Hitch: The Life And Times And Alfred Hitchcock (Paperback)

by John Russell Taylor (Author) "In 1899 the London borough of Levtonstone was not a borough, and was not even in London..." (more)
Key Phrases: newsreel cameraman, first preview, Alfred Hitchcock, New York, The Thirty-nine Steps (more...)

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

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806770
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806773
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,104,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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 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!