The Sixties

109 min., b/w.
Prod: Alfred Hitchcock for Paramount.
Scr: Joseph Stefano based on a novel by Robert Bloch.
Ca: Robert Burks.
Cut: George Tomasini.
Mu: Bernard Herrman.
Arc: Joseph Hurley and Robert Claworthy.
Cast: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates), Janet Leigh (Marion Crane), Vera Miles (Lila Crane), John Gavin (Sam), Martin Balsam (Arbogast), John McIntire (Chief of Police), Patricia Hitchcock (Caroline), Simon Oakland (the psychiatrist).
Remark: This was the only distinct horror movie he ever made. His reputation as a "horror specialist" is caused solely by this movie, the movie that earned him the fame and appreciation he deserved - i guess all movie lovers know this movie, and most cineasts love it for the obvious qualities as a very effective horror movie. Of course it is one of the very superiour masterpieces of his production, it is undoubtably a must for all true movie lovers.
If his motto "The better the villain, the better the picture!" suited Bruno Anthony in "Strangers on a Train", it is even more suitable for Norman Bates in "Psycho". He is the ultimate Hitchcock hero: an insane serial killer, he makes the audience identify themselves with - by using suspense to perfection.
In this movie he does something unheard of: he is having the female lead murdered halfway through the movie, just when the audience had identified themselves with her. The next character the audience identifies with turns out to be the killer!
This movie contains his most impressive and superiour piece of virtuous montage. This is the classical shower scene, where the female lead is being murdered with a knife. This scene, having a duration of almost a minute in the movie, is composed of 77 different camera angles; in addition it took him seven days to film it - most directors would have done it in one day, using a total an a few close-ups. See the description of The montage.
There is something else uncommon about this movie, he were surprisingly loyal to the literary source, which he normally wasn't.

119 min., colour.
Prod: Alfred Hitchcock for Universal.
Scr: Evan Hunter based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier.
Ca: Robert Burks.
Cut: George Tomasini.
Arc: Robert Boyle.
Sound consultant: Bernard Herrman.
Special effects: Lawrence Hampton.
Cast: Tippi Hedren (Melanie Daniels), Rod Taylor (Mitch Brenner), Jessica Tandy (Mrs. Brenner), Suzanne Pleshette (the teacher).
Remark: This movie isn't just based on the short story specified above. It is also inspired by newspaper articles about actual events were birds assaulted people, events used in some of the movie's scenes. This movie is considered to be one of his principal works. I am not that enthusiastic about it, though, it seems a little worn out by time - the special effects used in this movie was "state of the art", but compared to what is possible today it seems like a bad joke. The problem is that this movie doesn't have the same permanent value, the more psychological and suspensefull movies have.

130 min., colour.
Prod: Alfred Hitchcock for Universal.
Scr: Jay Presson based on a novel by Winston Graham.
Ca: Robert Burks.
Cut: George Tomasini.
Mu: Bernard Herrman.
Arc: Robert Boyle.
Co: Edith Head.
Cast: Tippi Hedren (Marnie), Sean Connery (Mark Rutland), Louise Latham (Mrs. Edgar), Bruce Dern (the sailor).
Remark: This is one of his principal works, without reaching the most superiour masterpieces. This is actually a rather splendid movie that should have been his last one - the succeeding movies didn't reach his normal quality, which is why I consider this movie to be the last "true" Hitchcock movie, produced right before his down trip.

128 min., colour.
Prod: Alfred Hitchcock for Universal.
Scr: Brian Moore.
Ca: John Warren.
Cut: Bud Hoffman.
Mu: John Addison.
Arc: Frank Arrigo.
Co: Edith Head.
Cast: Paul Newman (Michael), Julie Andrews (Sarah), Lila Kedrova (the countess), Wolfgang Kieling (Gromek), Ludwig Donath (the professor).
Remark: This movie is considered to be the worst one in his entire production - even the first hesitant attempts by a young and unexperienced director in the middle twenties gave evidence to much more insight into filmmaking.

125 min., colour.
Prod: Alfred Hitchcock for Universal.
AP: Herbert Coleman.
Scr: Samuel Taylor based on a novel by Leon Uris.
Ca: Jack Hildyard.
Cut: Willian Ziegler.
Mu: Maurice Jarre.
Arc: John Austin and Henry Blumstead.
Co: Edith Head.
Cast: Frederick Stafford (Andre Devereaux), Dany Robin (Nicole Devereaux), Michel Piccoli (Jacques Granville), Philippe Noiret (Henri Jarre), John Forsythe (Michael Nordstrom), Claude Jade (Michele Picard), Michel Subor (Francois Picard), Karin Dor (Juanita).
Remark: If "Torn Curtain" is Hitchcock's worst movie ever, this one have to be an indisputable second - the only challenge to the title. I guess that is all there is to say about this mistake.