Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood [Paperback]

Leonard J. Leff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520217810 | ISBN-13: 978-0520217812 | Publication Date: March 2, 1999 | Edition: 1

Hitchcock and Selznick is the story of one of the oddest partnerships in Hollywood history, the union of a reticent, overweight Englishman with a flair for striking detail and a penchant for the perverse, and a dynamic movie mogul with a keen eye for successful entertainment on the grand scale. It began in 1938, when producer David O. Selznick agreed to bring director Alfred Hitchcock from England, where he was already gaining widespread acclaim for his "little thrillers," and the collaboration resulted in the making of such masterpieces as Rebecca, Spellbound, and Notorious.
Hitchcock was soft-spoken and meticulous; Selznick was confrontational and chronically disorganized. They were, moreover, two geniuses with wholly different approaches to filmmaking. The sparks that flew between them over the next eight years ignited into some of Hitchcock's most memorable achievements, but they made collaboration impossible in the end. Drawing on unpublished documents, early drafts of script treatments, and humorous production anecdotes--and including a wealth of previously unseen photographs--Leonard Leff has written a book for specialist and layman alike, a fascinating behind-the-scenes portrait not only of two great Hollywood figures but of the film industry itself.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The careers of Alfred Hitchcock and producer David O. Selznick are intensely entwined, but the story of their work together is one of the cinema's best-kept secrets. Hitchcock is probably best known for the work he did in the 1950s and '60s, hosting his legendary television show and directing the films Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds. Selznick's many films have been eclipsed by his most popular achievement, Gone with the Wind. But it was Selznick who coaxed Hitchcock into emigrating from England to America, and it was Hitchcock who directed three opulent masterpieces for the producer's studio: Rebecca, Spellbound, and Notorious.

Leonard J. Leff's richly detailed and entertaining book documents this collaboration, describing how two men of opposite temperaments were able to complement one another artistically. He gives a behind-the-scenes perspective on the creation of their movie masterpieces, also investigating their fourth and final production, the unsuccessful The Paradine Case. "Hitchcock spent nearly a decade with Selznick, beginning in 1938," Leff writes. "More than either acknowledged, they joined forces primarily to extend their independence as filmmakers. A director of 'little British thrillers,' Hitchcock lacked the wherewithal to attain international status. Selznick not only brought Hitchcock to Hollywood but offered him stories and actors commensurate with his profound talent. Their collaboration bore fruit: Hitchcock added bite to Selznick's style, Selznick added American gloss to Hitchcock's." Leff's account of this dynamic duo in action is as thrilling as the films they created together. --Raphael Shargel

From Library Journal

Hitchcock began his American career under Selznick's aegis, and their first collaboration was on the Oscar-winning Rebecca in 1940. The two radically different men had an often stormy relationship. Selznick was obsessive about supervising every detail; Hitchcock wanted total freedom. Leff examines their lives and work from 1939 to 1947, during which time four films were completed. The book is replete with details of film- (and deal-) making, but it basically stays at the surface of the men's complex relationship. However, it is well-written and often fascinating. Recommended for general audiences.Roy Liebman, California State Univ. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520217810
• ISBN-13: 978-0520217812
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for Hitch fans. Highly recommended., June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood (Paperback)

For any serious fan and student of Hitchcock, this compellingly readable book is a must. Should be on the bookshelf along with Donald Spoto's great book "The Dark Side of Genius." Where Spoto's book provides excellent detail on the Hitchcock side of this strained but dynamic collaboration, Leff's book fills the gap on the Selznick end, providing both an historical perspective (Hitchcock on the rise, Selznick at the beginning of his decline) and an insightful look at the filmmaking methods of both men, striving to push the envelope in the repressive era of Will Hayes' Hollywood code. Hitch may have bridled under Selznick's heavy-handedness, his obsession with using name talent and his emphasis on dialogue and character development. Yet, many of the great Hitchcock films that came after their colloaboration bear the mark of Selznick's influence in all these areas. Mr. Leff's book offers an eminently fair rendering of each man's creative contributions and personal angst in their 10 year association, and is an important contribution to mid-20th century American film history.

5.0 out of 5 stars very good purchase, September 20, 2011

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This review is from: Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood (Paperback)

This book is just what I needed for some research about this period in Hollywood. it's precise and informative. A perfect complement to some other books about the same subject.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Mutt and Jeff of American cinema, February 24, 2003

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WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood (Paperback)

They were the odd couple of cinema: Hitchcock's spry, intelligent thrillers were very much at odds with Selznick's adaptions notable for their fidelity to their source. Hitchcock, in contrast, was anything but faithful to the source material of his many film adaptions. Both adaptions and original material focused on key visual images around which the plot was built. Selznick was the opposite of Hitch in that his productions were focused more on the narrative. Their collaboration managed to enrich each other's skills.

Although they made few films together during their ten year "collaboration" (in reality Hitch was under contract so his status was more as suborindate than equal), most of them are hampered by their lack of cohesive styles. As producer/director they didn't hit their collborative stride until Hitch's Notorius in 1946. Most of Hitch's work was with other producers and studios for which he was loaned out like any other actor or director of the time.

Nevertheless, Hitch learned valuable lessons in structuring a film for the American audience. He also managed to reach an audience that he could only have imagined before coming to America. Selznick's most valuable lesson was learning to let his directors occasionally have their way on projects.

Leff's book is a bit too scholarly in tone for the average film fan but is well written and researched. It's also quite expensive given that it's a large format paperback (this probably has to do with the small audience imagined for it and the fact that it comes from the UC Press). Many of Leff's more interesting observations have turned up as commentary on a number of Criterion DVDs (particularly the Spellbound DVD released last year).

There were many classic films produced during their time together but just as many misfires (Spellbound, despite it's many attributes is a good example of the disasterous turn their collaboration could take). Hitch hadn't hit the height of his powers as a director yet. His most powerful films (Rear Window, North by Northwest, Vertigo, The Trouble With Charlie, Strangers on a Train, Psycho and The Birds)loomed in his future. Nevertheless, his films from this time frame are, at times, revolutionary in one way or another (Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Lifeboat among many others).

This book details their work together from uneasy partnership to the truce that allowed Hitch to produce one of his most magnificient films (Notorius). Although Hitch's work has come to dominate our culture more than Selznick's (with the possible exception of Gone With The Wind), neither man would have achieved his goals without the other.