Perhaps no other director in the history of film has had a greater impact on the industry or on popular culture than Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch" made more than 65 full-length movies that have defined cinema for generations. Nicknamed "the Master of Suspense," the round, gravelly-voiced man (who never won a Best Director Oscar) made films that put viewers on the edge of their seats time and time again.

Strong characterization, symbolism, surprise endings, and extended chase scenes were a few of Hitch's trademarks. Here are 20 of his most memorable movies.

1. Rebecca (1940)

James Stewart's character in Vertigo is said to closely resemble Hitchcock himself.

This early Hitchcock film tells the spooky tale of Rebecca (played by Joan Fontaine), the naive second wife of a rich widower portrayed by Sir Laurence Olivier. It becomes abundantly clear that Rebecca's husband and the servants in his mansion aren't totally over the death of his first wife, and Rebecca is driven mad. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, this movie was tied up in legal trouble over the rights to the script for several years before and after its release.

2. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

Leave it to Hitchcock to surprise everyone by making a movie with no murder and no mystery at all. Lighthearted and purely entertaining, Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a couple with a rather odd relationship. When the two find out that they might not be married at all, their strained commitment is given new life. It was Lombard who is said to have convinced Hitch to do this beloved departure movie. Sadly, she wouldn't live to see its long-standing success: Lombard died in a plane crash outside of Las Vegas in 1942. Another movie of the same title was made in 2005 with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but it bears little resemblance to the original.

On the next page, you will find five more suspense thrillers directed by Alfred Hitchcock.