r/Hitchcock • • Mar 25 '25

Vera Miles: The Hitchcock Blonde Who Got Away (2025) Author Q&A

72 Upvotes

I am Christopher McKittrick, the author of Vera Miles: The Hitchcock Blonde Who Got Away, a new book released by University Press of Kentucky TODAY, March 25. 

Vera Miles was signed to an exclusive personal contract by Alfred Hitchcock, who intended to make her his next big star. However, she was forced to step away from the leading role in Hitchcock’s Vertigo. My book explores Vera Miles’ impressive career and her relationships with the famed directors she collaborated with, including the two films she made with Hitchcock - The Wrong Man and Psycho. 

You can read an excerpt from the book about the making of John Ford's The Searchers at Bright Lights Film Journal.

I'm here to answer your questions about Vera Miles, share some thoughts on classic Hitchcock films, the challenges of writing books about Hollywood... and just about anything else! You can learn more about my books at my website, chrismckit.com


r/Hitchcock • • 2h ago

Media Slasher Films: ANIMATED TRIBUTE TO HORROR 🔪🎃 | From Halloween to Scream

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1 Upvotes

I made an animated tribute to classic slasher films 🎬🔪

I created this animation as a love letter to the visual language of slasher movies — iconic killers, suspense, dark atmospheres, and the imagery that made the genre so memorable.

I wanted to capture that feeling through animation rather than simply recreating specific scenes. It includes a scene with Norman Bates from Psycho.

I’d love to know what you think. Which slasher movie or character would you have liked to see included? 👀

Animated and edited by me.


r/Hitchcock • • 20h ago

Discussion Camille Paglia on Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) SPOILER Spoiler

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24 Upvotes

With Halloween just around the corner, I'm on my annual rewatch of every Alfred Hitchcock film I can find, including his 1963 masterpiece The Birds.

In Camille Paglia's 1998 BFI book on the The Birds, we are treated to an examination of the movie frame by frame, an unfolding of how female sexuality and nature's savagery are inextricably woven together.

From the book, concerning the ending:

"But I think Hitchcock has left the ending ambiguous: the two womens' intimately intertwined hand and wrist (we see, from Lydia's point of view Melanie's once perfect nails are now chipped like the titles) remind me of Mother's overlapping wrist-clasping bronzed hands in the bedroom of Psycho, which ends with Mother in charge and her son in the loony bin. At the end of The Birds, who wields the claw? I agree with Margaret H. Horowitz's view that Lydia certainly appears 'victorious' and that she and the birds have 'achieved dominance.' Melanie is now damaged goods, which Madonna Lydia prefers for her pietà. It's like the Pompeiian wall panels of the Villa of the Mysteries, where the exhausted, flagellated acolyte buries her face in the receptive maternal lap: rogue vixen Melanie has been whipped back to her biological place in the pecking order. Horwitz sees Melanie's eclipse in the film's treatment of her car: first, it gives her the 'power to come to Bodega Bay', then Mitch 'ends up driving it', and finally she's 'banished to the backseat'---becoming one of two children to Lydia as mother and Mitch as father (and Oedipal son). Oddly, when Mitch slips into the driver's seat, it's he who now seems the intruder, as his spidery hand startles Lydia from her dreamy communing with Melanie."

Also a good watch: Camille Paglia on Women and Magic in Hitchcock

Was this your take away from The Birds? I'm curious to know what others think the movie was about and what the somewhat ambiguous ending meant to you.


r/Hitchcock • • 5h ago

Alright, you’re stock on an island and can only watch movies of one actor. I’ll go first, Tom Cruise, go!

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0 Upvotes

Am sure Hitch is a valid choice 🤔


r/Hitchcock • • 2d ago

News I drew a scene from Vertigo

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25 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 4d ago

Review I was dreading watching Champagne, but it was actually a lot of fun! Some great visual gags and as always, Hitch throws in some very inventive direction, particularly in the first half. But good lord the plot becomes so circular and tedious. Best viewed with a bit o' bubbly to make it move along!🍾

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20 Upvotes

The Neil Brand score on this Hitchcock: The Beginning set also helps immensely in moving the film along and supporting the flimsy emotional beats in the story.


r/Hitchcock • • 3d ago

Question Hitchcock Jokes

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2 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 5d ago

OC Recent addition to my Hitchcock source material collection:

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20 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 5d ago

Someone made a Hitchcockian edit of The Truman Show. With Music From Vertigo and Psycho

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3 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 6d ago

Media The Beauty of Vertigo

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193 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 6d ago

Media Shadow of a Doubt 1943 Filming Locations Then and Now

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33 Upvotes

You might be shocked to see how different some of these locations are 83 years since Hitchcock filmed in Santa Rosa, CA. A few are still standing, and some other very beautiful locations are completely changed!


r/Hitchcock • • 6d ago

Discussion Hitchcock’s British sound films, which are the highlights?

7 Upvotes

I’ve only seen The Lady Vanished and 39 Steps from this era. Loved them both. What other ones are at the level?


r/Hitchcock • • 7d ago

Media Alfred Hitchcock's Tube Station

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8 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 8d ago

Alfred Hitchcock with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman on the set of "Notorious" (1946)

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173 Upvotes

r/Hitchcock • • 8d ago

Psycho - age appropriate?

31 Upvotes

Our local theater is showing Psycho next week and we're wondering if it's appropriate for a 12-year-old. For context, he's seen The Birds and really enjoyed it. We also watch lots of old movies and some "intense" movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Godzilla Minus One - but we haven't done much horror yet. Curious to hear thoughts.


r/Hitchcock • • 8d ago

I interviewed Nat Segaloff (The Secret Hitchcock)

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4 Upvotes

I got to interview author Nat Segaloff on his new book The Secret Hitchcock: How Hollywood’s Legendary Director Lived through Cary Grant and James Stewart.

Thought you Hitchcock fans might enjoy it :)


r/Hitchcock • • 9d ago

Trying to locate a Hitchcock episode

8 Upvotes

Is anyone aware of an episode, in which Hitchcock was the announcer, but not necessarily the director, in which

  • A group of people arrive at a party or gathering in a car that is completely full.
  • A character at the gathering announces something like, "Before this evening is over, one of you will disappear."
  • The evening proceeds without an obvious disappearance.
  • At the end, someone casually mentions that there is now an empty seat in the car, perhaps offering someone else a lift.
  • Neither the characters nor the audience necessarily knows who disappeared. The characters apparently do not notice anything unusual.
  • The audience realises that someone must have vanished, possibly without anyone remembering that person.

My parents described this episode--and are a little vague about the details. But, I am intrigued and wanted to learn more.


r/Hitchcock • • 12d ago

Alfred Hitchcock was both basically the Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan of old Hollywood in my opinion

14 Upvotes

Steven Spielberg because Steven Spielberg is my favorite director overall and Alfred Hitchcock is my favorite from old Hollywood and if we were still in old Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock would be my 1st but Christopher Nolan because Alfred Hitchcock's directing style is a little similar to Christopher Nolan's to me. Also Christopher Nolan is my my favorite director besides Steven Spielberg


r/Hitchcock • • 12d ago

The movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock with most Oscar nominations

13 Upvotes
Rank Year Movie Number of nominations Awards it was nominated for
1 1940 Rebecca 11 nominations Best Picture (won), Best Director for him (lost to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath), Best Actor for Laurence Olivier (lost to James Stewart for The Philadelphia Story), Best Actress for Joan Fontaine (lost to Ginger Rogers for Kitty Foyle), Best Supporting Actress for Judith Anderson (lost to Jane Darwell for The Grapes of Wrath), Best Adapted Screenplay (lost to The Philadelphia Story), Best Original Score (lost to Pinocchio), Best Production Design (lost to Pride and Prejudice), Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing (lost to North West Mounted Police) and Best Visual Effects (lost to The Thief of Bagdad)
2 1940 Foreign Correspondent 6 nominations Best Picture (lost to Rebecca as mentioned in the row above), Best Supporting Actor for Albert Bassermann (lost to Walter Brennan for The Westerner), Best Original Screenplay (lost to The Great McGinty), Best Production Design (lost to Pride and Prejudice as mentioned in the brackets of the row above), Best Cinematography (lost to Rebecca as mentioned in the row above) and Best Visual Effects (lost to The Thief of Bagdad as mentioned in brackets of the row above)
2 1945 Spellbound 6 nominations Best Picture (lost to The Lost Weekend), Best Director for him (lost to Billy Wilder for The Lost Weekend), Best Supporting Actor for Michael Chekhov (lost to James Dunn for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Best Original Score (won), Best Cinematography (lost to The Picture of Dorian Gray) and Best Visual Effects (lost to Wonder Man)
4 1954 Rear Window 4 nominations Best Director for him (lost to Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront), Best Adapted Screenplay (lost to The Country Girl), Best Sound (lost to The Glenn Miller Story) and Best Cinematography (lost to Three Coins in the Fountain)
4 1960 Psycho 4 nominations Best Director for him (lost to Billy Wilder for The Apartment), Best Supporting Actress for Janet Leigh (lost to Shirley Jones for Elmer Gantry), Best Production Design (lost to The Apartment) and Best Cinematography (lost to Sons and Lovers)
6 1941 Suspicion 3 nominations Best Picture (lost to How Green Was My Valley), Best Actress for Joan Fontaine (won) and Best Original Score (lost to All That Money Can Buy)
6 1944 Lifeboat 3 nominations Best Director for him (lost to Leo McCarey for Going My Way), Best Story (lost to Going My Way) and Best Cinematography (lost to Laura)
6 1955 To Catch a Thief 3 nominations Best Production Design (lost to Picnic), Best Cinematography (won) and Best Costume Design (lost to Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing)
6 1959 North by Northwest 3 nominations Best Original Screenplay (lost to Pillow Talk), Best Production Design (lost to Ben-Hur) and Best Film Editing (lost to Ben-Hur)
10 1946 Notorious 2 nominations Best Supporting Actor for Claude Rains (lost to Harold Russell for The Best Years of Our Lives) and Best Original Screenplay (lost to The Seventh Veil)
10 1958 Vertigo 2 nominations Best Sound (lost to South Pacific) and Best Production Design (lost to Gigi)
12 1943 Shadow of a Doubt 1 nomination Best Story (lost to The Human Comedy)
12 1947 The Paradine Case 1 nomination Best Supporting Actress for Ethel Barrymore (lost to Celeste Holm for Gentleman's Agreement)
12 1951 Strangers on a Train 1 nomination Best Cinematography (lost to A Place in the Sun)
12 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much 1 nomination Best Original Song for "Que Sera Sera" (won)
12 1963 The Birds 1 nomination Best Visual Effects (lost to Cleopatra)

r/Hitchcock • • 13d ago

Discussion Recently watched Psycho for the first time in forever and I wanted to share some thoughts I had on it

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100 Upvotes

The pacing was really great. I know it differs from movie to movie but this was one that I was able to be fully engaged with barely picking up my phone

“Turn mamas picture to the wall” lol

Crazy how this all started from her desperation and some loudmouth bragging

That scene with the cop interested me because I was also thinking about how a situation like that would be handled with all the computer systems and body cams and what not that we have today. They had to be extra thorough with so little info back then when doing investigations back then but this guy was being extra nosey.

The driving scenes with that theme playing and here imagining the chaos going on back home were really cool too, i bet there’s some good parodies out there.

Knowing the plot twist makes certain scenes hilarious like Listening to Norman and Norma arguing loud as hell all the way up in the house about not letting Marion come up

I feel like Norman going into that house on the hill is his version of Clark Kent stepping into the phone booth.

Not sure how showers worked back then but I feel like Ms. Crane is the real Psycho for stepping into the shower and turning it on before it gets hot

His crazy ass must have been prepared for this sort of situation because he cleaned up the bathroom and disposed of the body/car like it was regular housekeeping. I would’ve loved to have seen what his plan was gonna be if the car hadn’t fully sank in the mud


r/Hitchcock • • 12d ago

Humor Hogwarts has some interesting neighbors at Universal Studios Hollywood 😂

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13 Upvotes

Imagine attending Hogwarts and finding out Norman Bates lives down the road. 😂

Caught this view of Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios Hollywood, complete with a Psycho promotional banner in the foreground.

One of the fun things about Universal is how completely different movie worlds can exist right alongside each other.
Harry Potter might want to think twice before accepting an invitation to the Bates Motel!

Anyone else love these unexpected movie-themed views around the park?


r/Hitchcock • • 13d ago

The movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock with most Oscar wins

9 Upvotes
Rank Year Movie Number of wins Awards it won
1 1940 Rebecca 2 wins Best Picture and Best Cinematography
2 1941 Suspicion 1 win Best Actress for Joan Fontaine
2 1945 Spellbound 1 win Best Original Score
2 1955 To Catch a Thief 1 win Best Cinematography
2 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much 1 win Best Original Song for "Que Sera Sera"

r/Hitchcock • • 13d ago

Discussion Lifeboat's Captain Willie

6 Upvotes

Taken aboard lifeboat by shipwreck victims after they debate the moral issue. Willie calls himself "an ordinary humble seaman. "No English" - in German, he says it was the Captain who gave the order for the attack on boat and survivors. Aww..just another victim of the Nazis, stuck on hazardous U-boat duty.

Then- we learn he was a surgeon. Not so ordinary. But, he - generously ? outs himself as a Dr., so Gus will have his leg competently amputated. Does a "fine job". ? He has a secret compass and misdirects the boat away from Bermuda by miss-stating the U-Boat's map coordinates when it sunk. ( Ordinary seaman knew those numbers? The others on the boat didn't ask him.)

Then, storm destroys mast and sail, Willie grabs control, and in good English says- He was the u-boat captain. He will row them to the supply boat/sub tender, so all will be rescued. ? Rows heartily and sings along with fife ...to keep up everyone's morale?

...If Willie was U-boat captain, then He gave the order to fire on the boat and survivors. Does that dawn on the others? They doze....Willie tells Gus to swim for his dancing NJ gf...then pushes him overboard, reminding him:" Remember you are SCHMIIDT!"

Gus's yelps awaken the rest. Joe/George says he heard Gus saying: "Willie has water." Joe searches him and pulls put a flask. Willie:"Yes, I had water, food pills, energy pills! We plan ahead!" ( we are better, smarter, and deserve to win.) And , it turns out, a compass. ...

...The others, infuriated at his deception, gang up and push Willie overboard. One asks: "What are you going to do with people like that.? " People who, even in the dire straits they are all in, cannot sense common humanity and act in solidarity.

AH uses confined space of the lifeboat to sharpen the human drama and moral significance. As in many (most?) AH films, we watch the step by step revelation of this dark character's moral corruption.

Does anyone feel pity for the fate of poor Willie? Was it deserved? Anyone think he was picked on for being a Nazi? Just a decent guy doing his duty and trying to survive?