I watched "Stage Fright" (1950) today, for the first time. I did not know until the opening credits that it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock got into the business when directors were directors; they were not also producers, writers, and actors. Back in the day, most people in the business found what they did well and stuck with it. And Mr. Hitchcock directed very well. While I believe he contributed to writing most of the stories he directed, he did not take credit. In addition, he did not list himself in the acting credits, although he made a cameo appearance in every film he directed. It was kind of a game with his fans, trying to find the cameo in each film.
"Stage Fright" did not disappoint me, on the whole. I was disappointed to see Marlene Dietrich in a major role, because I really don't care for her, but I suppose she was box office gold, at the time. I was delighted to see Alistair Sim in a prominent role. I suppose he is most famous for playing Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol". This movie came out the year before, and I wonder if he was well known prior to "Stage Fright". He appeared in many movies that I have not heard of before "Stage Fright", and I imagine they were mostly British movies, and he was probably quite famous in Great Britain were he was born and died.
This was the first movie that Pat Hitchcock, Alfred's daughter, appeared in. She was to appear in several of her father's movies, as well as his television show, "Afred Hitchcock Presents", but she also appeared in other films not associated with her father. I was also delighted to Jane Wyman in this movie, an actress for whom I continue to develop an admiration. She gave some wonderful performances throughout her stellar career, but I am not here to talk about Jane Wyman's achievements. Let's talk some more about Alfred.
If you have a favorite Hitchcock movie, why not comment about it here? What follows is a listing of my favorite Hitchcock films, with a brief explanation of why I like each one.
"Rebecca" (1940) - The first movie in which I saw Laurence Olivier as a young man, and I fell hard for him. What a gorgeous man he was! This is a great story that keeps you guessing until the end.
"Shadow of a Doubt" (1943) - Joseph Cotton usually played the nice guy, but he plays a vicious criminal in this film, and he will blow you away. Awesome, creepy film.
"Spellbound" (1945) - With Gregory Peck, and the first Hitchcock-directed film starring Ingrid Bergman, whom I adore! Another one that keeps you guessing.
"Notorious" (1946) - Another one starring Ingrid Bergman, this time with Cary Grant. This is one of my all-time favorite movies--wonderful acting, great story, and fantastic ending. Love Claude Rains' performance!
"Strangers on a Train" (1951) - I watch this one just for Robert Walker's chilling performance.
"Dial M for Murder" (1954) - The best thing about this one is it stars Ray Milland, one of my favorite actors. It also stars Grace Kelly, which is probably why everyone else likes it.
"Rear Window" (1954) - This is probably my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film. One of the most suspenseful films you'll ever see. Starring Grace Kelly, again, with Jimmy Stewart, this time, and the great Thelma Ritter.
"The Wrong Man" (1956) - An obscure film starring Henry Fonda. It is very interesting. I have only seen it once, but would watch it again. A great example of awesome directing.
"North by Northwest" (1959) - Another favorite Hitchcock movie. It stars Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, another wonderful actress. It also stars James Mason, an actor I'll have to talk about on this blog sometime. What a great voice, and Eddie Izzard thinks he's God. Then there's Martin Landau, who starred in the Mission: Impossible TV series a few years later. And Leo G. Carroll, who would later head up the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement on TV's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (but this was after he was killed in "Tarantula").
"Psycho" (1960) - Okay, I guess everyone knows this one. My point is, Hitchcock made lots of films before "Psycho" that were just as innovative and maybe even better. Don't get stuck on one movie. The whole point of this blog is to get you to become familiar with films you may not have heard of before. If you haven't seen "Psycho", you should watch it, but please look at some of the others, as well.
"The Birds" (1963) - Probably as famous as "Psycho", and it has some creepy moments, but it never blew me away. Probably because it was built up so much by everyone before I saw it. When I finally saw it, it was like "what's the big deal?"
You might also enjoy watching some episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", which was a very innovative TV show, hosted by Alfred, himself. His introductions were usually tongue-in-cheek and hilarious.
I really gotta run now ... "Mister Roberts" is coming on! You'll find it listed on my blog about James Cagney.
