While there, he learned scripting, editing and art direction, and soon rose to become head of the title department. Hitchcock began his filmmaking career in 1920 when he began working as a title card illustrator on silent films for Paramount Picture's Famous Players-Lasky studio in London. It was there that he first delved into creative endeavors when he began publishing short stories like 'Gas' (1919) and 'The History of Pea Eating' (1920) for the Henley Telegraph, the company's in-house magazine. Following his graduation, Hitchcock became a draftsman and designer for W.T. Ignatius College in London to study engineering at the School of Engineering and Navigation. When he was 14 years old, Hitchcock's father died, which was also the same time that he left St. Both experiences found their way thematically into Hitchcock's later work, particularly the idea of a wrongfully accused man being punished. His parents had unusual methods of discipline his father sent him to the local jail with instructions for the police to lock him in a cell for 10 minutes for misbehaving, and his mother often forced him to stand at the foot of her bad for hours after explaining to her his indiscretions. Hitchcock had a rather lonely childhood due in part to his obesity, which left him sheltered and isolated. 13, 1899 in Leytonstone, England, Hitchcock was raised one of three children by his father, William, a poultry dealer and fruit importer, and his mother, Emma. Though he faltered after 'The Birds' (1963), Hitchcock remained a highly influential director whose life and career retained a high level of interest decades after his death.īorn on Aug.

Fond of ordinary men accused of crimes they did not commit and icy blondes in despair, Hitchcock entered the most artistically fruitful part of his career, directing 'Strangers on a Train' (1951), 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) and 'The Wrong Man' (1956) alongside masterpieces like 'Rear Window' (1954), 'Vertigo' (1958), 'North by Northwest' (1959) and 'Psycho' (1960). After 'Spellbound' (1945), Hitchcock directed 'Notorious' (1946), his most emotionally mature film at the time. He attracted the attention of Hollywood with 'The Lady Vanishes' (1938) and embarked on the third phase of his career, starting with 'Rebecca' (1940), 'Foreign Correspondent' (1940), 'Suspicion' (1941) and 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943). During the 1930s, he honed his master of suspense chops with a number of acclaimed espionage films like 'The 39 Steps' (1935), 'The Secret Agent' (1936) and 'Sabotage' (1936).

Hitchcock went through four distinct periods throughout his career, starting with his silent period where he made 'The Lodger' (1926) and a handful of others before entering the sound era and properly beginning his so-called British period.

The acknowledged master of the thriller genre he virtually invented, director Alfred Hitchcock was also a brilliant technician who deftly blended sex, suspense and humor while creating a number of motifs and devices - most famously the MacGuffin - to advance his intricate plots.

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