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As we wrap up the infamous "Noir-vember", it seems fitting to pay tribute to Mr. Film Noir himself - the legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock. "But wait!", you may say, "His films are noted talkies!" Ah, indeed, films like "Psycho" and "North by Northwest" are decidedly more modern than our beloved silents...but did the Master of Suspense (as he was called) do more than put midcentury audiences at unease? Yes. Yes, he did. In fact, long before "The Birds", Mr. Hitchcock was busy putting 1920's audiences at unease. Same song, different verse. Little louder, little worse. This, silent film scholars, is Alfred Hitchcock - from the beginning.
1899 - 1980
IMDb: Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in what is now the outskirts of east London, the youngest of 3 children. His father, William, was a greengrocer (a grocer who primarily sold fruits and vegetables, for those in the U.S.!). The family lived in a home above his father's store, and Alfred remembers being a well-behaved little boy whose father called him a "little lamb without a spot". Which is far more than I can say for the little boys I've known. However, even though little Alfred may have been well-behaved, he could not remember ever having a playmate. He attended several different Catholic schools throughout childhood, some much harsher with pupils than others.
Baby Alfred
According to Alfred, his sense of fear came from one of his school's policies of punishing the children by striking their palm with a hard, flat tool (presumably devised for this type of fiendish "discipline"). Students who were written up for punishment had to "sweat it out" for the entire school day, as the punishments were given at the end of school. Despite having to finish a school day in fear of punishment, Alfred was a consistently good student, and reportedly later said that the school taught him organization, control and analysis.
At the age of 14, Alfred told his parents that he wanted to be an engineer and enrolled in night courses at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation. There, he studied mechanics, electricity, acoustics and navigation. But just over a year later, Alfred's father, suffering from kidney disease and emphysema, passed away at the age of 52. Alfred, now the breadwinner for himself and his mother (both his older siblings had left home), took a day job at a local telegraph company while continuing his night school - this time shifting focus to art history, painting, economics and political science. Talk about a man of many interests!
Young Alfred
Following his service as a cadet in the Royal Engineers during World War 1, Alfred became interested in creative writing. Why not, he'd done pretty much everything else? He became editor and copywriter for the in-house publication of the telegraph company he worked for ("The Henley Telegraph"). Soon he was promoted to the advertising division and would later regard this period of his life as his "first steps towards cinema". During this time, he was quite fond of attending the movies, particularly American cinema, and closely followed the trade papers of the film industry.
As luck would have it, one day Alfred read in the trade papers that Famous Players-Lasky (the joint company of Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, pre-Paramount Pictures) was opening a studio in London. Alfred, also talented with sketching, sent in some drawings for the title cards for the film being produced...and was promptly hired as a title card designer. Way to hustle, Alfred! The English were more relaxed about job titles at the studio and encouraged the workers to try their hand at any positions they had, so Alfred gained experience as a co-writer, art director and production manager on at least 18 silent films. But the greatest was yet to come...
Alfred, Alma and daughter Pat
In 1922, Paramount Pictures closed their London studio, and another company opened in its place - Gainsborough Pictures, which Alfred remained with, still gaining experience in a wide variety of capacities. It was during this time that he met Alma Reville, an editor and script girl...who would later become his wife! Not only would they remain married the rest of their lives, Alma would be given the highest honor that Alfred could bestow - she would also be his collaborator, working side-by-side and giving professional advice in many of his films. NEWS FLASH: Some husbands actually listen to their wives and value their input. Alfred, though far from perfect, was one of those rare husbands.
Well, a few years later, Alfred was asked to direct his first film ("The Pleasure Garden", 1925). Although the film was not financially successful and there were challenges (as there often are), it proved to be a very valuable experience for rookie director Alfred. And the head of the studio took notice, as did the public. The following year, a film magazine did a story on Alfred, hailing him "Alfred the Great". Which goes to show you, sometimes even the press can be correct.
By the end of the silent era, Alfred had become a name director (largely in part to "The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog", 1927). But the "talkies" would prove to be an even bigger triumph for Alfred's career, and as the quality of cinema sound improved....so did his films. And during the heyday of sound in the 1930s, Alfred also became known for something else...his pranks. Yes, as it turns out, Alfred had quite a sense of humor and often pranked his cast and crew. Some of the pranks were harmless enough (he once gave a dinner party where all of the food was dyed blue "because there aren't enough blue foods"), while others bordered on cruelty (leaving actors handcuffed together when one of them desperately needed to use the restroom). In this author's view, harmless pranks on occasion are all right - providing they're used sparingly. Keyword: sparingly.
In 1939, Alfred was aware that he had reached his peak in Britain and accepted an offer from David O. Selznick to come to Hollywood and produce films. Although the two men often found it difficult to work together, by the time the contract ended, Alfred's career had taken off, Americans loved his films and there would be no turning back! In the proceeding years, Alfred Hitchcock would not only remain a renowned director, but also a television personality ("Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", both of which showcased his genuinely clever and often dark sense of humor).
In 1979, one year before his passing, Alfred was awarded the coveted AFI Life Achievement Award. He said that he wanted to mention "four people who have given me the most affection, appreciation and encouragement, and constant collaboration. The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter, the third is the mother of my daughter, Pat, and the fourth is as fine a cook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen. And their names are Alma Reville." Quite the tribute! Well played, Alfred.
In 1980, Alfred passed away in his Bel Air home from kidney failure, at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife Alma, and daughter Pat. Quite possibly due to the immense success of his career, Alfred unfortunately had a widespread reputation for being very controlling on set, sometimes subjecting his actors (particularly actresses) to harassment and mistreatment. Although most of the actors and actresses he worked with held his talent in highest regard and thought his films were of the best caliber, there are far too many recounts of the same controlling, overall unhealthy behavior to ignore. It's a very mixed legacy to leave behind - a somber reminder to put effort into one's personal issues before they affect those around us!
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