Today is 12.31.20. I’ve
watched 11 Alfred Hitchcock movies, all rented from the library, thus far and
have two more checked out from the library at this time. I suggest a possible 2021 New Year’s Resolution be to
watch as many Alfred Hitchcock movies as you can find.
In addition to watching his films, I have done extensive
research online about Hitchcock on many websites over the past couple of months
and recently read a biography book about his life and career. One fascinating fact is Hitchcock spent much
of his free time as a teenager and young adult sitting in the courthouse,
watching criminal cases, especially relating to crimes committed by the
mentally insane.
In addition, Hitchcock always had a brief moment ‘cameo’ in
his movies and it’s exciting to spot him in each movie. He’s an unmistakable big man.
Most movies have the most amazing soundtrack with orchestras
that literally use music to freak people out, increase their heart beats and
build suspense, terror and fear.
My boys, Gabriel & Philip, have watched most of these
movies with Jimmy & I. Most of these
movies were produced before movies were rated.
I’d say this has been a quite educational project for us all to learn
about Hitchcock’s style as well as the history of movie making.
Hitchcock was born in 1899 in England and produced 54
movies. He was known as the “Master of
Suspense” and has many #1 movies ranging from murder mysteries, spies, lies
& stealing, thievery and psychosis.
Directing mostly black-and-white movies in the 1930s-1960s, Hitchcock
pioneered cinema’s criminal scene all the way to Hollywood, Golden Globes,
Academy Awards and the Life Time Achievement Award. Queen Elizabeth knighted Hitchcock in 1980,
the same year of his death.
Here are the movies I’ve seen in the order I watched them and
my own one-sentence description-
Psycho – 1960 –
A murder mystery about a women who steals $40,000 and was murdered in the
shower at a motel by a mentally deranged man who lives in the most famous scary
mansions up on a hill. (The
murder scene used chocolate syrup for the blood to wash down the drain and took
three days to film with 78 cameras.)
Alfred’s only daughter, Pat Hitchock, plays Caroline, the
younger sister.
Vertigo – 1958
– A constantly surprising, twisted story in SF about a police officer who gets
vertigo and is hired by an old friend to stalk his wife, only to find out his
friend’s devious secret.
Stars James Stewart.
The
Birds – 1963 – A disturbing story taking place in Bodega Bay, CA
in which nature goes amuck.
Stars Tippi Hedren.
Dial M
for Murder – 1954 – Takes place in one set about a husband who arranges
to have his wife murdered, but she fought back and killed the man who was hired
to murder her.
Stars Grace Kelly.
To Catch
a Thief – 1955 – A copycat thief in the French Riviera is sought
after by the original thief.
Stars Grace Kelley and Cary Grant.
North by
Northwest – 1959 – A mistaken identity and spy ring with a scavenger
hunt across the country.
Stars Cary Grant.
Rear
Window – 1954 – Takes place in one set about a wheel-chaired man
who spies on his neighbors and becomes concerned about a possible murder in an
apartment across the way.
Stars James Stewart.
Strangers
on a Train – 1951 – A psychotic man invents his own murder agreement to
kill a famous tennis star’s wife if he kills his own father.
Stars Farley Granger and again Pat Hitchock plays the younger
sister role.
Marnie – 1964
– A woman with a traumatic event from when she was 5 years old is discovered
for being a cheat, a liar and a thief by a man who marries her.
Stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery.
Rebecca – 1940
– Hitchock’s first film out of Hollywood about a man who supposedly lost his
wife in the sea and marries another woman to take her place, only to discover
what really happened to the first wife.
Rope – 1948 – Filmed
in one set with one take in which two friends kill their mutual friend just for
fun and then host a party with their deceased friend’s family, when a
suspicious professor shows up and gets too curious about a mysterious trunk in
the room.
Stars Farley Granger and James Stewart.
Notorious – 1946
– An American agent has to get a Nazi kingpen to fall in love with her to help
find hiding Nazis in Rio, Brazil.
Stars Cary Grant.
The
Lodger – 1927 – tbd. But, (A
story based off of Jack the Ripper in which a landlady suspects her tenant of
being a maniac who kills women.)
Sabotage – 1936
– tbd.
The Man
Who Knew Too Much – 1934 – tbd.
Stars James (Jimmy) Stewart.
Yes, Jimmy Stewart was in four of Hitchcock’s movies. He’s a hunk!
And double yes, Tippi had a seven year contract with Hitchcock, but had
to withdraw after the mental demands of The Birds and Marnie. And triple yes, a very young Sean Connery
worked with Hitchcock.
Here is how I would rank the movies I’ve seen-
Tied for
#1-
Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Dial M for Murder and Rear
Window.
Tied for
#2-
Strangers on a Train, Rope, North by Northwest.
But, all are excellently amazing in their unique way and I
hope you enjoy one or any that you may watch in 2021. Below is the list of ALL of Hitchock’s movies
and it’s impressive to see how many movies he directed, many of which in the
same year. You could print the list and
mark off the one’s you watch if you accept this challenge.
May we all have a happier new year in 2021.
Love,
Susan
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