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Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE ( 13 August 1899– 29 April, 1980) was a British film director closely associated with the suspense genre. Influenced by expressionism in Germany, he began directing in England, and worked in the United States from 1939. With more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades, he remains one of the best known and most popular directors of all time. His innovations and vision have influenced a great number of filmmakers, producers, and actorAn actor is a person who acts, or plays a role in an artistic production. The term commonly refers to someone working in movies, television, live theatre, or radio, and can occasionally denote a street entertainer. Besides playing dramatic roles, actors ms.Hitchcock's films draw heavily on both fear and fantasy, and are known for their droll humour. They often portray innocent people caught up in circumstances beyond their control or understanding. This often involves a transference of guilt in which the "innocent" character's failings are transfered to another character and magnified. Another common theme is the exploration of the compatibility of men and women; Hitchcock's films often taken a cynicalCynicism was originally the philosophy of a group of ancient Greeks called the Cynics main article , founded by Antisthenes. Nowadays the word generally describes, somewhat pejoratively, the opinions of those inclined to disbelieve in human sincerity, in view of traditional romantic relationships.
Although Hitchcock was an enormous starA superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity, such as a star of motion pictures or live theatre, who has great popular appeal and is prominent, or who is a major attraction. These celebrities may include actors, actresses, directors, musicians and athletes during his lifetime, he did not rank highly with film critics of his own day. He never received an Academy AwardBob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. The Academy Awards (often better known as Oscars) are the most prominent film award in the United States. The Awards are granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a p, despite being granted the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio. The French new wave critics, especially François Truffaut, were the first to promote his films as having artistic merit beyond entertainment. Hitchcock was one of the first directors to which they applied their auteur theory, which stresses the centrality of the director in the movie-making process. Indeed, through his fame, public persona, and degree of creative control, Hitchcock transformed the role of the director, which had previously been eclipsed by the producer.
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
Alfred Hitchcock was born 13 August 1899 in Leytonstone, London, the second son and youngest of the three children of William Hitchcock, a greengrocer, and his wife, Emma Jane Hitchcock (nee Whelan). His family was mostly Irish Catholic. Hitchcock was sent to Catholic boarding schools in London. He has said his childhood was very lonely and protected. At 14, Hitchcock lost his father and he left St Ignatius' College, his school at the time, to study at the School for Engineering and Navigation. After graduating, he became a draftsman and advertising designer with a cable company.
About that time, Hitchcock became intrigued by photography and started working in film in London. In 1920, he obtained a full-time job at Islington Studios under its American owners, Players -Lasky, and their British successors, Gainsborough Pictures, designing the titles for silent movies. In 1925, Michael Balcon of Gainsborough Pictures gave him a chance to direct his first film.
