20 Films Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 13-17
This segment of our list of Alfred Hitchcock films includes a psycho mama's boy and and an invasion of killer birds.
13. North by Northwest (1959)
This movie sold itself as "A 3,000 mile chase scene!" with a star-studded cast that included Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The chase reaches its climax on Mount Rushmore. Naturally, Hitch wanted to go big and film on location, but the powers that be didn't want an attempted murder taking place on a national monument. The entire set was constructed on a soundstage instead. The film was nominated for three Oscars and is often touted by critics as one of the best movies of all time.
14. Psycho (1960)
Hitchcock didn't use his usual, expensive production unit for this cultural juggernaut, opting instead to use his TV crew because he wanted Psycho to look like "a cheap exploitation film." Anthony Perkins stars as Norman Bates, a creepy mama's-boy innkeeper who offers Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) a place to stay for the night. Hitchcock chose to shoot in black and white to resemble the newsreels of the time -- and also because the gory nature of the film would be too much in living color. Psycho is truly Hitchcock's masterpiece, a must-see for anyone who has ever wanted to be entertained -- or scared out of their mind.
15. The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock will forever be known as "the Master of Suspense" because of his ability to take the everyday and make it terrifying. Hotels, heights, neighbors, women, and birds were benign until Hitch got ahold of them. The Birds is the ultimate example of this -- any shred of avian cuteness is obliterated when swarms of birds attack a northern California town. Tippi Hedren plays the doomed blonde alongside handsome Rod Taylor. Hitch said the characters in The Birds "are the victims of Judgment Day," making the film an acceptably horrifying follow-up to Psycho.
16. Marnie (1964)
Tippi Hedren is back, playing a compulsive thief in this rock-solid psychological thriller. Sean Connery is the dashing leading man who tries to get Marnie to confront her schizophrenia. Long scenes and heavy dialogue kept this picture from having the mass appeal of Psycho or The Birds, but the suspense is every bit as potent. Hitch originally wanted Grace Kelly to play Marnie but she had just married the Prince of Monaco and his people weren't thrilled about their new princess portraying such an unstable character.
17. Torn Curtain (1966)
Nothing is what it appears to be in this "trust no one" thriller set during the Cold War. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star as a young couple caught up in an international mystery in which everyone is a suspect. This would be the last picture that Hitch and composer and longtime collaborator Bernard Herrmann would work on together. Universal Pictures convinced Hitch that the score Herrmann penned wasn't upbeat enough, so the director cut the score and a brilliant, 11-year relationship was officially over.
On the next page you will find the final three entries on our list of films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
