Alfred Hitchcock — whose film career would revolutionize the silver screen, especially in the science fiction, horror, and thriller genres — was born on this day in 1899. He spent his early teen years studying at what was effectively a STEM school focused on maritime matters before moving to sales. A couple of years later, he studied drawing and moved into the silent film industry. His first attempt at directing faltered when he was unable to get the funds together to fully produce it. That changed within a few years, when his career became a rocket ship after he produced a film about a man accused of being a serial killer (he was innocent) — a story that related back to Hitchcock’s own childhood.
The director had grown up in the same neighborhood that Jack the Ripper had stalked just two decades before his birth, and infused his film, “The Lodger,” with the ominous stories people had whispered about in his early years. It was that sense of discomfort and foreboding that would underlie his most successful works moving forward. Movie after movie followed, usually at least one a year and with straightforward names including “The Farmer’s Wife,” “Blackmail,” and “Murder!” All the while, Hitchcock smoothly slid between genres, from comedy to drama to action and back.
It wasn’t until 1934 that he released his first international movie, “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” Officially a star, he continued churning out popular (and still-respected) movies at a fast clip, but now with Hollywood stars in his casts. After many Oscar nominations he began working with Paramount Pictures, where he produced his most lasting films, including “Rear Window” (captivating and thrilling), “Vertigo” (touching yet depressing), and “Psycho” (creepy but captivating). He’d go on to produce several more films from there, the last being his 53rd feature film, “Family Plot,” in 1976. Many of his movies, especially those Paramount ones, are remarkably popular today (especially among film enthusiasts).
