In fact, by the time Hitchcock was brought to Hollywood in 1939, he had already made over two dozen pictures.

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899 in Leytonstone, London. He was the youngest of three children born to William Hitchcock; a grocer, and his wife; the former Emma Jane Whelen.

Alfred attended Catholic boarding schools and then enrolled at St Ignatius College in Stanford Hill which was run by the Jesuits. Following the death of William Hitchcock when Alfred was fourteen, he left college to attend The School for Engineering and Design. Once having graduated, Hitchcock gained employment as a draftsman and advertising director for a company that manufactured cables.

Hitchcock then became interested in motion pictures ands gained his first industry job at Islington Studios in 1920. The studio was then run by the American company; Famous Players Lasky but was later acquired by Gainsborough Pictures.

At Islington, Hitchcock became a title designer. In silent days, this involved interior titles, explaining plot and dialogue, as well as the main and end credits. Hitchcock developed his skill at conveying information in as few words as possible and began to widen his unique understanding of the ways in which a story could best be told by visual means. He also functioned as an art director.

At Gainsborough, producer Michael Balcon gave Hitchcock a green light to direct his initial film. The Pleasure Garden (1925) was shot at UFA Studios; which was then the most influential and technically advanced of the German film companies. While at UFA Hitchcock became fascinated by expressionism as exemplified by the films of Fritz Lang and F.W. Marnau, The stylized, deeply shadowed world of German silents exerted a profound influence on Hitchcock’s future movies.

Unfortunately The Pleasure Garden failed at the box office, as did Hitchcock’s second feature; The Mountain Eagle (1926). However, the director’s third film, The Lodger (1927), was a thriller based on the exploits of a fictionalized Jack The Ripper. It became a significant hit and was the film that started Hitchcock on the road to becoming The Master of Suspense.

Unfortunately, Hitchcock’s next half dozen films failed to match The Lodger’s success. The unlucky streak was broken by Blackmail (1929). Shot in both silent and sound versions, this was one of the first British talkies and again a thriller.

Hitch married the former Alma Lucy Reville on December 2, 1926. Alma was born on August 14, 1899 which was one day after his birthday. She was already involved in filmmaking before Hitchcock began his career

Alma was credited as editor on Woman to Woman (1923, Graham Cutts) which was co-written by the director and Hitch. Aside from credits on her husband’s films, Alma wrote or co-wrote a dozen pictures for other directors.

Alma had credit as assistant director on three Hitchcock films. She was credited as a writer on seventeen of Hitch’s movies and provided continuity for seven. Yet, in actuality; the Hitchcocks were a team.

When Hitchcock was given a book or story to consider as a movie project, he’d read it and give it to Alma. If she didn’t like the story, it was immediately rejected. On the other hand, the greatest compliment from Hitch was his assurance that “Alma loved it.” Alma’s opinions were respected above all others and the director usually followed her advice. She had input on his films from inception to release.

The Hitchcock’s daughter, Patricia, was born on July 7, 1928. She would eventually have roles in Stage Fright (1950), Strangers on a Train (1951) Psycho (1960) and in ten episodes of Hitch’s television series.

In 2003, Pat published Alma Hitchcock; The Woman Behind the Man,. Co-written with Laurent Bouzereau, the book is an affectionate portrait of Alma that also reveals much about the private Hitch.

Hitchcock floundered in the early thirties, At this stage of his career, he was finding his voice as a director but wasn’t yet consistent. Hitch directed three more disappointing films before The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) gave him his first, great international success.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) is the only film that was remade by Hitchcock from his own, earlier work. While The 39 Steps was remade in 1959 and again in 1978, Hitch had nothing to do with either movie. In the mid thirties, the director followed The Man Who Knew Too Much with an even more popular picture.

In a sense, The 30 Steps (1935) led to films like North By Northwest (1959). Once Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll find themselves handcuffed together on the run, they encounter episodic adventures similar to those of Cary Grant’s Roger Thornhill in the later film.. In The 39 Steps,, one can find many of the director’s trademark themes. For example, Carroll is the first of the cool, Hitchcock blondes while Donat is an innocent man accused of a crime. Meanwhile, everyone is in hot pursuit of the “MacGuffin.”

In The Man Who Knew Too Much, The “McGuffin” is the contents of the message whispered to Leslie Banks by the dying Pierre Fresney. The identity of The 39 Steps is itself the MacGuffin, while in The Lady Vanishes, the secret of the MacGuffin is hidden within the children’s tune transferred by Dame May Whitty to Sir Michal Redgrave.

When asked for the definition of “MacGuffin”, Hitchcock often claimed that it was “a device for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.” “Of course,” he added, “there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands and thus, there is no MacGuffin.”

The “MacGuffin” is the gimmick that sets a movie off but is not what a movie is about. For example, in Psycho (1960), the money stolen by Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane is the “MacGuffin.” It’s what causes her to abandon her job, hit the road and end up at The Bates Motel. Of course, the money ends up in the trunk of a car along with Leigh’s body a third of the way through the film. Psycho can then focus on its actual subject which is Anthony Perkins’’ homicidally delusional Norman Bates.

Following The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and The Thirty Nine Steps (1935), Hitchcock made three films that weren’t as successful. While Secret Agent (1936), Sabotage (1936) and Young and Innocent (1937) have their own, rewards, none of the three is minus profound flaws. On the other hand, The Lady Vanishes (1938) is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most entertaining movies.

Because their source material isn’t read much today, audiences can judge the Hitchcock films on their own merits. This wasn’t as true back in the thirties. The Thirty Nine Steps was based on a popular novel by John Buchan, while The Lady Vanishes was based on Ethel Lin White’s The Wheel Spins. In both cases, Hitchcock took the elements he needed and threw away most of the remaining plot of both novels.

Hitchcock treated Josephine Tey’s A Shilling for Candles (Young and Innocent) and Francis Beeding’s The House of Dr Edwards (Spellbound, 1945) in an equally cavalier manner. Movies and books tell stories in different ways. What works in one medium might not be as effective in another Changing a book for its film adaptation may be considered necessary, but its an invitation to complaints by readers of the original works.

Following The Lady Vanishes, Hitchcock made his final British film. Though Jamaica Inn (1939) was based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier and starred Charles Laughton, the picture remained stodgy and unconvincing. It’s not true that Hitchcock never directed a boring movie.

Despite the failure of Jamaica Inn, Hitchcock continued to receive generous offers to make pictures in America. Finally, he agreed to the deal proposed by David O. Selznick. Alfred, Alma and Patricia Hitchcock arrived in Hollywood in 1939. Though his first American film was again based on a du Maurier novel, the reception accorded Rebecca (1940) would be far different.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) (Gaumont British) (75 mins.) (B&W)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by Edwin Greenwood and A. E. Robinson
Additional Dialogue by Emlyn Williams
Story by Charles Bennett and B.B. Wyndham Lewis
Produced by Michael Balcon
Associate Producer: Ivor Montagu
Cinematography by Curt Courant
Editor; H. St. C Stewart
Art Direction: Alfred Junge, Peter Proud
Music; Arthur Benjamin (cantata; “Storm Clouds”)
Budget; 40,000 Pounds
Release Dates: UK 12/34. \ USA; ; 3/22/35
Aspect Ratio; 1.37: 1
Plot:’ While on vacation in Switzerland, Bob and Jill Abbott (Leslie Banks, Edna Best) become friendly with Louis Bernard (Pierre Fresney). To their horror, Fresney is suddenly murdered but before he expires, he whispers something to Banks. Fresney’s death has been observed by foreign agents who kidnap the Banks’ daughter; Betty (Nora Pilbeam) in an attempt to prevent her father from, sharing Fresney’s final message with the authorities. Banks races to Albert Hall in an attempt to rescue his daughter while also foiling the assassination of a foreign diplomat which will be triggered by a fatal clash of cymbals.

Abbott: (Peter Lorre); Tell her they may soon be leaving us. Leaving us for a long, long journey. How is it that Shakespeare says? "From which no traveler returns." Great poet.

The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935) (Gaumont British) (86 mins.) (B&W)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by Charles Bennett
Dialogue: Ian Hay
Based on the novel by John Buchan
Produced by Michael Bolton
Associate Producer; Ivor Montagu
Cinematography; Bernard Knowles
Editor; D.N. Twist
Art Direction; Albert Jullion, O, Werndorff
Music: Hubert Bath, Jack Beaver, Chatles Williams
Release Dates: UK; 6/35 USA; 8/1/35
Aspect Ratio; 1.37 : 1
Plot: While on vacation in England, Richard Haney (Robert Donat) attends a performance by Mr. Memory (Wyle Watson). During the show, the mentalist is murdered. After Richard leaves the theater, a woman who says her name is Miss Smith (Lucie Mannheim) urgently requests his assistance. She claims to be a British spy whose life is threatened by foreign agents. Richard humors her but thinks she’s mad and believes her story to be fiction. He’s proven wrong the next morning when she staggers into his hotel room having been fatally stabbed and with a mysterious map in her possession. Before dying, Miss Smith murmers something about “The 39 Steps.” Richard decides to follow her map and takes a train to Scotland. En route, he discovers that he’s wanted for murder. With the unwilling help of a woman named Pamela (Madelene Carroll), Richard tries to clear his name by solving the murder of which he’s been wrongly accused.

Richard Hannay: (Robert Donat)There are 20 million women in this island and I get to be chained to you.

The Lady Vanishes (1938) (Gainsborough Pictures) (97 mins.) (B&W)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by Sidney Golliat & Frank Launder
Based on “The Wheel Spins” by Ethel Lina White
Cinematography; Jack Cox
Editor; B.B. Dearing
Art Direction; Vetchinsky, Maurice Carter, Albert Jullion
Music: Louis Levy, Charles Williiams
Release Dates; USA: 11/01/28 UK: 12/25/38
Aspect Ratio; 1.37 : 1
Awards and Nominations:
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Won: NYFCC Award; Best Director: Alfred Hitchcockl
Plot: Returning home to England from her Balkan vacation, Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) is befriended by an elderly woman named Mrs Froy (Dame May Whitty). After being struck a a dropped flowerpot while waiting at the station, Iris takes a nap aboard the train. When Iris awakens, Miss Froy has disappeared and all of her fellow travelers deny ever having seen the old lady. The only one to believe Iris’s story is a young musician named Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave). Together they attempt to unravel the mystery of Miss Froy’s disappearance.

Gilbert: (Michael Redgrave); Come on, sit down, take it easy. What's the trouble

Iris Henderson: (Margaret Lockwood); If you must know, something fell on my head.

Gilbert;: When, infancy?

Filmography: Sir Alfred Hitchcock (b; 1899 -- d;1980)

A. British Silents

1922- Number 13 (unfinished) 1925- The Pleasure Garden 1926- The Mountain Eagle 1927- The Lodger, The Ring, Downhill 1928- Champagne, Easy Virtue, The Farmer’s Wife, The Mamxman

B. British Sound Films

1930- Elstree Calling (sequences), Juno and the Patcock, Murder 1931- The Skin Game, Rich and Strange 1932- Number Seventeen 1934- Waltzes from Vienna, The Man Who Knew Too Much 1935- The 39 Steps 1936- Secret Agent, Sabotage 1937- Young and Innocent 1938- The Lady Vanishes 1939- Jamaica Inn

C. American Films

1940- Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent 1941- Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Suspicion 1942- Sabateur 1943-Shadow of the Doubt 1966- Adventure Malgache, Bon Voyage, Lifeboat 1945- Spellbound 1946- Notorious 1947- The Paradine Case 1948- Rope 1949- Under Capricorn 1950- Stage Fright 1951- Strangers on a Train 1953- I Confess 1954- Dial M for Murder, Rear Window 1955- To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry 1956- The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956- The Wrong Man 1958- Vertigo 1960- Psycho 1963- The Birds 1964- Marnie 1966- Torn Curtain 1969- Topaz 1972- Frenzy 1976- Family Plot

D. Television

1955- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Revenge,” “Breakdown,” “The Case of Mr. Pelham,” ) 1956- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Back for Christmas,” “Wet Saturday,” “Mr. Blanchard’s Secret”) 1957- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“One More Mile to Go,” “The Perfect Crime,”) Suspicion (“Four O’Clock”) 1958- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Lamb to the Slaughter,” “A Dip in the Pool,” “Poison,” “Banquo’s Chair,”) 1959- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Arthur,” The Crystal Trench,” ) 1960- Startime (“Incident at a Corner”) Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat.”) 1961- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“The Horse Player,” “Bang! You’re Dead,” 1962- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (“I Saw the Whole Thing”)