Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Biography

Auteur Theory Summary The Auteur will… “…show a consistency in style and theme”; “…transcend the script by imposing his or her own style and vision”; …not rely on stars or genre conventions; and …avoid the practice of technical transposition of script to screen Remember: Artist vs. Technician

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Fun Facts…ish August – April Raised as a strict Catholic Interest in film began around age 16 First worked as an “estimator for the Henley Telegraph and Cable Company.” At a young age, Hitchcock was put in a jail cell by his father as a warning/punishment for bad behavior

Film Career Found work with Lasky Studios as a title designer First directing assignment came with Number 13 (1922) when Lasky studio execs saw promise in him after he took over for an ill director while working on another film (Always Tell Your Wife) Career stretched over 50 years with over 60 films as director and work on four TV series (can still see The Alfred Hitchcock Hour on TV) Breakout film was The Lodger (1927), a story based on Jack the Ripper

Film Career Many films are adaptations of novels, short stories, or other literary sources (Psycho, Rebecca, The Birds, Rear Window, Rope, etc.) Nominated for five Best Director Oscars (Psycho, Rear Window, Spellbound, Lifeboat, and Rebecca) – but never won (Academy fail) Won 29 other awards – including many Lifetime Achievement awards from various organizations Worked with his wife Alma Reville on most films; she worked on the film’s continuity

Film Characteristics Primary Themes in His Work: 1)Wrongful imprisonment/the “wrong man” 2)Shared guilt 3)Confession of guilt 4)The perfect murder The Three “Worlds” in His Work 1)The world of the mundane (everyday life) 2)The world of subjective desire 3)The intellectual world

Film Characteristics Stylistic Unity in Hitchcock’s Work 1)Emphasis on editing and montage 2)High number of point of view (POV) shots 3)Shooting in a confined space Narrative Techniques 1)Focus on protagonist as he carries out an investigation 2)The protagonist comes under investigation

Films of Study: Vote! Dial “M” for Murder Lifeboat The Man Who Knew Too Much North by Northwest Rear Window Rope Shadow of a Doubt Vertigo

References Buckland, Warren (2003). Teach yourself film studies. Chicago: McGraw-Hill. P Needham, Col. (2011). “ Alfred Hitchcock Biography.” IMDB.com. Retrieved 3 March 2011 from