Download The Master of Suspense: The Life and Legacy of Alfred Hitchcock AudioBook Free
"I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be searching for a body in the mentor." - Alfred Hitchcock, 1956 In the opening web pages of his seminal book-length research of Alfred Hitchcock, Hitchcock's Motion pictures (1965), Robin Wood famously asked, "Why Should We Take Hitchcock Really?" Wood then proceeded to offer a detailed study of Hitchcock's career to that point, arguing that the Professional of Suspense belonged among the ranks of the preeminent directors in Hollywood, which his films were among the main in American culture. When Wood was requesting that question, he wasn't requesting it rhetorically and was arguing for Hitchcock's relevance, which seems odd today because Hitchcock is now a Hollywood icon. Nobody would even think of requesting that same question today, as almost every American knows Hitchcock's work in some way or another. Hitchcock is regarded as perhaps the most famous and influential director ever sold, so Wood's question back in 1965 at least demonstrates the development of Hitchcock's reputation and the critical reception of his job. Indeed, as revered as Hitchcock is today, it is revealing that he was never given an Academy Honor during his job (though he was given an honorary Oscar after his retirement living.) Vertigo (1958), for example, is now considered one of the landmark films of the traditional Hollywood theatre, but it was both a package office and a critical flop after its release. Other Hitchcock films, such as Psycho (1960) and North by Northwest (1959), performed well at the package office but were not seen as high art.
