Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English film director and producer, referred to as the "Master of Suspense". He pioneered many elements of the suspense and psychological thriller genres. He had a successful career in British cinema with both silent films and early talkies and became renowned as Britain's leading filmmaker. Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939 and became a U.S. citizen in 1955. Hitchcock became a highly visible public figure through interviews, film trailers, cameo appearances in his own films, and the ten years in which he hosted the television program “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. He also fashioned for himself a recognizable directorial style, and the term Hitchcockian is now often used to refer to his style of filmmaking. Hitchcock's stylistic trademarks include the use of camera movement that mimics a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. In addition, he framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative forms of film editing. His work often features fugitives on the run, alongside "icy blonde" female characters. His films are marked by a macabre sense of humor and a somewhat bleak view of the human condition.

Among the most celebrated, imitated, and beloved directors of the 20th century, Alfred Hitchcock is widely seen as the father of the thriller.

Hitchcock was studying engineering at London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation when, in 1914, his father died suddenly, prompting him to drop out in order to help support his family. Highly interested in the then new industry of film production, he made his first foray into movie making when he was hired at the London branch of Famous Players-Lasky as a title card designer. There, he gained experience in writing, editing, and production management, and was eventually assigned his first film as a director, "The Pleasure Garden" (1925). Collaborating with his wife, the writer, script supervisor, and editor Alma Reville, almost from day one, Hitchcock would make a name for himself as a director just a short while later with his first thriller, "The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog" (1927). After directing England's first talkie, 1929's "Blackmail" (1929), Hitchcock began churning out a number of high-tension films that would soon become classics, including "The 39 Steps" (1935) and "The Lady Vanishes" (1938). Eventually, he would relocate to Hollywood, making his American film debut with the Selznick International Pictures mystery "Rebecca" (1940). Even more iconic thrillers would follow, including "Notorious" (1946), "Dial M For Murder" (1954), "Rear Window" (1954), and "To Catch a Thief" (1955). In 1955, Hitchcock expanded his reach into television, producing and hosting the anthology series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS, 1955-1965). He would remain best known as a filmmaker however, directing beloved films like "Vertigo" (1958), "North by Northwest" (1959), and perhaps the most venerated thriller of all time, "Psycho" (1960). His output would slow during the '60s and '70s as he experienced health problems, with his final film "Family Plot" (1976). Hitchcock received the AFI's Life Achievement Award in 1979.

Alfred Hitchcock created more than 50 films!

Sir Alfred Hitchcock made history on the sets of his most famous films. Perhaps this is why we are still talking about his movies decades later. He changed the way films were made and altered the industry forever. He was a pioneer and a visionary, whose timeless classics are perhaps more revered now than when they were originally released. If only he were still around today, he would certainly use today’s technology combined with his keen observations to examine our current fears with his fearless filmmaking.