“Vertigo,” “Psycho,” “The Birds” — all are popular thrillers directed by one of the most influential movie directors in history: Alfred Hitchcock. He was born 125 years ago on Aug. 13 in London and died in L.A. at the age of 80 in 1980.
Hitchcock started his film career in the 1920s during the silent film era and made his directorial debut with the 1925 release “The Pleasure Garden.” As his career took off, Hitchcock began to make cameo appearances in his films. He never spoke, but audiences might see him boarding a bus or crossing a street as an extra.
In 1940, Hitchcock received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Director for the psychological thriller “Rebecca,” starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Though he didn’t win, the film won Best Picture. Ironically, his films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, but despite five nominations, he never won for Best Director.
He worked with some of the most popular leading ladies of his time, including Tippi Hedren, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak and Janet Leigh, some of whom have claimed that the master of suspense was a bit sadistic.
In the 1950s, Hitchcock moved to television, where he hosted “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” later renamed “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” It was a series he created, hosted and produced that featured dramas, thrillers and mysteries.