The Archive

Tea and Scones Suspense: Hitchcock’s “English” Movies of the Early 1940s

Tea and Scones Suspense: Hitchcock’s “English” Movies of the Early 1940s

Although Hitchcock left Great Britain for the United States in 1939, his first two films -- Rebecca (1940) and Suspicion (1941) -- nonetheless remained set firmly in English culture. His depictions helped craft perceptions of English life for decades to come.

Hitchcock 101: 1935-1938 – ‘The 39 Steps’ to ‘The Lady Vanishes’

Hitchcock 101: 1935-1938 – ‘The 39 Steps’ to ‘The Lady Vanishes’

In Day Two of our Director Spotlight series on the Master of Suspense, we revisit the four strongest films of Alfred Hitchcock’s British period.

Hitchcock’s ‘Blackmail’ and the Birth of the British Talkies

Hitchcock’s ‘Blackmail’ and the Birth of the British Talkies

Consideration of both the sound and the silent versions of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Blackmail’ provides a unique opportunity to explore the methods of an artist and industry in transition.

Stop Laughing: A Difference of Laughter Between British and American Hitchcock

Stop Laughing: A Difference of Laughter Between British and American Hitchcock

While Alfred Hitchcock is famous for the humor that he injected into his thrillers, there are striking differences in the humor between his British and American periods.

Get Out of the Shower!: The Shower Scene and Hitchcock’s Narrative Style in ‘Psycho’

Get Out of the Shower!: The Shower Scene and Hitchcock’s Narrative Style in ‘Psycho’

In Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock subverts the narrative expectations laid out in the early parts, producing something very different from the suspense film that we anticipate.