Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Alfred Hitchcock

By Stan Osborne – Wikimedia

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, the master of suspense, was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. His most popular films were the horror movie, Psycho.

He was one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films and worked in the film industry for more than six decades.

Hitchcock made several cameo roles in his films and even hosted a television series for a decade. He won 46 Academy Award nominations. Despite the nominations, he never won an Oscar for Best Director.

Growing up, Hitchcock wanted to be an engineer but this changed after World War I when he took up creative writing. His first creative role was that of a card designer at Islington Studios.

In 1939, he left England headed to Hollywood and had his first American film Rebecca win an Oscar for best picture.

Despite having a successful film career, there were things about him that were unbelievable. Here are the top 10 unbelievable facts about Alfred Hitchcock.

1. Alfred Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar Award

By Minneapolis Tribune – Wikimedia

Hitchcock was awarded the Living G. Thalberg Memorial Award for lifetime achievement. One award that Hitchcock never won was the Oscars.

He was considered to be one of the best film directors and even had 16 of his films nominated for the Oscar Awards. None of them won an Oscar.

Some of his films that got nominated for the Oscar Awards are Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window and Psycho.

Hitchcock’s most memorable speech was when he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1967. He said, “Thank you, very much indeed.”

2. Hitchcock made a documentary about the holocaust

During World War II, many film directors in Hollywood made films about the war for the Allied Forces.

Two of his famous films were for the British Ministry of Information about French resistance fighters. He also made a film about the concentration camp.

Hitchcock had the help of other writers who had witnessed the horrific incidents that happened at the camps.

With this help, Hitchcock was able to direct his cameramen on how to properly film the horror of the death camps.

This film was made for the German audience but the British government stopped its release until the 1980s.

3. At age 5 Hitchcock asked a police officer to lock him up

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Here is another interesting and unbelievable fact about Alfred Hitchcock, he was afraid of the police.

At the age of 5, Hitchcock was sent by his father to the local police station with a note. The note asked the officer to lock him away for five minutes as punishment for misbehaving.

The police officer locked him in a cell for a few minutes. This experience left him with a lifelong fear of policemen.

He even became scared of anything to do with the law. For this reason, Hitchcock never got a driver’s licence in case he got a parking ticket.

4. Hitchcock’s family moved a lot when he was a child

Hitchcock’s parents ran a fish and chips shop as well as selling fish. He attended his first school, the Howrah House Convent in Poplar, which he entered in 1907.

He later attended a primary school near his home and was for a short time a boarder at Salesian College in Battersea.

When he turned 11, his family moved again to Stepney. This move came with him joining St Ignatius College in Stamford Hill, Tottenham.

They used to be caned by the priests at the end of the day. Hitchcock and the rest of the boys would always almost anticipate the punishment. This contributed greatly to his fears.

5. Hitchcock was knighted before he died

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He joked about his delayed award as being a matter of carelessness.

Hitchcock was made a knight in 1980 by Queen Elizabeth II after being appointed as the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.  

He however did not receive the award in person since he was ill. The British Consul presented him with papers at Universal Studios.

6. He started with silent films

Hitchcock’s first film was in silent film. He showcased his unique directing talent through the visuals.

As a film director, he believed that visuals were to be greater than dialogue and sound. The cinematic effects of a film get remembered more than any other thing.

His most successful film, Blackmail, was the first thriller in British films. This was the first British film to have synchronized sound. 

7. Hitchcock loved to pull pranks on others

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As stern as his façade may have seemed, Hitchcock always had some prank up his sleeve.

He loved to play childish pranks on people and the pranks were harmless. One prank that he pulled involved a doll lying with its face down in a coffin.

8. Despite being a horror film director, Hitchcock had fears

Hitchcock loved to terrify his audience with his films but unbeknownst to many he had several phobias.

Some of his phobias were children, oval objects, and police officers. He showcased them in many of his films. These fears had caused his childhood trauma.

His other fear was eggs, yes, he feared egg yolks. Hitchcock also feared watching his own films.

Another equally strange director’s phobia is eggs. The director also admitted that he was afraid to watch his films.

9. Hitchcock never wanted anyone to know the ending of the movie Psycho

By Mike Quinn – Wikimedia

Hitchcock bought up all copies of the original novel of his movie Psycho. He did this because he did not want anyone to know how the story ended.

While filming this movie, Hitchcock had it shot in a closed setting. The crew and cast signed a non-disclosure agreement not to mention the ending to anyone.

He took out advertisements and asked that no one leak the ending to anyone.

10. Believe it or not Hitchcock could not stand his movies

By Stan Osborne – Wikimedia

Hitchcock admitted that he could not watch his own movies. His own films frightened him. He wondered how people were able to watch his films.

Although he termed his fears as being illogical, he said that there was nothing more stupid than logic.

I hope you have enjoyed reading these unbelievable facts about Alfred Hitchcock.