8/13/1899 The Master of Suspense is born

August 13, 1899. The last year of the nineteenth century saw the birth of one of the greatest film directors of the twentieth.  I don't imagine I need to tell you what Alfred Hitchcock contributed to the mystery field, but I'll mention a few.  He made masterpieces (Vertigo, Psycho). He experimented (Rope, The Wrong Man, Lifeboat). With The Birds he invented a genre that has seldom been done as well.   The Thirty-Nine Steps (based on John Buchan's novel) introduced the hero-chased-by-villains-AND-cops story which has been used thousands of times - including brilliant reworkings by the Master himself.

The plot of Vertigo  has more holes than a politician's alibi.  Don't care.  It's still my favorite movie.

5/28/1954 M is dialed on the big screen

May 28, 1954.  This date saw the release of Alfred Hitchcock's version of Dial M For Murder, starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.  It is a tale of adultery, blackmail, and attempted murder, featuring a perfect crime that doesn't go perfectly.

The studio insisted on filming it in 3-D, which acounts for a lot of things being pushed toward the camera, but it basically went to theatres "flat."  The story was by no means flat and neither was the relationship between the director and Grace Kelly which lasted for two more films and certainly influenced the rest of Hitchcock's career. 

1/12/1943 Shadow of a Doubt released

January 12, 1943.  On this date Shadow of a Doubt was released.  It was a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie: Charlie (Teresa Wright) is a teenage girl in a small California and she's thrilled when her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotton) comes to town.  The only problem is, he might be a serial killer...

1/3/1960 Man From The South

January 3, 1960.  Alfred Hitchcock.  Roald Dahl.  Steve McQueen.  Peter Lorre. 

How's that for a line-up?

On this day Alfred Hitchcock Presents offered "Man From The South," based on a short story by Roald Dahl.  McQueen plays a gambler who meets a strange man (Lorre, of course) who offers a bizarre bet: If McQueen's cigarette lighter lights ten times in a row, he wins the man's car; if it doesn't Lorre will cut off the gambler's finger.  Creepy?  Oh yeah...

You can see it here.

8/3/1955 To Catch A Thief released

August 3, 1955.  One of Hitchcock's most stylish flicks was released on this date.  To Catch A Thief was his third collaboration with Cary Grant (Pop quiz, Hitchcock fans!  How fast can you name the other three?).  The story of a retired cat burglar trying to prove he isn't the one robbing mansions on the Riviera was nominated for three Oscars and won one.  A more bitter loss for Hitchcock was that Grace Kelly fell in love with Prince Rainier of Monaco, and stopped making movies.