Alfred Hitchcock is one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time. He was the true master of suspense. His movies are still incredibly popular to this day across the globe, with some of them being total game-changers for the movie industry. Psycho is one of those films that completely changed the horror genre, and its unbelievable twist is still the talk of the party among many film lovers.
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter, who lived an exciting life both personally and professionally. He was known for his incredible filmmaking talent, unconventional beliefs, and harsh personality.
But there are some lesser-known facts about him that will blow your mind. Here are ten things you didn’t know about Alfred Hitchcock.
1. Alfred Hitchcock Had Some Odd Phobias
Credit: Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Believe it or not, the master of horrors had some phobias of his own. For instance, he was afraid of law enforcement and getting arrested. He developed this phobia in his childhood when his father sent him to the local police station to punish him. Another interesting phobia was breakfast related. Hitchcock was apparently afraid of eggs. Here’s what he said in an interview: “I’m frightened of eggs; worse than frightened, they revolt me.”
2. Alfred Hitchcock Never Won the Best Director Oscar Award
Another thing you probably didn’t know about Alfred Hitchcock is that he never won the Oscar for Best Director. Call it a snub or not, it’s definitely very odd to hear that the greatest horror director never received this renowned prize. He was, however, nominated several times. He was nominated for the following movies: Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window, and Psycho.
3. Alfred Hitchcock Often Worked With His Wife
Hitchcock was married to Alma Reville, who was a talented screenwriter. In fact, she wrote many scripts for him. For instance, she was the screenwriter for The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, and Shadow of a Doubt.
4. His Daughter Had a Role in Psycho
Hitchcock’s daughter, Pat, was another big talent in the family. She played the role of a work colleague of Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) in Psycho. She had other appearances in her father’s movies, such as Strangers on a Train and Stage Fright.
5. Alfred Hitchcock Made a Documentary About the Holocaust
Credit: Dial M for Murder
Another interesting fact about Hitchcock is that he made a documentary about the Holocaust. He even went to Germany with a group of filmmakers with the goal of showing the atrocities and horrors of German concentration camps. However, the movie was never released because it was said to be too controversial.
6. He Made Cameos in Most of His Movies
Alfred Hitchcock was also known for making funny cameos in his movies. In fact, he made 39 cameos in total. He usually played insignificant roles and was often seen walking around in the background or driving public transportation in his movies.
7. He Allegedly Abused His Position of Power
Hitchcock was one of the many directors who was accessed of abusing his position of power. According to the star of The Birds (who is also the mother of Melanie Griffith), Tippi Hedren, Hitchcock harassed her on the set of the movie.
8. Alfred Hitchcock Was a Practical Joker
He loved a good prank. Hitchcock was known for his absurd practical jokes and cruel pranks on sets. Sometimes he used these pranks to boost his creative process and get his creative juices flowing.
9. He Personally Funded Psycho
Credit: Psycho
Even though it’s now known as his best movie ever, Psycho almost never happened. When Hitchcock approached Paramount Pictures to fund the movie, they refused the idea. That’s why Hitchcock decided to fund the movie himself, foregoing his salary in exchange for 60 percent ownership of the movie rights. This turned out to be a good call because Psycho went on to earn him $6 million (which is about $50 million in today’s dollars).
10. He Started His Career With Silent Movies’ Art
Alfred Hitchcock started his career back in the 1920s designing the art title cards that were featured in silent films. It was while he was in this department that he got the chance to study scripts and learn the art of screenwriting.
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