Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors. His movies are immensely entertaining, and utterly rewatchable, but also incredibly crafted and full of deep themes and meaning.
His best films were made in America (though there are still plenty of good ones made during his British period) and this book digs deep into how America influenced the great director and how he influenced American culture.
As much as I love movies I don’t actually read a lot of books about them. I do read a lot of articles online, but my library is definitely lacking in good books about cinema.
I read and reviewed this one for Cinema Sentries. Judging by the shortness of my review I don’t think I really loved it, or at least I didn’t have much to say about it. Books like this are hard to review because they are well-researched and informative, but also quite dull. Anyway, my review is here.
themidnightcafe.org 
” his best films were made in america”?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WHO SAYS??? Who the hell is this guy???? Marnie,Doris day?????? Hitch made his best films in ENGLAND..PERIOD.” The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much,The Lady Vanages,Sabatoge,Strangers on a Train…..his American movies are ” better ” than these?!?!?!?!? Sorry,they’re not even close.
I love all those films (as I noted in my post he made lots of good films in Britain) but I’d argue Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Rope, etc are better films. Just my opinion. also Strangers on a Train was made during his American period.
Hey Matt,no problem at all.We all have our favorites. Mine just happen to be the early British. Thanks for the respectful response which isn’t always the case with these sites. Enjoy Hitch and alltge other greats…..
One of my favorite Hitchcock films is ‘Family Plot’, which was described by critics as a ‘screwball comedy’. I loved Bruce Dern’s character as the cabbie who passed himself off as a lawyer. Barbara Harris drove a white ’66 Mustang in the film, and I fell in love with that car. Consequently, my first car was a ’66 Mustang, but mine was turquoise in color. (I couldn’t find a white one when I bought mine in 1982.)
Sadly that was to be Hitchcock’s last film.
Oh that is a good one. It is often overlooked as it came so late in his career and came at a time when his style was going out of fashion, but I like it a lot.