Customer Reviews

The Complete Films Of Alfred Hitchcock (Citadel Press Film Series)

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For any new Hitchcock fan or even a veteran fan for that matter, The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock is a must have book that provides much insight to the movies of Alfred Hitchcock.

The book is very organized, set up in chronilogical order, ranging from 1922-1976. It is also divided up into eras; The Early Years, Becoming the Master of Suspense, The Selznick Years, The Technicolor, Vista-Vision and 3-D Years, The Television Interlude, and the Mature Years. Every movie that Alfred Hitchcock made is in this book ranging from his silent era to Family Plot. The information provided on all movies includes the title, year it was released, cast, summary, and behind-the scenes details and pictures (all black and white) from that film (each film averaging 5-6 pages). The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock also includes his televisions series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. The book concludes with a list of all awards and honors that were given to Hitchcock for his most creative work, and a list of every cameo appearance he made in his films.

This book does not come from an ameteur film buff. The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock is co-authored by Robert A. Harris, one of the two men responsible for restoring Hitchcock's Vertigo and Rear Window to the most prestine condition, so he is very informed about Hitchcock and his films.

Now, if you want more information on Alfred Hitchcock himself such as his life and family, then this should be used as a supplemental, as his biography is very brief in this book. But if you are interested in the art of Hitchcock and want to find out all the movies he made, then this book is for you. This book is easy to read, not overwhelming. It is one that can and will be read over and over again. The illustrations and insight help you to better understand Hitchcock's style and motives throughout his film career.

This is a perfectly respectable entry in the Citadel Press "Complete Films of..." series. If you love Hitchcock films (I do) this is a basic bedrock reference element in your film-book collection. It is not "original" and does not contain any spectacular insights (if you want an entertaining Hitchcock analysis, see, e.g.,Camille Paglia on The Birds). However, it does have kind of a nice balance in that the authors acknowledge that The Master can make a mistake once in a while (Torn Curtain? Stage Fright?), unlike some super-reverential, adoring authors who will praise anything The Master does (did). I give this four stars instead of five because it is workmanlike but not brilliant.