Alfred Hitchcock was an English filmmaker. Throughout his career, he directed over 50 films and became known as the “Master of Suspense”. Born on August 13, 1899, he started his work in the film industry as a title card designer, then as an assistant director. In 1925, he made his directorial debut in the silent film The Pleasure Garden.
His 1927 film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, contributed to the development of the thriller genre. He continued to direct films in the 1930s, garnering recognition in the UK. After being persuaded to move to Hollywood, Hitchcock directed a number of successful films in the 1940s, including the Academy Award-winning film Rebecca.
He went on to direct and produce Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho – all of which frequently ranked as the greatest films of all time. Hitchcock’s work may be behind the camera but he was as popular as any of his actors courtesy of his numerous interviews and cameos in his films. He also hosted and produced the anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents from 1955 to 1965.
Hitchcock’s decades of work in cinema earned him 46 Academy Award nominations and six wins. Admired for his style, technique, and overall cinematic genius, he’s often cited as the most influential director of all time and credited for shaping modern cinema. For his significant contribution to film, the director was knighted in 1979.
Here are 30 Alfred Hitchcock quotes to remember the legacy he left in filmmaking.
There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. – Alfred Hitchcock
Fear isn’t so difficult to understand. After all, weren’t we all frightened as children? Nothing has changed since Little Red Riding Hood faced the big bad wolf. What frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that frightened us yesterday. It’s just a different wolf. This fright complex is rooted in every individual. – Alfred Hitchcock
What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out. – Alfred Hitchcock
Violence on the screen increases violence in people only if those people already have sick minds. – Alfred Hitchcock
If I won’t be myself, who will? – Alfred Hitchcock
I am pro-young. I wrote my first script at the age of 22 and directed my first film at 25. So I’m for the young. And when people today say I’m 70, I say that’s a confounded lie. I’m twice 35, that’s all. Twice 35. – Alfred Hitchcock
Puns are the highest form of literature. – Alfred Hitchcock
Always make the audience suffer as much as possible. – Alfred Hitchcock
Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare. – Alfred Hitchcock
I’m a writer and, therefore, automatically a suspicious character. – Alfred Hitchcock
The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder. – Alfred Hitchcock
Seeing a murder on television… can help work off one’s antagonisms. And if you haven’t any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some. – Alfred Hitchcock
I’m a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach. – Alfred Hitchcock
Revenge is sweet and not fattening. – Alfred Hitchcock
There is nothing so good as a burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating. – Alfred Hitchcock
I’m full of fears and I do my best to avoid difficulties and any kind of complications. I like everything around me to be clear as crystal and completely calm. – Alfred Hitchcock
A glimpse into the world proves that horror is nothing other than reality. – Alfred Hitchcock
It seems to me that television is exactly like a gun. Your enjoyment of it is determined by which end of it you’re on. – Alfred Hitchcock
In many of the films now being made, there is very little cinema: they are mostly what I call ‘photographs of people talking.’ When we tell a story in cinema we should resort to dialogue only when it’s impossible to do otherwise. I always try to tell a story in the cinematic way, through a succession of shots and bits of film in between. – Alfred Hitchcock
I have a feeling that inside you somewhere, there’s somebody nobody knows about. – Alfred Hitchcock
Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn’t have to cope with the actors and all the rest. – Alfred Hitchcock
Love those wrongdoers, they need it more than you. – Alfred Hitchcock
There is nothing to winning, really. That is, if you happen to be blessed with a keen eye, an agile mind, and no scruples whatsoever. – Alfred Hitchcock
Content, I am not interested in that at all. I don’t give a damn what the film is about. I am more interested in how to handle the material so as to create an emotion in the audience. I find too many people are interested in the content. If you were painting a still life of some apples on a plate, it’s like you’d be worrying whether the apples were sweet or sour. Who cares? – Alfred Hitchcock
I don’t want to appear disloyal to television, but I think reading will be good for you. – Alfred Hitchcock
A clear horizon — nothing to worry about on your plate, only things that are creative and not destructive. – Alfred Hitchcock
I can’t read fiction without visualizing every scene. The result is it becomes a series of pictures rather than a book. – Alfred Hitchcock
The only way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them. – Alfred Hitchcock
I’m sure anyone who likes a good crime, provided it is not the victim. – Alfred Hitchcock
The picture’s over. Now I have to go and put it on film. – Alfred Hitchcock
Share these 30 Alfred Hitchcock quotes for all the fans of the beloved director.
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