Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980), was an English director and producer. Labeled as the "Master of Suspense", he became known for thrillers, often combined with a dark sense of humor. After a successful career in his native country, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939. Over a career spanning more than half a century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognizable directorial style. He pioneered the use of a camera made to move in a way that mimics a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. He framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing. His stories frequently feature fugitives on the run from the law alongside icy blonde female characters. Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime, although many of the mysteries function as decoys —or MacGuffins— meant only to serve thematic elements in the film and the extremely complex psychological examinations of the characters. Hitchcock's films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, film trailers, and the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1965), he became a cultural icon.
Hitchcock is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In 2002, Hitchcock was ranked 2nd behind Orson Welles in the critics' top ten poll in the list of The Greatest Directors of All Time compiled by the Sight & Sound magazine. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States.
Hitchcock's critically most acclaimed film is the psychological thriller film Vertigo (1958). Although being a mild failure upon its release, it has risen in popularity over the decades. In 2012 it even replaced Orson Welles' Citizen Kane as the greatest film ever made in the Sight & Sound critics' poll. Regarding visual style, Vertigo is often declared as Hitchcock's most perfect film. The use of color symbolism, meticulously composed shots, and the famous "Vertigo effect" (dolly zoom) continue to be studied and admired.
Hitchcock's most commercially successful and most famous film is Psycho (1960), which had a significant impact on the horror genre, especially the slasher film. Hitchcock was able to prove his skills with the mystery thriller film Rear Window (1954), to create suspense within a confined setting - primarily the protagonist's apartment. In this film, voyeurism, one of Hitchcock's favorite subjects, is an essential aspect.
Many of Hitchcock's spy films, most notably North by Northwest (1959) and Notorious (1946), had a major impact on the Mission: Impossible and James Bond series.
Acted in
Hitchcock’s Pro-Nazi Film
2023
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My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock
2023
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Kim Novak: Hollywood's Golden Age Rebel
2023
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Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin
2022
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Normandie ne partira pas ce soir
2021
I Am Alfred Hitchcock
2021
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Her Name Was Grace Kelly
2021
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Tales of the Uncanny
2020
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Hitchcock Confidential
2019
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Mais qui a tué Alfred Hitchcock?
2018
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Hitch x 4
2018
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78/52
2017
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Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions
2017
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Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
2017
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German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
2017
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Hitchcock/Truffaut
2015
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Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words
2015
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Night Will Fall
2014
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Documenting John Grierson
2014
What Is Cinema?
2013
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Talking Pictures
2013
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The Psycho Legacy
2010
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The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
2009
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Once Upon a Time... 'Notorious'
2009
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In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
2008
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Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
2008
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Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
2008
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The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
2006
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Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess
2006
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The Making of 'Psycho'
2005
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Alfred Hitchcock: The Early Years
2004
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Hitchcock and Dial M
2004
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Alfred Hitchcock And To Catch A Thief: An Appreciation
2002
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Writing And Casting To Catch A Thief
2002
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Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001
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'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic
2001
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'The Trouble with Harry' Isn't Over
2001
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The Story of 'Frenzy'
2001
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Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin
2001
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Destination Hitchcock: The Making of 'North by Northwest'
2000
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The Trouble with 'Marnie'
2000
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All About 'The Birds'
2000
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The Making of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
2000
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Hitchcock: The Early Years
1999
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Monsieur Truffaut Meets Mr. Hitchcock
1999
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Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood
1999
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Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
1996
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The Universal Story
1996
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Ingrid Bergman Remembered
1996
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Tales from the Crypt
1989
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Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man
1988
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Gregory Peck: His Own Man
1988
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The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1985
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1985
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Memory of the Camps
1985
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Terror in the Aisles
1984
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Family Plot
1976
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The Men Who Made the Movies
1973
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The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock
1973
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The Illustrated Hitchcock
1972
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Masters Of Cinema - Alfred Hitchcock
1972
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Frenzy
1972
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Midi trente
1972
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Hitchcock at the N.F.T.
1969
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Topaz
1969
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The Movie Orgy
1968
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Mondo Hollywood
1967
Torn Curtain
1966
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Cinema: Alfred Hitchcock
1966
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Marnie
1964
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A Talk with Hitchcock
1964
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The Birds
1963
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The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
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The Children of Alda Nuova
1962
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
1962
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Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
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Psycho
1960
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North by Northwest
1959
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Poison
1958
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Vertigo
1958
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Lamb to the Slaughter
1958
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The Wrong Man
1956
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The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Chaney Vase
1955
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The Trouble with Harry
1955
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
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To Catch a Thief
1955
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Rear Window
1954
as Clock-Winder in Songwriter's Apartment (uncredited)
Dial M for Murder
1954
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The Oscars
1953
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I Confess
1953
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Strangers on a Train
1951
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Lux Video Theatre
1950
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Stage Fright
1950
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What's My Line?
1950
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Under Capricorn
1949
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Rope
1948
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Notorious
1946
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Spellbound
1945
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Show-Business at War
1943
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Shadow of a Doubt
1943
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Saboteur
1942
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Suspicion
1941
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith
1941
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Foreign Correspondent
1940
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Rebecca
1940
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The Lady Vanishes
1938
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Young and Innocent
1937
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Sabotage
1937
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The 39 Steps
1935
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The Man Who Knew Too Much
1934
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Murder!
1930
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Blackmail
1929
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Sound Test for Blackmail
1929
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Easy Virtue
1928
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The Ring
1927
as Man-Dipping Attraction Worker (uncredited)
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
1927
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
as Self-Host