Alfred Hitchcock - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Nighthawk76 · 10-11-2004, 03:47 PM

The final in my four part threads of favorite directors (the other three were on Stanley Kubrick, Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese) is the man that in my humble opinion started it all, Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born to William and Emma Hitchcock on August 13, 1899. As a child young Alfred was fascinated with both films and books. As a young child he wrote a number of short stories that were published in magazines and newspapers. Hitchcock's first job in the British film industry was designing cards that were flashed across the screen providing audiances with key information, this being the era of silent films. Hitchcock soon moved up to assitant director and directed his first film, The Pleasure Garden in 1925. Early on in his career, Hitchcock directed films of different types, but it was with the 1929 film, Blackmail (England's first "talkie") that he proved his gift at creating suspense films.
Hitchcock did not make another suspense film until The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1935. However, the film proved to be a worldwide sucsess and the filmmaker decided to specialize in suspense films. Over the next five years Hitchcock directed seven British thrillers including early masterpieces such as The 39-Steps, Young and Innocent and The Lady Vanishes.
In 1939, Hitchcock signed with Hollywood producer David O. Selznick and made his only film to win the Oscar for best pictutre, Rebecca. However, the films that Hitchcock made for Selznick like Spellbound and The Paradine Case, proved to be some of his lesser works. Still, while on loan to other producers, Hitchcock made such classics as Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt and Notorious. In 1948, he made his first film in color called Rope (which was also the first film he made with Jimmy Stewart).
Wanting to have total control over his films, in the 1950's Hitchcock began to produce his own films. Between 1951 and 1960 he made a string of classics like Strangers on a Train, Dial M. for Murder, Rear Window, the James Stewart remake of The Man Who Knew too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. Between 1963 and 1976 Hitchcock made six more films, but with the exception of Frenzy (1972) these films did not live up to the Hitchcock name. Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980.

Over his long career, Hitchcock made fifty films. Since I could not include all fifty I choose to list only his more famous films. if your favorite is not among them, I have include the option of chossing "Other."

Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film. It is a perfect film.

Liza · 10-11-2004, 04:19 PM

My two faves are Vertigo and Rebecca - I don't know if I could really choose between them.

He's my fave director of all time. I've seen almost all of his films (there's one or two obscure films from the thirties that may have slipped through the cracks) but I really do love them all. I don't know if I really can say I have a favorite, they're all so different. I love Strangers on a Train, and Lifeboat, and Shadow of a Doubt, and Marnie, and Psycho... There's really only one film of his I didn't care for (Torn Curtain) but even that one I'll watch again.

Nighthawk76 · 10-11-2004, 04:44 PM

Torn Curtain was a flawed film, but I think that it is watchable thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Wolfgang Kieling as Gromek. I also love the scene where Michael and Gromek are trying to kill each other. That is a very exciting and suspensful scene. However, this is a film that needed major reworking of the script.

Oh, Liza, did you recieve the PM I sent you concerning MSU?

Liza · 10-11-2004, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dukey
Torn Curtain was a flawed film, but I think that it is watchable thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Wolfgang Kieling as Gromek. I also love the scene where Michael and Gromek are trying to kill each other. That is a very exciting and suspensful scene. However, this is a film that needed major reworking of the script.

Oh, Liza, did you recieve the PM I sent you concerning MSU?

Yeah - it's really a bad script. Too full of Maguffin, as Hitch would say

oooh, sorry - I hadn't checked. I'll do that right now

Brian · 10-11-2004, 06:19 PM

I am probably going to be one of the few people on this planet who thinks Vertigo is probably the most overrated of Hitchcock's films. I couldn't understand it and I couldn't follow it. It was hard for me to comprehend why it was viewed as his masterpiece.

I like North by Northwest the best. I also saw The Man Who Knew Too Much, Dial M for Murder, and the shower scene of Psycho which I did for a Cinema final in summer school. I'm hoping to watch the other films sometime, they're in my Netflix Rental Queue.

Nighthawk76 · 10-11-2004, 06:52 PM

North By Northwest is my second favorite Hitchcock movie. The reason I love Vertigo so much is that it is a very passionite and moving film. I think that James Stewart's performance is so filled with emotion. The film is beautifully shot and the score is amazing.

MissZero · 10-11-2004, 09:08 PM

The Birds---I always think about it this time of year when all the birds are flockin south.

dandelion wine · 10-11-2004, 09:15 PM

Rear Window, The Birds, Notorious, Rope, Dial M For Murder, Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt.. these are all favorites and I love them, but Psycho beats them all my very favorite. Speaking of The Birds, I'll probably put that back in my avatar tomorrow.

Jrnygrl · 10-12-2004, 02:18 AM

THE 39-STEPS

REBECCA

SHADOW OF A DOUBT
SPELLBOUND
NOTORIOUS
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
DIAL M FOR MURDER
REAR WINDOW
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (U.S.)
VERTIGO
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
PSYCHO
THE BIRDS

Its hard for me to choose, so I pick all the above that I have seen.

I think his worst and last was "Family Plot." It was really sad to watch this because it seemed that he had run out of his creative frame of mind, and just put together something that looked like a Disney movie.

I also have a story about "The Birds." I remember when I was a little girl they showed this movie over the weekend. Anyone who has seen this movie knows that the birds gather at the school in an open playground, well the next morning as I was walking to school, the whole playground was filled with crows, and it was silent because there was no one walking on the street but me, and I really started to freak out. Talking about life imitating art. To this day I cannot watch that movie, because of my fear of birds flying at me.

Nighthawk76 · 10-12-2004, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jrnygrl
THE 39-STEPS

REBECCA

SHADOW OF A DOUBT
SPELLBOUND
NOTORIOUS
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
DIAL M FOR MURDER
REAR WINDOW
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (U.S.)
VERTIGO
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
PSYCHO
THE BIRDS

Its hard for me to choose, so I pick all the above that I have seen.

I think his worst and last was "Family Plot." It was really sad to watch this because it seemed that he had run out of his creative frame of mind, and just put together something that looked like a Disney movie.

I also have a story about "The Birds." I remember when I was a little girl they showed this movie over the weekend. Anyone who has seen this movie knows that the birds gather at the school in an open playground, well the next morning as I was walking to school, the whole playground was filled with crows, and it was silent because there was no one walking on the street but me, and I really started to freak out. Talking about life imitating art. To this day I cannot watch that movie, because of my fear of birds flying at me.

I remember seeing the film The Watcher In The Woods for the first time Halloween 1986 when I was in fifth grade and it scared me like no other movie has ever scared me before or since. I remember walking home from school and having to cross through this small wooded era and I was shaking terribly. Then when I got home, no one else was there. I just sat on the couch until my Mom got home scared out of my mind.

Mijada · 10-14-2004, 06:50 PM

Rear Window is my favorite followed by Vertigo. I also like The Birds and Psycho. My least favorite film of his is Rope.

Zebra 3 · 03-18-2005, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

I am probably going to be one of the few people on this planet who thinks Vertigo is probably the most overrated of Hitchcock's films.

I didn't care for Vertigo myself and Jimmy Stewart shouldn't of been casted in this one either.

Skywalker · 03-18-2005, 10:26 PM

Psycho

*MIBabe03* · 03-18-2005, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpnoyes

Psycho

Ditto. I love that movie.

View Poll Results: Alfred Hitchcock
THE 39-STEPS	0	0%
THE LADY VANISHES	0	0%
REBECCA	2	16.67%
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT	0	0%
SHADOW OF A DOUBT	0	0%
SPELLBOUND	0	0%
NOTORIOUS	0	0%
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN	0	0%
DIAL M FOR MURDER	0	0%
REAR WINDOW	1	8.33%
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (U.S.)	0	0%
VERTIGO	1	8.33%
NORTH BY NORTHWEST	2	16.67%
PSYCHO	5	41.67%
THE BIRDS	1	8.33%
FRENZY	0	0%
OTHER	0	0%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll

10-11-2004, 03:47 PM	#1
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	Alfred Hitchcock The final in my four part threads of favorite directors (the other three were on Stanley Kubrick, Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese) is the man that in my humble opinion started it all, Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born to William and Emma Hitchcock on August 13, 1899. As a child young Alfred was fascinated with both films and books. As a young child he wrote a number of short stories that were published in magazines and newspapers. Hitchcock's first job in the British film industry was designing cards that were flashed across the screen providing audiances with key information, this being the era of silent films. Hitchcock soon moved up to assitant director and directed his first film, The Pleasure Garden in 1925. Early on in his career, Hitchcock directed films of different types, but it was with the 1929 film, Blackmail (England's first "talkie") that he proved his gift at creating suspense films. Hitchcock did not make another suspense film until The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1935. However, the film proved to be a worldwide sucsess and the filmmaker decided to specialize in suspense films. Over the next five years Hitchcock directed seven British thrillers including early masterpieces such as The 39-Steps, Young and Innocent and The Lady Vanishes. In 1939, Hitchcock signed with Hollywood producer David O. Selznick and made his only film to win the Oscar for best pictutre, Rebecca. However, the films that Hitchcock made for Selznick like Spellbound and The Paradine Case, proved to be some of his lesser works. Still, while on loan to other producers, Hitchcock made such classics as Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt and Notorious. In 1948, he made his first film in color called Rope (which was also the first film he made with Jimmy Stewart). Wanting to have total control over his films, in the 1950's Hitchcock began to produce his own films. Between 1951 and 1960 he made a string of classics like Strangers on a Train, Dial M. for Murder, Rear Window, the James Stewart remake of The Man Who Knew too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. Between 1963 and 1976 Hitchcock made six more films, but with the exception of Frenzy (1972) these films did not live up to the Hitchcock name. Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980. Over his long career, Hitchcock made fifty films. Since I could not include all fifty I choose to list only his more famous films. if your favorite is not among them, I have include the option of chossing "Other." Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock film. It is a perfect film.

10-11-2004, 09:08 PM	#7
MissZero serve it up baby Senior Member Join Date: Sep 12, 2004 Location: Pa (Blah) Posts: 1,901	The Birds---I always think about it this time of year when all the birds are flockin south.
	__________________ ~MissZero~

10-11-2004, 09:15 PM	#8
dandelion wine ~ Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 20, 2003 Location: Behind the Couch Posts: 34,967	Rear Window, The Birds, Notorious, Rope, Dial M For Murder, Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt.. these are all favorites and I love them, but Psycho beats them all my very favorite. Speaking of The Birds, I'll probably put that back in my avatar tomorrow.
	__________________ Fans of Jon-Erik Hexum Merry Christmas!

10-11-2004, 04:19 PM	#2
Liza BestYearsofOurLives Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 24, 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 6,537	My two faves are Vertigo and Rebecca - I don't know if I could really choose between them. He's my fave director of all time. I've seen almost all of his films (there's one or two obscure films from the thirties that may have slipped through the cracks) but I really do love them all. I don't know if I really can say I have a favorite, they're all so different. I love Strangers on a Train, and Lifeboat, and Shadow of a Doubt, and Marnie, and Psycho... There's really only one film of his I didn't care for (Torn Curtain) but even that one I'll watch again.

10-11-2004, 04:44 PM	#3
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	Torn Curtain was a flawed film, but I think that it is watchable thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Wolfgang Kieling as Gromek. I also love the scene where Michael and Gromek are trying to kill each other. That is a very exciting and suspensful scene. However, this is a film that needed major reworking of the script. Oh, Liza, did you recieve the PM I sent you concerning MSU?

10-11-2004, 06:19 PM	#5
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	I am probably going to be one of the few people on this planet who thinks Vertigo is probably the most overrated of Hitchcock's films. I couldn't understand it and I couldn't follow it. It was hard for me to comprehend why it was viewed as his masterpiece. I like North by Northwest the best. I also saw The Man Who Knew Too Much, Dial M for Murder, and the shower scene of Psycho which I did for a Cinema final in summer school. I'm hoping to watch the other films sometime, they're in my Netflix Rental Queue.

10-11-2004, 06:52 PM	#6
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	North By Northwest is my second favorite Hitchcock movie. The reason I love Vertigo so much is that it is a very passionite and moving film. I think that James Stewart's performance is so filled with emotion. The film is beautifully shot and the score is amazing.

10-12-2004, 02:18 AM	#9
Jrnygrl Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 03, 2003 Location: wheel in the sky Posts: 4,540	THE 39-STEPS REBECCA SHADOW OF A DOUBT SPELLBOUND NOTORIOUS STRANGERS ON A TRAIN DIAL M FOR MURDER REAR WINDOW THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (U.S.) VERTIGO NORTH BY NORTHWEST PSYCHO THE BIRDS Its hard for me to choose, so I pick all the above that I have seen. I think his worst and last was "Family Plot." It was really sad to watch this because it seemed that he had run out of his creative frame of mind, and just put together something that looked like a Disney movie. I also have a story about "The Birds." I remember when I was a little girl they showed this movie over the weekend. Anyone who has seen this movie knows that the birds gather at the school in an open playground, well the next morning as I was walking to school, the whole playground was filled with crows, and it was silent because there was no one walking on the street but me, and I really started to freak out. Talking about life imitating art. To this day I cannot watch that movie, because of my fear of birds flying at me.

10-14-2004, 06:50 PM	#11
Mijada Spencers mom Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 02, 2001 Location: eastern US Posts: 4,093	Rear Window is my favorite followed by Vertigo. I also like The Birds and Psycho. My least favorite film of his is Rope.

03-18-2005, 10:26 PM	#13
Skywalker Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2003 Posts: 14,204	Psycho