Alfred Hitchcock: The Master Of Suspense

The world knows him as the Master of Suspense. He has also changed the way people look at film. Alfred Hitchcock was born at the turn of the century in England. His was raised in a very religious upbringing. He went to college at the University of London only to leave after the death of his father and to support himself he worked for Henley Telegraph and Cable Company as a technical clerk. His skills at this job would only propel him into the world of the film industry. His attention to the tiny details helped him land his first films at Players-Lasky Corporation. He would go to Germany to work on his first two films where he would meet his future wife, Alma Reville, also a film director and editor. Hitchcock and his wife are later married

on December 2, 1927. He and his wife would only have one child, Patricia Hitchcock, one year later. His earlier works were silent films but with the introduction of speaking film, Hitchcock made a name for himself.

His way of leaving the audience on their seats while still telling a good story was what made Hitchcock an outstanding director and writer. His 50s films are known for their interesting cinematography. This includes people hanging off Mount Rushmore and The Statue of Liberty. Or the classic scene of Cary Grant being chased by a airplane. The only way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them,” is what Hitchcock said about his film making. He had this to say “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.” These movies would lead Hitchcock in to one of his most classic film, Psycho. These are also the movies that pave the way for horror and suspense films. Hitchcock said this once about building suspense, “Four people are sitting around a table talking about baseball or whatever you like. Five minutes of it. Very dull. Suddenly, a bomb goes off. Blows the people to smithereens. What does the audience have? Ten seconds of shock. Now take the same scene and tell the audience there is a bomb under that table and will go off in five minutes. The whole emotion of the audience is totally different because you've given them that

information. In five minutes time that bomb will go off. Now the conversation about baseball becomes very vital. Because they're saying to you, "Don't be ridiculous. Stop talking about baseball. There's a bomb under there." You've got the audience working.” Hitchcock left a mark on the world including the creation of a cult following. His films are affecting the way people make film. His artistic skill along with his love for film have marked him as one of the greatest directors ever. Alfred Hitchcock moved to the United States to be closer to the film industry. This is where he and his wife are going to spend the rest of their lives. Alfred Hitchcock passed away on April 29, 1980 from renal failure.