Hitch: The life and times of Alfred Hitchcock

by John Russell Taylor

Book Overview

One of cinema's greatest directors, a virtuoso visual artist, and a genius of the suspense genre, Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) is universally known for such masterpieces as Strangers on a Train, Rear... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394499964
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

FROM BACK COVER

The Man Whose Name Means Suspense He hates eggs and children. He Loves blondes and murder. He has been making films for 54 years, married for 53 and celibate for 40. he has terrified and entertained more people than any other individual living today. He is without question the most famous, most brilliant, most imitated, most successful and most fascinating director in the history of Hollywood. And this is his story!

Delightful Surprise despite the Gloss

This is a wonderful glossily written biography. It is written with much gusto. This is one of the first biographies of Hitchcock that I read. I knew that Alfred Hitchcock was a great filmmaker, but his antics off-screen were equally droll. Despite the fact Hitchcock's films are superficially discussed, the author, John Russell Taylor manages to narrate Alfred Hitchcock's life and times in such a way that I could not put it down, and I read it in record time (at least for me). There are better biographies on Hitchcock out there (Donald Spoto's for instance) but this edition makes for enjoyable reading. The facts are all there but it is indeed a matter of interpretation of how the numerous anecdotes are retold that makes the difference here. Author John Russell Taylor definitely takes the high road.

Great Book!

It's likely that readers who have watched many of Alfred Hitchcock's films can't help but have noticed how frequently he depicts fetishism, sadism, and voyeurism. Because Hitchcock was a reclusive man and a guarded interview subject, almost everyone who writes about him turns to his work for insight into his life. These writers generally conclude that the director himself was possessed by the very pathologies that resound in his movies.But John Russell Taylor didn't have to go that route. He wrote this biography with the participation and blessings of the man himself. In Hitch, Taylor admits that his subject often projects his fantasies onto the screen. He also provides a good deal of insight into Hitchcock's domineering, obsessively courteous demeanor. But the focus here is on the details of Hitchcock's life, the preparation and production of his movies, and his relationships with the countless cinematic luminaries who worked with him, including Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and James Stewart. --Raphael Shargel

Have her dry-cleaned

Highly readable and informative. Recommended for all Hitch fans as well as anyone interested in the history of cinema. Beyond the basic facts,there are lots of telling anecdotes and perceptive observations, such as Hitchcock's famous distinction between shock and suspense. My favorite Hitch quip: a father wrote to Hitchcock for some advice. After seeing Les Diaboliques his daughter refused to take a bath, and now after seeing Psycho she wouldn't take a shower either. "Have her dry-cleaned" was Hitchcock's cheerful reply.

Very Very Good

The best biography of Hitchcock ever. Very nice and touching. A great read.