds (1963)

Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier by the same name, The Birds created waves in 1963 in the USA. The story revolves around a series of bird attacks on people in Bodega Bay, California. Rod Taylor and Tippi-Hedren starred in the leading roles of The Birds and was the film debut of the latter. Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright, and Suzanne Pleshette starred in the other characters. The film took part in the Cannes Film Festival 1963 and nominated for Best Special Effects in the Academy Awards. Tippi Hedren won the Golden Globe Award for the New Actor of the Year in 1964 for her part in acting in the film. It also won the Award ‘Horror Hall of Fame’ in 1991.

Hitchcock movies: Vertigo (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock directed and produced his psychological horror film ‘Vertigo’. Based on a novel called ‘D’entre Les Morts’ by Boileau-Narcejac even though most of the movie was his. Alec Coppel along with Samuel A. Taylor wrote the script for the film from the novel. James Stewart and Kim Novak starred in the main characters of the movie while Barbara Bel Geddes, Henry Jones, and Tom Helmore gave life to its other characters.

Hitchcock movies: Rear Window (1954)

‘Rear Window’ took its theme from the short story ‘It Had to be Murder’ written by Cornell Woolrich in 1942. James Stewart and Grace Kelly starred in the main characters along with Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr, and Thelma Ritter. The Venice Film Festival 1954 screened the ‘Rear Window’, and had critics acclaim it as one of the best of Hitchcock’s films. It ranked in top places in many international film indexes such as AFI and the National Film Registry.

Hitchcock movies: Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock’s first American project. A psychological thriller, Hitchcock directed Rebecca, under a contract along with David O. Selznick. Rebecca is another novel written in 1938 by Daphne du Maurier. Selznick produced the film, and Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine starred in the movie along with Judith Anderson and George Sanders. Rebecca opened at the 1951 Berlin International Film Festival. North by Northwest, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Marnie, Family Plot is some of the other Hitchcock’s films.