Alfred Hitchcock Biography

Fast Facts

• Developed a lifelong fear of police when he was a young child and his father sent him to the police station; the police chief locked him in a cell for a few minutes, saying, "This is what we do to naughty boys
• " Began his movie career in 1919, illustrating title cards for silent films in London
• Made a cameo appearance in almost all of his movies, starting with The Lodger in 1927
• Directed the first British sound film, the 1929 thriller Blackmail
• His wife was a film editor and screenwriter who collaborated with him on many of his movies
• Often stated that his favorite of his own films was Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
• Considered one of the greatest directors of all time, but never won a competitive Oscar; when he received the Irving G
• Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1967 Oscars, his acceptance speech was simply, "Thank you
• " Was granted a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 1980, shortly before his death
• In 2008, four of his movies were named in AFI's Top 10 Mystery Films of all time: Dial M for Murder (No
• 9), North by Northwest (No
• 7), Rear Window (No
• 3) and Vertigo (No
• 1)
• Appeared on a commemorative U
• S
• postage stamp in 2009