Hitchcock, Sir Alfred Joseph

Hitchcock, Sir Alfred Joseph (1899-1980), British-born American director and producer of scores of impressively contrived films, most of them psychological thrillers. Hitchcock was born in London, the son of a poultry dealer. He entered the film industry as a title designer.

In 1925 Hitchcock directed his first film, The Pleasure Garden, which was subsequently followed by The Lodger (1926), his first characteristic suspense thriller. Among his other early successes in Britain were The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938). In 1939 he moved to the United States, where he produced such popular films as Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Spellbound (1945), Strangers on a Train (1951), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963), and Frenzy (1972). In addition to making films, Hitchcock edited several collections of short stories and produced two television series during the 1950s and 1960s, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on which he served as a portly, sepulchral-voiced host. He was also noted for his non-speaking cameo appearances in his films.

As a director, Hitchcock was praised for his witty urbanity, his impeccable but highly stylized cinematic technique, and his penchant for the macabre and the thrilling, using psychological and strong visual elements to create mood.

Although he was a naturalized American citizen, Hitchcock received a knighthood during the last year of his life.