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* ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' (1958) – A San Francisco policeman (Creator/JimmyStewart) who is afraid of heights is asked by an old college buddy to watch the man's wife, who is just [[NotHimself not herself]] lately... and finds himself falling, in ways other than the one he fears. Widely panned when it came out, [[VindicatedByHistory it is now considered one of the greatest movies ever made and maybe even Hitchcock's masterpiece]].

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* ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' (1958) – A San Francisco policeman (Creator/JimmyStewart) who is afraid of heights is asked by an old college buddy to watch the man's wife, who is just [[NotHimself not herself]] lately... and finds himself falling, in ways other than the one he fears. Widely panned when it came out, While contemporary critics and audiences were underwhelmed by it, [[VindicatedByHistory it is now considered one of the greatest movies ever made and maybe even Hitchcock's masterpiece]].
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Although "Hitch" is now considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, for much of his life he was dismissed as a [[UnderestimatingBadassery mere entertainer]] rather than a serious artist. The UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave critics, led by Creator/FrancoisTruffaut, played a big role in correcting this by propounding the "[[UsefulNotes/TheAuteurTheory auteur theory]]", which holds up the director (rather than the screenwriter, the actors, etc.) as the primary creative artist on a film. Hitchcock was regarded as the major exemplar of this. It didn't hurt that he started producing his own films beginning in the late 1940s, thereby allowing him complete creative control.

Most people consider either ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' or ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' to be his masterpiece, although Hitchcock himself was partial to ''Film/{{Shadow of a Doubt}}'' among his own films. ''Film/RearWindow'', ''Film/{{North by Northwest}}'', ''Film/{{Strangers on a Train}}'', and ''Film/TheBirds'' are also frequently cited as favorites among fans, with ''Rear Window'' in particular often employed as a [[RearWindowHomage plot template]] in other media. Meanwhile, Hitchcock's first Hollywood production, ''Film/{{Rebecca|1940}}'', was his sole film to win the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture, while the man himself earned five nominations for Best Director without ever taking home the prize.

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Although "Hitch" is now considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, for much of his life he was dismissed as a [[UnderestimatingBadassery mere entertainer]] rather than a serious artist. The UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave MediaNotes/FrenchNewWave critics, led by Creator/FrancoisTruffaut, played a big role in correcting this by propounding the "[[UsefulNotes/TheAuteurTheory "[[MediaNotes/TheAuteurTheory auteur theory]]", which holds up the director (rather than the screenwriter, the actors, etc.) as the primary creative artist on a film. Hitchcock was regarded as the major exemplar of this. It didn't hurt that he started producing his own films beginning in the late 1940s, thereby allowing him complete creative control.

Most people consider either ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' or ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' to be his masterpiece, although Hitchcock himself was partial to ''Film/{{Shadow of a Doubt}}'' among his own films. ''Film/RearWindow'', ''Film/{{North by Northwest}}'', ''Film/{{Strangers on a Train}}'', and ''Film/TheBirds'' are also frequently cited as favorites among fans, with ''Rear Window'' in particular often employed as a [[RearWindowHomage plot template]] in other media. Meanwhile, Hitchcock's first Hollywood production, ''Film/{{Rebecca|1940}}'', was his sole film to win the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward MediaNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture, while the man himself earned five nominations for Best Director without ever taking home the prize.



Hitchcock was [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever knighted]] a brief four months prior to his death. He is also somewhat well known for making the shortest-ever acceptance speech at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Awards Ceremonies}} (on receiving the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968): "Thank you very much, indeed."

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Hitchcock was [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever knighted]] a brief four months prior to his death. He is also somewhat well known for making the shortest-ever acceptance speech at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy MediaNotes/{{Academy Awards Ceremonies}} (on receiving the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968): "Thank you very much, indeed."



* AuteurLicense: Hitchcock was one of the few who achieved this in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, although he had to struggle for it in his early years. Even in England, ''Film/TheLodger'' had its ending changed because of its dark story. In America, ''Suspicion''--in which he hoped to cast Creator/CaryGrant in an unconventional role--resulted in ExecutiveMeddling. But from ''Notorious'' onwards, Hitchcock served as his own producer even if he never actually took credit as such, always favoring ''Directed by Alfred Hitchcock'' as his mantle.

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* AuteurLicense: Hitchcock was one of the few who achieved this in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, although he had to struggle for it in his early years. Even in England, ''Film/TheLodger'' had its ending changed because of its dark story. In America, ''Suspicion''--in which he hoped to cast Creator/CaryGrant in an unconventional role--resulted in ExecutiveMeddling. But from ''Notorious'' onwards, Hitchcock served as his own producer even if he never actually took credit as such, always favoring ''Directed by Alfred Hitchcock'' as his mantle.



* DisneyVillainDeath: Especially in UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode years when things couldn't get too gruesome, having a character fall to their death from a great height was his favorite way to depict a spectacular death. And of course, he directed [[Film/{{Vertigo}} an entire film]] based around fear of heights.

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* DisneyVillainDeath: Especially in UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode MediaNotes/TheHaysCode years when things couldn't get too gruesome, having a character fall to their death from a great height was his favorite way to depict a spectacular death. And of course, he directed [[Film/{{Vertigo}} an entire film]] based around fear of heights.



* InfoDump: Some of his American films, since it still labored under UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, were filled with heavy exposition scenes. Most famously, the psychologist's monologue at the end of ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.

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* InfoDump: Some of his American films, since it still labored under UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, MediaNotes/TheHaysCode, were filled with heavy exposition scenes. Most famously, the psychologist's monologue at the end of ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.



* ViewersAreMorons: When he moved to Hollywood, the PsychologicalThriller was still a fairly new genre for film, and with UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode and [[ExecutiveMeddling nervous bottom-line minded]] studio execs as ongoing concerns, MrExposition and the InfoDump became recurring elements in his American films, lest the audience get confused, which sometimes comes across as this trope. Compare the UK and US versions of ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch'' to get a good example of how his British and American films differed in this regard. Even after the Hays Code waned he often devoted scenes to explaining everything for the audience, most infamously having a psychiatrist in ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' whose only reason to exist is to give a long monologue explaining the various problems of Norman Bates. On the other hand, ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' is notable for leaving the characters' motivations vague and ambiguous.

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* ViewersAreMorons: When he moved to Hollywood, the PsychologicalThriller was still a fairly new genre for film, and with UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode MediaNotes/TheHaysCode and [[ExecutiveMeddling nervous bottom-line minded]] studio execs as ongoing concerns, MrExposition and the InfoDump became recurring elements in his American films, lest the audience get confused, which sometimes comes across as this trope. Compare the UK and US versions of ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch'' to get a good example of how his British and American films differed in this regard. Even after the Hays Code waned he often devoted scenes to explaining everything for the audience, most infamously having a psychiatrist in ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' whose only reason to exist is to give a long monologue explaining the various problems of Norman Bates. On the other hand, ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' is notable for leaving the characters' motivations vague and ambiguous.
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[[caption-width-right:320:[[CatchPhrase "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Alfred Hitchcock."]]]]

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[[caption-width-right:320:[[CatchPhrase [[caption-width-right:320:''[[CatchPhrase "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Alfred Hitchcock."]]]]
"]]'']]
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** Creator/MelBrooks frequently relates a story about having dinner with him after a screening of Brooks's AffectionateParody film, ''Film/HighAnxiety'', where Hitch consumed a 2" steak, a baked potato, a plate of asparagus and two bowls of ice cream. ''Twice''.

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** Creator/MelBrooks frequently relates a story about having dinner with him after a screening of Brooks's AffectionateParody film, ''Film/HighAnxiety'', where Hitch consumed a 2" steak, steaks, a baked potato, a plate of asparagus and two bowls of ice cream. ''Twice''.



** Hitchock's association with the suspense thriller genre sometimes gets extended into making Hitchcock a common purveyor of {{Horror}}, but this is based on just two films (''Film/{{Psycho}}'', ''Film/TheBirds'') made in a three-year period. Of course, those two practically invented certain horror subgenres and busted taboos over what could be depicted in a movie, so he still has a major role in the history of horror films.

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** Hitchock's Hitchcock's association with the suspense thriller genre sometimes gets extended into making Hitchcock a common purveyor of {{Horror}}, but this is based on just two films (''Film/{{Psycho}}'', ''Film/TheBirds'') made in a three-year period. Of course, those two practically invented certain horror subgenres and busted taboos over what could be depicted in a movie, so he still has a major role in the history of horror films.
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Renamed


* ''Number Seventeen'' (1932) – Jewel thieves hide an expensive necklace in an old abandoned house, but a detective is hot on their trails and the neighbors find out about their plot. HilarityEnsues.

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* ''Number Seventeen'' (1932) – Jewel thieves hide an expensive necklace in an old abandoned house, but a detective is hot on their trails and the neighbors find out about their plot. HilarityEnsues.PlayedForLaughs.
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* ''Literature/{{Rebecca|1940}}'' (1940) – Big-name producer David O. Selznick (of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' fame) convinced Hitchcock to move to America, where he could make more money and work with better production values, and Hitchcock kicked off the Hollywood phase of his career with this version of the popular novel. A naïve young woman (Creator/JoanFontaine) marries a wealthy widower (Creator/LaurenceOlivier), but the legacy of his former wife, Rebecca, haunts everyone, including her. The only Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Best Director nomination.

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* ''Literature/{{Rebecca|1940}}'' ''Film/{{Rebecca|1940}}'' (1940) – Big-name producer David O. Selznick (of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' fame) convinced Hitchcock to move to America, where he could make more money and work with better production values, and Hitchcock kicked off the Hollywood phase of his career with this version of the popular novel. A naïve young woman (Creator/JoanFontaine) marries a wealthy widower (Creator/LaurenceOlivier), but the legacy of his former wife, Rebecca, haunts everyone, including her. The only Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Best Director nomination.
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Most people consider either ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' or ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' to be his masterpiece, although Hitchcock himself was partial to ''Film/{{Shadow of a Doubt}}'' among his own films. ''Film/RearWindow'', ''Film/{{North by Northwest}}'', ''Film/{{Strangers on a Train}}'', and ''Film/TheBirds'' are also frequently cited as favorites among fans, with ''Rear Window'' in particular often employed as a [[RearWindowHomage plot template]] in other media. Meanwhile, Hitchcock's first Hollywood production, ''Film/{{Rebecca}}'', was his sole film to win the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture, while the man himself earned five nominations for Best Director without ever taking home the prize.

to:

Most people consider either ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' or ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' to be his masterpiece, although Hitchcock himself was partial to ''Film/{{Shadow of a Doubt}}'' among his own films. ''Film/RearWindow'', ''Film/{{North by Northwest}}'', ''Film/{{Strangers on a Train}}'', and ''Film/TheBirds'' are also frequently cited as favorites among fans, with ''Rear Window'' in particular often employed as a [[RearWindowHomage plot template]] in other media. Meanwhile, Hitchcock's first Hollywood production, ''Film/{{Rebecca}}'', ''Film/{{Rebecca|1940}}'', was his sole film to win the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture, while the man himself earned five nominations for Best Director without ever taking home the prize.



* ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'' (1940) – Big-name producer David O. Selznick (of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' fame) convinced Hitchcock to move to America, where he could make more money and work with better production values, and Hitchcock kicked off the Hollywood phase of his career with this version of the popular novel. A naïve young woman (Creator/JoanFontaine) marries a wealthy widower (Creator/LaurenceOlivier), but the legacy of his former wife, Rebecca, haunts everyone, including her. The only Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Best Director nomination.

to:

* ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'' ''Literature/{{Rebecca|1940}}'' (1940) – Big-name producer David O. Selznick (of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' fame) convinced Hitchcock to move to America, where he could make more money and work with better production values, and Hitchcock kicked off the Hollywood phase of his career with this version of the popular novel. A naïve young woman (Creator/JoanFontaine) marries a wealthy widower (Creator/LaurenceOlivier), but the legacy of his former wife, Rebecca, haunts everyone, including her. The only Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Best Director nomination.

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