Hitch: The life and times of Alfred Hitchcock [Hardcover]

John Russell Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

One of cinema's greatest directors, a virtuoso visual artist, and a genius of the suspense genre, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) is universally known for such masterpieces as Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. The author, a distinguished film critic and friend of Hitchcock's, enjoyed his full cooperation. Based on numerous interviews, with photos from the private family albums, and an in-depth study of the making of his last film, this biography of the director is as intriguing, revealing, perverse, and entertaining as any Hitchcock classic.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's likely that readers who have watched many of Alfred Hitchcock's films can't help but have noticed how frequently he depicts fetishism, sadism, and voyeurism. Because Hitchcock was a reclusive man and a guarded interview subject, almost everyone who writes about him turns to his work for insight into his life. These writers generally conclude that the director himself was possessed by the very pathologies that resound in his movies.

But John Russell Taylor didn't have to go that route. He wrote this biography with the participation and blessings of the man himself. In Hitch, Taylor admits that his subject often projects his fantasies onto the screen. He also provides a good deal of insight into Hitchcock's domineering, obsessively courteous demeanor. But the focus here is on the details of Hitchcock's life, the preparation and production of his movies, and his relationships with the countless cinematic luminaries who worked with him, including Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and James Stewart. --Raphael Shargel --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Though biographies of the great director abound, most concentrate primarily on his career-making Hollywood blockbusters. Taylor's work, however, covers at great length Hitchcock's early, lesser-known British films. This remains "a worthy addition to the literature on Hitchcock" (LJ 10/15/78).
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon Books; First Edition edition (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394499964
• ISBN-13: 978-0394499963
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,423,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Many glaring omissions, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hitch: The Life And Times And Alfred Hitchcock (Paperback)

Hitchcock is my very favorite film director, and I think he's definitely one of the best, if not THE best, directors ever, so I was very disappointed to read this book which only skims over Hitch's life, giving some films barely a page or two. Taylor looks at Hitch's many movies with neither a critical or even historical eye--and many, many details are left out, and many facts are just plain backwards, especially that "Notorious" was based on an idea provided by David O. Selznick, and that "Spellbound" started as Hitch's idea (it was in fact the other way around, with the recently depression-cured Selznick wanting to make a film about analysis; in fact, in the few paragraphs afforded to "Spellbound," Mae Romm, Selznick's therapist who acted as an advisor on the film--and set--isn't even mentioned!). Donald Spoto's two books about Hitchcock, one a film-by-film analysis and the other a straight biography, are much better than this slight volume.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Surprise despite the Gloss, February 26, 2007

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitch: The Life And Times And Alfred Hitchcock (Paperback)

This is a wonderful glossily written biography. It is written with much gusto. This is one of the first biographies of Hitchcock that I read. I knew that Alfred Hitchcock was a great filmmaker, but his antics off-screen were equally droll. Despite the fact Hitchcock's films are superficially discussed, the author, John Russell Taylor manages to narrate Alfred Hitchcock's life and times in such a way that I could not put it down, and I read it in record time (at least for me). There are better biographies on Hitchcock out there (Donald Spoto's for instance) but this edition makes for enjoyable reading. The facts are all there but it is indeed a matter of interpretation of how the numerous anecdotes are retold that makes the difference here. Author John Russell Taylor definitely takes the high road.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, December 9, 2002

By 

Mark Douglas (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitch: The Life And Times And Alfred Hitchcock (Paperback)

This book was a really easy read. With tales of Hitch's career and providing insight - I believe - into the man behind the much misunderstood myth.

"Hitch" is mostly filled with tales from behind the scenes rather than an examination of Hitch's craft and technique. I enjoyed it because I think knowing the PERSON behind a picture will often explain his technique better than any self-proclaimed "expert" who will often take technical necessity and make it symbolist bull.

Well written and very interesting subject matter. A must for anyone!