Masters Of Cinema: Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1899-1980) is undeniably the
world's most famous film director. His name has
become synonymous with the cinema, and each
new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering
his films, which are now treasures of
our artistic heritage. Hitchcock started out in the
British silent cinema of the 1920s, which reached
its peak with successful thrillers such as The Man
Who Knew Too Much (1934), Sabotage (1936)
and The Lady Vanishes (1938). Recognized as a
`young genius', Hitchcock moved to Hollywood
and set about reinventing cinematic tradition,
combining the modern with the classic in films
such as Vertigo (1957), North by Northwest (1959)
and The Birds (1963). Hitchcock gave talented
actors such as James Stewart and Cary Grant
the chance to play enduring antiheroes and
imprinted the public imagination with the myth
of the `blonde', as embodied by Grace Kelly, Kim
Novak and Tippi Hedren.