Alfred Hitchcock's Journey to Success
Early Life
- Alfred Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, England on August 13, 1899 to William and Emma Hitchcock. Hitchcock often describes a lonely and sheltered childhood that was exacerbated by his obesity.
- When Hitchcock was around 5 years old, his father sent him to the police station with a note asking the policeman to lock him up for 5 minutes for behaving badly. This event not only implanted a lifetime fear of the police in Hitchcock, but it also could be a reason for such harsh treatment and wrongful accusations in his films. Hitchcock said-"I'm not against the police; I'm just afraid of them."
- When Hitchcock turned 15, his father died and he went to study at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation.
A Gift for Suspense
- Hitchock started working for the cable company "Henley's" as a draftsman and advertising designer, which is where he began to write. He submitted short stories for the in-house publication. Even in his very first piece, he used themes like twist endings, false accusations, and conflicted emotions.
- He entered the film industry in 1920 with a full time position at the Famous Players-Lasky company designing title cards for silent films, and within a few years, he was an assistant director.
- He directed his first film in 1925 called "The Pleasure Garden" and he began to make his world famous thrillers.
The Hollywood Years
- Hitchcock left England for Hollywood in 1939 and his first film he made there, "Rebecca," won an academy award for best picture.
- Some of his most famous films are "Psycho" (1960) "The Birds" (1963) and "Marnie" (1964).
- His cameo appearences in his own films, as well as his interviews, film trailers, and the television program "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1962-1965) made him a cultural icon.
Death and Legacy
- In his cereer of 6 decades, Hitchcock created over 50 feature films.
- In 1979, he received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.
- On April 29, 1980, Hitchcock died in his sleep in Bel Air, California.
- Throughout Hitchcock's life, he influenced many film makers, and made a huge impact on the film industry.