Profile of the Day: Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

What’s your favorite Alfred Hitchcock film? On this day in 1899, the legendary filmmaker was born in London, England.

Hitchcock was the youngest of three children born to William Hitchcock and Emma Jane Wheland. At the age of 5, Hitchcock’s father once sent him to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him up in a cell for a few minutes for behaving badly. For the rest of his life, Hitchcock would have a lifelong fear of law enforcement.

He began his career in silent films before filming his first talkie, Blackmail, in 1929. The movie was a huge success and is often cited as the very first British sound feature film. After coming to Hollywood, Hitchcock directed and produced many more suspenseful films, several of which are considered to be among the greatest films in the history of cinema. Dubbed the “Master of Suspense,” Hitchcock kept audiences on the edge of their seats with movies such as Psycho, The Birds, and Rear Window. Although considered to be one of the greatest directors in film history, Hitchcock never won an Academy Award for Best Director in his entire career.

Hitchcock died on April 29, 1980 at the age of 80.

Are you a fan of the Master of Suspense? Explore Alfred Hitchcock’s family tree on Geni!