Seminar: Alfred Hitchcock – The Master of Suspense

The Master of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock

By the mid-1950s, Alfred Hitchcock had been in Hollywood for fifteen years, had long since moved beyond the rockiness of his early American productions (like Rebecca), and was about to embark on the portion of his career that would see him soar like The Birds to new, Vertigo-inducing heights of filmmaking prowess, popular appeal, and critical acclaim.  In fact, by the time the ride ended a decade later, the director had long since lost sight of his peers out the Rear Window, and audiences and critics alike were going Psycho to find out what the Master of Suspense would take a stab at next.  How did Hitchcock arrive at this pinnacle? Why does he occupy such a unique place in the cinematic firmament? Join us to discuss these and other questions, to see clips from a number of his classic films, and to learn more about some of the director’s most notable cinematic trademarks: blonde women in trouble, danger in everyday places, Machiavellian matrons, and, of course, his iconic cameos.