Alfred Hitchcock is one of the few directors whose legendary stature almost overshadows his entire body of work. His films are classic and unforgettable, but the man himself managed to achieve a relationship with the audience that is only comparable to a doctor with a patient. He knew exactly what they needed, even if they didn’t know it or want it. By no means was he a perfect being nor did he have a spotless record, but the man was a master of his craft and a wealth of knowledge. That is why it’s great that we have interviews and discussions, like the one below the break, in which Hitchcock opens up about his career.
In this interview from 1972, courtesy of No Film School, Pia Lindstrom (Ingrid Bergman’s daughter) and critic William Everson go in depth with the filmmaker. Between the two interviewers, they manage to cover a wide arrange of topics including Hitchcock’s body of work, his trouble with method actors, his preference for blonde women, accepting fame, and even how Hitchcock nearly made a film about the Titanic.
Below that there’s an added bonus that takes us back to a time where film trailers didn’t spoil the whole movie. Rather than give us every plot detail, the trailers of yore would simply superimpose words like “MYSTERY!” or “MURDER!” and let audiences draw their own conclusions. The video below, from Open Culture, gives us 24 Hitchcock movie trailers back-to-back. Give it a watch and try to guess which Hitchcock film each trailer is for.