About Alfred Hitchcock

Biography

Hitchcock was born on 13 August 1899 in Leytonstone, London, England, he was the second son and youngest of three children of William Hitchcock. Hitchcock's father died when he was 14. He often described his childhood as being very lonely and sheltered, a situation compounded by his obesity. Also he was raised as a strict Catholic this may have affected, influenced and motivated him to make his life better by doing what he enjoyed and was talented in by creating films that reflected his image of himself. I believe that Hitchcock created the types of films he did to be able to get away from reality and to escape to a world that he was able to create. Also in his films there is always some kind of threat involved and this may be because of his childhood and how he has a fear of death due to his father. In his own world of film he can take control of the threat.

Hitchcock's interest in movies began at around 1915, he frequently visited the cinema and read US trade journals. In 1920, Hitchcock learned that Lasky were to open a studio in London and managed to secure a job as a title designer. The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, a $12.5 million producer-distributor, was the largest film company at the time. (http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/newsite/index/COUNTRIES/

US/HISTORY/PEOPLE/JesseLasky/JesseLasky.asp). Hitchcock designed the titles for all the movies made at the studio for the next two years. In 1923, he got his first chance at directing when the director of Always Tell Your Wife (1923) fell ill and Hitchcock completed the movie. Impressed by his work, studio chiefs gave him his first directing assignment on Number 13 (1922); however, before it could be finished, the studio closed its British operation. Hitchcock was then hired by Michael Balcon to work as an assistant director for the company later to be known as Gainsborough Pictures. Hitchcock's career as a director finally began. Hitchcock went on to become the most widely known and influential director in the history of world cinema with a significant body of work produced over 50 years.

The BFI (British Film Institute) are currently exploring Hitchcock's complete works.  http://www.bfi.org.uk/hitchcock/- The fact that the BFI still find Hitchcock's work influential shows that he is an important figure in the world of film, especially in thrillers.

He directed a film called "The Pleasure Garden" in 1925, a British/German production, which was very popular, it was his first film that had actually been finished. In late 1979, Hitchcock was knighted, making him Sir Alfred Hitchcock. On the 29th April 1980, 9:17AM, he died peacefully in his sleep due to renal failure. His funeral was held in the Church of Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. 600 people attended the service.

Influences of Hitchcock and His Influences On Us

Below is an interview from The Dick Cavett Show, 8th June 1972. From this interview I learnt that Alfred Hitchcock was influenced to make his films by many things, one of these things was an early incident with his mother. Hitchcock vividly remembers when his mother made him jump and gave him hiccups as a child. He described in detail that his mother had taught him the power of fear. This was a big influence on Hitchcock because he realised what he had to do to make people such as himself scared or excited. 

Also as a child Hitchcock was influenced hugely by his father because he committed a misdemeanour and his father decided to take him to a police station by himself with a note to give to the police, he gave the note to he police and they put him in a cell for five minutes. Hitchcock didn't know how long he was going to be in there. Still at the age of 73 he explained how his fear of the police was still upon him and how what psychologists say about facing your fears is therefore unfounded. 

Two of Hitchcock's trademarks are Macguffin's and also he always appears in his film's. Hitchcock describes a Macguffin as 'The thing that the spies are always after'. My example of a Macguffin comes from 'Flightplan' (2005). The Macguffin is the main character's, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), daughter and the main part of the plot is the fact that she is missing. These two trademarks are low budget ideas and we would be able to include them in our filming in order to show that we have have drawn inspiration from Hitchcock himself.

Part 1- youtube wouldn't allow me to embed this clip but it is part 1 of 2, this link is for part 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q-QAsi7Ge0 

Part 2 is below-