Sonic Editions

The Master of Suspense

Born in 1899, Alfred Hitchcock grew up in East London. He spent a brief period as a technical clerk in his teenage years, later dabbling in creative writing. This led him to the film industry where he quickly climbed the ranks and directed a number of classic suspense films like The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1934 and The 39 Steps in 1935. Eventually he moved to Hollywood where, in 1940, he directed Rebecca, which took the Academy Award for Best Picture.

He went on to direct a bevy of films over the next three decades, expertly developing a unique and very influential style of psychological drama. Hitchcock directed over fifty films, including classics like Vertigo in 1958, Psycho in 1960, and The Birds in 1963, all of which received critical acclaim. In 1979 he received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award and a knighthood. Sadly, he died only a few months later in 1980, but his influence is felt in filmmaking to this day.