“If I won`t be myself, who will?”
(Alfred Hitchcock)

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (1899–1980) was nicknamed the ‘Master of Suspense’ for employing a kind of psychological suspense in his films, producing a distinct viewer experience. His phrase, “There is no terror in the bang, only in anticipation of it,” came in the majority of cinematography manuals. He is a famous director and filmmaker. Hitchcock started the “career path” from engineering before entering the film industry in 1920.

He once said that his father sent him to the local police station. There a police officer locked him away for 15 minutes as punishment for behaving badly.  This hypothesis explains the psychological anxiety of Hitchcock’s films.  In 1925, Hitchcock directed his first film – “The Pleasure Garden.” Then his ‘thrillers’ became well-known the world over. In 1939 he came to Hollywood. In 1940, his first directed in the United States film,  ‘Rebecca’, won an Academy Award for the best picture. Most famous Hitchcock`s films include ‘Psycho’ (1960), ‘The Birds’ (1963) and ‘Marnie’ (1964). Hitchcock’s films were extensively storyboarded to the finest details. The television program “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955-1965) was popular among American viewers. The TV program was composed from 25 minutes long series, independent of each other. It was shot 7 consecutive seasons and included 267 episodes. Two episodes directed by Hitchcock were nominated for Emmy Awards.

Alfred Hitchcock was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 8 February 1960 with two stars: the first for television and the second for his motion pictures. He was named the ‘Master of Suspense’ for employing a kind of psychological suspense in his films, creating special excitement in the audience.

My favorite sayings of the ‘Master of Suspense’ are the following, “Ideas come from everything…If I won`t be myself, who will?” During the cheerful Christmas holidays, I do recommend picking one of his smash hits and plunging in his world of dramatic antagonism.