Origin and Education
First of all, Alfred Hitchcock is regarded as one of the greatest directors in history because his works have made a lasting impact on millions, and even today, they are taught to many who aim to reach the same high standards he always set.
Alfred Hitchcock was born in 1899 in London. His father worked as a vegetable and poultry seller, and his mother was a housewife. He had two older brothers. The family was Catholic at that time. Alfred was an only child and was shy and without friends due to his excessive obesity, which prevented him from joining the army in his youth. He faced a difficult situation when he was five years old, when his father sent him to the local police with a letter stating that he would be imprisoned for a short period because of his bad behavior. This incident had a significant impact on his later work. He was enrolled in Howrah House School at age seven and spent two years there.
He then attended Wode Street School, followed by another school near his home, and later spent a short time at Salesian College. When he was eleven, Alfred's family moved to the Stepney area in East London to enroll at St. Ignatius College, a secondary school known for its strict discipline. The school's harsh punishment methods intimidated him. Alfred excelled in languages like Latin and French and also learned organizational skills. However, his favorite science was geography, especially maps and train and tram schedules, which later influenced the railway scenes in his films.
Aiming to become an engineer, he left St. Ignatius College at thirteen to attend the London County School of Engineering and Navigation, where he studied mechanics, electricity, and navigation. During his studies, his father died in 1914, prompting him to take a job as a technical clerk at a London company. At the same time, he continued his education by studying art history, drawing, and economics, all while the bells signaling the start of World War I sounded, marking a challenging new chapter in history.
Professional and practical life
When World War I started, Alfred Hitchcock was too young to join the military, and by the time he was eighteen, he was assigned with a group of other students to the Royal Engineers, the engineering branch of the British Army, where he took part in their training. His obesity kept him from becoming a soldier at that time, and when the war ended in 1919, Alfred turned to writing, which drastically changed the course of his life.
His early writing began with the Henley Inner Bulletin, where he became an editor and manager. He was later promoted to an advertising writer for the publication as well. However, he had been interested in films, especially those produced by American cinema, since the age of sixteen.
At that time, Paramount Pictures was about to open a studio in London, and they were preparing to shoot a film directed by Marie Corelli, so Alfred Hitchcock made some drawings for the title cards, sent them to the studio, and was hired at Islington Studios as a title card designer.
Alfred Hitchcock gained significant experience working as a writer, artistic director, and production manager on 18 silent films. Fate also provided him with the opportunity to direct the film _Always Tell Your Wife_ in 1923, which is considered the first production of actor Seymour Hicks. Hicks had quarreled with the original director of the film and fired him, then gave Alfred the chance and helped him in directing this film as well.
Paramount Pictures closed in 1922, and another company called Gainsborough Pictures was founded, where Alfred worked as an assistant director and helped make some of its films. During this time, he met a girl named Alma Reville, whom he was very impressed with, and they later got engaged.
In 1925, Alfred Hitchcock had his first directing experience when he directed a film called The Pleasure Garden, but it did not achieve commercial success despite many praising Alfred and his skillful work.
The Pleasure Garden was a joint production between Gainsborough and a German company called Emilka, shot in Munich. Alfred was impressed by the local film industry and attempted to direct a second film, which also failed. Then, in 1926, Alfred directed The Ring, which later became known as one of the best British films.
Alfred joined the London Film Society, started networking with others in his field, and began to build his reputation as a director. He is known for a famous saying in which he states that the director's name should stay in people's minds more than the actor's because the director is the main factor behind the success of any film.
Alfred gained recognition when he directed his first thriller, The Lodger, despite facing a common problem of the time: the star of the film refused to play the villain or the killer. This issue persisted with him in many of his films. Nevertheless, he continued to find success in his films, develop and establish his signature as a director, and he also wrote an article about the film industry.
Alfred made several films in England, including the first British talking film called Blackmail, and signed a contract with Gaumont-British in 1933 to make more films, some of which were based on novels, which Alfred adapted better than the novels themselves, according to some authors.
The New York Times called Alfred Hitchcock the best director in the world of melodrama films, and that was in 1938, when he decided to move to the USA to try his luck there because he had already reached the top in England.
Alfred met a film producer named David O. Selznick, who signed a seven-year contract with him beginning in 1939. Alfred then moved to Hollywood to live there. Alfred's first work in the USA was a film called Rebecca, produced in 1940 and set in England. The film won the Best Picture award at the 13th Academy Awards, and Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director.
Alfred's second film, Foreign Correspondent, was influenced by World War II, which had just begun. It depicted some of the events in Europe at that time and supported England in particular during the war. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the time.
Alfred continued making various films during World War II, especially between 1940 and 1943. His first film as a producer and director was called Suspicion in 1941, and he also made two films for Universal Studios.
The end of 1942 marked the death of his mother, Emma, whom he greatly respected. A few months later, his brother William also died due to health issues, which led Alfred to pay closer attention to his health and eating habits, prompting him to follow a strict diet.
Alfred After the War
Alfred participated in a documentary about the Holocaust as a therapeutic consultant, then worked again with producer David O. Selznick on the film Spellbound, followed by another project called Notorious. After that, it was time for Alfred Hitchcock to establish an independent production company, partnering with his friend Sidney Bernstein. The company was named Transatlantic Pictures.
Alfred started making multiple films with the company and introduced some of the modern techniques of the time in his filmmaking. He also produced his first color film, which was Robe. The new company's output was limited to just three films, one of which was shot in England. Warner Bros. completed its production because of the financial problems faced by Transatlantic Pictures, and Warner Bros. distributed the other two films.
Alfred continued to make more films, some of which were produced by Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. Among his most important works is Rear Window (1954), which is considered one of the best crime, mystery, and thriller films. There is also Confess (1953), Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), and many other films that demonstrated Alfred's unique creativity as a director.
For a decade, Alfred was the host of a program bearing his name. This show featured independent episodes focused on crime stories, with different performers each time. The episodes ranged from 25 to 50 minutes. There were over 250 episodes, and Alfred himself directed about 18 of them.
He delivered these episodes using his satirical style most of the time, even though they dealt with crime and its various stories. Nonetheless, the program achieved unmatched success, to the point that it was listed among the 100 best programs in history. It aired from 1955 to 1965, and what set it apart was Alfred Hitchcock’s caricature, the music accompanying the opening, and Alfred’s satirical presentation style. Also, in 1955, Alfred became an American citizen.
The program's name was changed to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1962, and in the eighties, a new color version was produced. The program continues to be broadcast today due to its overwhelming popularity with millions over the years.
The success of this program was linked to the publication of a collection of short stories and written works bearing Alfred's name, including some content not shown in the program. Later, a magazine also bearing his name was published, which featured more stories of crime, mystery, and excitement. A lot of money was made from that.
The Glamour Era and Key Films
Alfred directed many notable films between 1955 and 1966, many of which are still vividly remembered, such as Vertigo, To Catch a Thief, The Wrong Man, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Psycho, North by Northwest, Marnie, Torn Curtain, and The Birds.
During this period, specifically in 1957, Alfred went to the hospital to have his gallbladder removed. After the successful operation, he resumed making films, which continued to be large and influential, helping to establish him as one of the greatest directors in history.
Alfred Hitchcock's films won numerous awards at various film festivals, despite his wife's battle with cancer and his own painful struggle. She was cured through surgery, and he continued his remarkable and distinguished artistic career.
In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock took part in an interview with French director and critic Truffaut, which lasted 50 hours, during which he answered about 500 questions. This interview was filmed at Universal Studios over eight straight days. The events of this interview were later published in a 1967 book called The Hitchcock Book, and footage from the interview was used in a documentary that aired in 2015. Truffaut saw Alfred as a true artist in his field and believed he had greater abilities than many others in his profession.
The final years of Alfred
In the last 20 years of Alfred Hitchcock's life, his work declined significantly because his health deteriorated, and he was no longer able to work as he had before. This forced him to return to England to make his last two films, which were Frenzy in 1972 and Family Plot in 1976.
Alfred was working on a film in his final days, but he couldn't finish it because his health declined rapidly, and his wife also fell ill. In 1980, Alfred received the Order of the British Empire for knighthood, and he died the same year from kidney failure at his home in California. After his death, his body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
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