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It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, A Personal Biography

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IT'S ONLY A MOVIE: Alfred Hitchcock -- A Personal Biography is the latest (and certainly not the greatest) look at the life of the famed suspense director.

Charlotte Chandler, whose other celebrity biographies include NOBODY'S PERFECT: Billy Wilder -- A Personal Biography; I, FELLINI; and HELLO, I MUST BE GOING: Groucho and His Friends, concentrates on Hitchcock primarily as a movie maker. The aspects of his early and later life get relatively short shrift, which many readers will no doubt appreciate, wanting to get to the meat of the matter.

Chandler presents the talented "Hitch" as a visionary, creating cinematic effects and manipulating the emotions of moviegoers for more than fifty years. His classics --- The Man Who Knew Too Much (both versions), Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious...the list of work from one person seems ridiculous and unfair --- defined fright films that endure to this day, despite the pyrotechnical toys and other gimmicks modern directors employ to get a rise out of us. Hitchcock knew how to use a patch of light or the absence of sound to set up the audience for the constant rude awakening. He was the master of the "MacGuffin," a plot device that defies conventional explanation, which Chandler describes as "something that motivates characters to take dangerous chances for something they must have.... In The 39 Steps it's a secret airplane engine design. In The Lady Vanishes and in Foreign Correspondent it's a secret diplomatic message...."

Hitchcock was a bit of an overgrown imp, she writes, not a stuffed shirt. Despite his formal bearing, he always enjoyed a good joke, particularly when it came at the good-natured expense of one of his actors. And what actors! Jimmy Stewart, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, James Mason, Anthony Perkins --- a veritable "who's who" of Hollywood nobility.

Although his art was complex, Hitchcock's directorial style was simple: actors should be able to get by with a minimum of instruction. Those looking for guidance learned that it must come from within. Insecurity was tolerated with great reluctance. Hitchcock had little patience for "method" actors who needed to know their motivation. Basically, he believed their motivation should be to do a good job to earn their paycheck. Chandler employs the filmmaker's catchphrase, "It's only a movie," on several occasions as evidence of Hitchcock's refusal to take anything (or anybody) too seriously.

Chandler breaks down Hitchcock's story movie by movie. Each section deals anecdotally with each film, noting the little triumphs and failures inherent in any project and including the actors' impressions of working for the master of suspense (overwhelmingly positive). Many were in awe of the legend, especially those early in their career. There are many recollections of small kindnesses, such as dinner invitations, that portray Hitchcock in an almost saintly light, despite the evil inclinations of many of his characters.

Because of its style, IT'S ONLY A MOVIE gives short shrift to the fine points that define a thorough biography, despite the title. For example, although Chandler devotes a section of the book to "The Last Years," she does not go into any substantial details about Hitchcock's own physical ailments, only that he had lost the will to live, ostensibly depressed over the illness of Alma, his beloved helpmeet.

Chandler writes in a very gossipy mien, insinuating herself into the narrative, letting the reader know that she was in with the "in crowd." One wonders what she had in mind with the subtitle "A Personal Biography." Which "person" is she talking about? It often seems to be herself. She peppers her remarks with phrases like, "He told me..." or "I said to him...." Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it can be wearing after a while.

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE may not be on a scholarly par with other Hitchcock biographies, such as Patrick McGilligan's ALFRED HITCHCOCK: A Life in Darkness and Light or THE A-Z OF HITCHCOCK: The Ultimate Reference Guide, by Howard Maxford, or the dozens of studies of specific films or groups of films (Murray Pomerance's AN EYE FOR HITCHCOCK or FRAMING HITCHCOCK: Selected Essays from the Hitchcock Annual, edited by Sidney Gottlieb and Christopher Brookhouse). But it is a gentle, entertaining look at a paradoxically gentle and entertaining man.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

It's no wonder that Alfred Hitchcock continues to fascinate a quarter century after his death as his work resonates still. Author Charlotte Chandler has written a breezy history of Hitchcock the master filmmaker. It's by no means the best one on the market, as I feel Donald Spoto wrote the authoritative biography in 1983, "The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock", and Francois Truffaut published his famous comprehensive interview with Hitchcock in 1967. I would recommend either before diving into this dishy memoir, but it's good fun about his professional life nonetheless.

Chandler breaks down Hitchcock's story movie by movie in chronological order. Each section deals anecdotally with each film, noting the little triumphs and failures inherent in any project and including the actors' impressions of working for the master of suspense. Contrary to popular belief, many were genuinely impressed by Hitchcock's genius almost to the point of genuflection, and the book is full of recollections of his kindnesses, hardly the dark portrait Spoto painted nor Hitchcock himself with the characters in his films. In fact, according to Chandler, he did not readily abandon his actors as is widely believed. Rather, everyone simply agreed he knew what he wanted and with supreme confidence, Hitchcock dictated a set like a consummate professional. To the thinner-skinned, he was an icy control freak. His no-fuss filmmaking style comes across in Chandler's colorful descriptions of the classics he directed. Sometimes, Chandler insinuates herself into the narrative to the point of being intrusive, as if she needs to validate her qualifications for writing this biography. It can get irritating, but luckily her insights offset much of the over-personalized perspective. Just reviewing his filmography in such gently provocative detail is reason enough to buy this book, whether it's "Rebecca", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Notorious", "Strangers on a Train", "Rear Window", "Vertigo'', "North by Northwest", "Psycho", "The Birds", or his earlier English pictures. An entertaining read about a true character and a deservedly legendary director.

Charlotte Chandler's 2005 portrait of Alfred Hitchcock reads more like an extended gossip column than a traditional biography. Though occasionally insightful and entertaining, the author would have benefited from paraphrasing some of the lengthy quotes from her numerous interviews. "It's Only a Movie" may not represent the finest book on the Master of Suspense (try François Truffaut's "Hitchcock" and Patrick McGilligan's "A Life in Darkness and Light"), yet it avoids the bleak unpleasantness of Donald Spoto's "The Dark Side of Genius."

I thought this book was excellent. I love Hitchcock movies, and this is the first biography I have read. I thought it contained wonderful anecdotes and interviews with some of the most famous movie stars of the time. I loved the little summaries of each movie provided. Even though I have seen nearly all his movies--and watched them over and over again--I still found the summaries interesting. Some movies, for example, Topaz, have complicated plots and I liked being able to refresh my memory through the summaries.

I loved that Chandler wrote from first-hand experience--it made me feel like I had the inside scoop. Now, when I watch his movies I think of the little stories I read in the book and it makes it that much more enjoyable. I devoured this book in about two days--I just couldn't put it down! My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough.

Though it gives a good view of how his career went the author never really delves deep into the personality of Hitchcock, even though she talked to many who knew him. It disconnects the man from the brilliant movies, which are also talked about in just a few pages. It never really tells you why his movies were that great. Maybe it's not possible to do that in300 pages, but I had expected more.

Frankly I think this book is a delight. As someone who used to work in the film industry, I don't ever recall reading anything that gets all the best things about the movie world so right - the love and enthusiasm for the work - with precious little of the bitchiness. The sheer magic and humanity of it all is captured perfectly. As a result, I find this book strangely moving.

This is a breezy, gossipy, so called "personal biography." This book takes a People magazine approach to its subject, the great movie director Alfred Hitchcock. The author Charlotte Chandler seems to be a friend of the family and she seems to repeat in full every conversation she has ever been involved in that involves Hitchcock.

None of the films are really analyzed. We get long quotes from her interview subjects - learn that Paul Newman struggled with Hitchcock's aloof approach to actors, while Cary Grant was pretty comfortable with it. And we repeatedly come across minor characters like Edith Head, who designed costumes for most of Hollywood, and worked often with Hitchcock and his stars. Whenever Ms. Chandler has access to a story, she simply repeats it - nothing is ever put into context.

Ms Chandler interjects herself into the story constantly. It is like listening to someone present home movies of a trip around the world, by only discussing their own presence - "Here I am at the Taj Mahal," "That's me at Machu Pichu."

Each film is subjected to the same treatment - a few pages on how the film was made - a quick plot summary with a few anecdotes. The masterpieces of the 40s and 50s, North by Northwest, Notorious, To Catch a Thief are given the same weight as failures like Frenzy. While the book claims to be a personal biography, it actually makes little effort to getting behind the scenes of Hitchcock, the artist.

I was pretty disappointed in this, although I could see where someone looking for an overview of his films would find some value in it. Not enough meat on the bone for a serious film buff, however.

Obviously, the one thing that readers of biographies have to be always concerned about is the credibility of the author. There have been so many books of notable figures written with a particular agenda in mind, other than to sincerely and simply enlighten. It's all a question of faith that any biographer is truly handing out to one unimpeachable information. Most of us never knew Alfred Hitchcock; and of course we never will. But Ms. Chandler did and she has convinced me through the quality of her writing as well as the extent of her sources that her depiction of the man is as valid and relevant that one is likely to find. Yes, she greatly admired Hitch, but she doesn't hesitate to also note, even sympathetically, the feelings and comments of those who weren't so enamored. No one is perfect. Still if there's a life to be admired, Alfred Hitchcock's certainly tops my list.
Of all the bios existing of Alfred Hitchcock, this is the best one I have ever read.

This is the most recent of our collection of Hitchcock books (we have fourteen), and it's a good read. The Hichcocks' only child, Pat, has reputably stated that this is her personal favorite of the many books written about her famous father.

A wonderful and well-written book about the Master of Suspense. The author's access to the subject makes for a lot of interesting stories. Highly recommended.