Favorite Films Friday: Alfred Hitchcock

Day 323

One of my favorite directors of all time is the incredible, influential genius Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980). He passed away on April 29th 1980, so I thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to him at this time, by blogging about some of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies. Hitchcock was one of the best, hands down! His work influenced future directors, specifically suspense/thriller film directors. And his movies…by far some of the best! I’ve mentioned some of his other movies in previous posts (such as Notorious, Psycho and The Birds), and today I’d like to acknowledge 4 more:

North By Northwest (1959)

I saw this movie for the first time when I was 14 and I immediately loved it! And since then I have watched this movie at least once every year - yes, it is THAT good!! Many critics regard it as one of Hitchcock’s best films (I would heartily agree) and it was ranked as #55 on the American Film Institute (AFI) list of the 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time.

The plot concerns Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant, superb and suave) a New York ad man who is mistaken for a government agent and abducted by a group of spies, headed by a man named Vandamm (played by James Mason). Roger manages to escape his captors, but the next day he is framed for the murder of a UN dignitary and he has to go on the lam. Determined to clear his name, Roger meets a beautiful, seductive woman (Eva Marie Saint) who agrees to help him, but she turns out to be the mistress of Vandamm.

There are several twists and turns along the way and brushes with death, and then it comes to a brilliant, exciting conclusion with an amazing chase on top of Mount Rushmore! The movie has it all - top-notch thrills, excellent performances, and a grand musical score (by Edward Herrmann)!

Rebecca (1940)

This movie received the Academy Award for Best Picture - a rarity for a suspense film. Joan Fontaine portrays a shy woman who is swept into a whirlwind romance with the handsome, brooding Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier). They marry, then Maxim brings his bride to his home, Manderley. The new Mrs. de Winter learns that Maxim was married before, to an exquisite beauty named Rebecca (who had drowned years ago), and she soon realizes that she will forever be in the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter.

The suspense heightens when Mrs. de Winter finds herself clashing with the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (eerily portrayed by Judith Anderson), who has a bizarre, twisted obsession with Rebecca and does not hide her disdain for the new Mrs. de Winter. To complicate matters Mrs. de Winter learns a shocking secret about her husband and his dearly departed wife.

This movie has a lot of chills and suspense, especially whenever Mrs. Danvers is on screen; but there are many funny, quaint moments as well that adds dimension to this tingling thriller.

Strangers On A Train (1951)

Guy Haines (played by Farley Granger) is a tennis pro who has a chance encounter with Bruno Anthony (played by Robert Walker) while traveling on a train. During the course of the trip the two have a pleasant conversation and share personal details about their lives. Then Bruno shares a very macabre, bizarre notion of the perfect murder: two strangers swap murders and as a result neither would be considered a suspect in the other’s crime; each would be able to have a perfect alibi. Guy suddenly realizes that Bruno is seriously considering this when Bruno suggests murdering Guy’s shrewish, unfaithful wife Miriam in return for having Guy murder Bruno’s obstinate father.

Guy wants no part of the plan and parts ways, hoping that Bruno was just joking. Guy has a tense meeting with his wife, whom he is trying to divorce, but she refuses (despite the fact that she is pregnant with another man’s baby). When Guy’s wife ends up strangled to death he becomes the number one suspect, but Bruno is the murderer and now he wants Guy to honor his part of their “bargain.”

Bruno Anthony is a truly terrifying psychopath; the scene in which he strangles Miriam is especially frightening, and the climatic scene on a malfunctioning carousel is so intense!

To Catch A Thief (1955)

I really love this movie, which is one of Hitchcock’s more lighthearted (and romantic) films, although it is still quite suspenseful. Cary Grant portrays John Robie, a former jewel thief known as “The Cat” who made amends for his past crimes by serving in the Resistance during WWII. His comfortable existence in France is disrupted when a sudden rash of jewel thefts (bearing his trademark/patterns) on the Riviera has him pegged as the #1 suspect. John realizes that the only way to prove his innocence is to catch the real jewel thief.

John enlists the aid of an insurance agent to track down potential victims for “The Cat”; he meets a rich American (Jessie Royce Landis) and her breathtaking daughter Francie (Grace Kelly, beauty personified!) and spends time with Francie, and she figures out that he is “The Cat.” When Francie’s mother is robbed next, John redoubles his efforts to catch the real thief.

The chemistry between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly is undeniable; they have a passionate scene set to a fireworks display on the Riviera and a memorable drive/chase through the hills of Monte Carlo, leading up to a very intimate picnic!

Coming soon: 4 more classic Alfred Hitchcock movies