Hitchcock Flashcards
Train yourself to recognize Alfred Hitchcock's films, understand their plots, and recall their star actors. (39 cards)
When and where was Hitchcock born?
- August, 1899
- in London, England
When and where did Hitchcock die?
- April, 1980
- in Los Angeles, CA
What would Hitchcock wear everyday on the set?
a suit and tie
In how many of his films did Hitchcock make a cameo appearance?
- 34
- he was also the prologue narrator for The Wrong Man (1956)
What would Hitchcock do when finished with a cup of tea on set?
throw it over his shoulder and let it break
What was Hitchcock’s favorite film?
Der müde Tod (Destiny, 1921) directed by Fritz Lang
What was Hitchcock’s favorite film he directed?
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
What did Hitchcock consider the most important part of the filmmaking process?
screenwriting
In addition to his fear of the police, what other phobia did Hitchcock possess?
fear of eggs
How many of Hitchcock’s films were nominated for Academy Awards?
16
What is the Vertigo effect?
- an effect Hitchcock invented
- also called a dolly zoom
- invented while filming the movie Vertigo (1958)
- achieved by moving the camera in the opposite direction that the lens is zooming
- e.g., moving the camera back and zooming in
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How many Hitchcock films featured James Stewart?
- four
- Rope (1948)
- Rear Window (1954)
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
- Vertigo (1958)
Who was James Stewart’s co-star in Rear Window (1954)?
Grace Kelly
For what award was Janet Leigh nominated for her role inPsycho (1960)?
the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award
What did Hitchcock famously say about the writing and shooting aspects of the filmmaking process?
“When you finish the script, the film is perfect. But in shooting it you lose perhaps 40 percent of your original conception.”
How long did Hitchcock say a film should be?
“The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.”
How many of Hitchcock’s films were nominated for Best Picture Academy Awards?
- four
- Rebecca (1940; won)
- Foreign Correspondent (1940)
- Spellbound(1945)
- Suspicion (1941)
In Psycho (1960), who kills Marion Crane?
Norman Bates’s mother
What does L. B. Jeffries (James Stewart) see his neighbor do in Rear Window (1954)
kill his own wife
What affliction does John Ferguson (James Stewart) suffer from in Vertigo (1958)?
acrophobia (the fear of heights)
In reference to North by Northwest (1959), what did writer Ernest Lehman say he wanted to write?
“The Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures”
In one of the most famous scenes in North by Northwest (1959) what chases main character Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) across a barren landscape?
an airplane
What is a “MacGuffin?”
- something that the plot of the film revolves around but is not thecenter of the action
- e.g., the $40,000 in Psycho or “government secrets” in North by Northwest
- coined by Angus MacPhail, a friend of Hitchcock’s who wrote The Wrong Man (1956) and Spellbound (1945)
What is a “red herring?”
- a device whichdeliberatelydiverts the audience from the truth or something significant
- e.g., presenting Norman Bates’ mother as the killer in Psycho
