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From: Raja, The Great on 15 Jul 2010 22:31
A nice article... I have watched all these movies...except The Birds,
I like all of them. I am not a very big fan of either North By
Northwest (a James Bond type movie which I didn't find too thrilling)
or Vertigo (somewhat cold, I couldn't sympathize with any character).
I like the early ones better. Unlike most people I think his best era
was from 1938 - The Lady Vanishes to 1946 - Notorious). But I do like
some of his latter movies like Dial M For Murder and Psycho very much.
I would replace The Birds with Rebecca or Shadow Of A Doubt, both are
absolute masterpieces in my opinion. I also like Lifeboat, his most
underrated movie.

http://classicfilm.about.com/od/actorsanddirectors/tp/Best-Hitchcock-Movie-List.htm

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Alfred Hitchcock had a long, productive career making fine movies that
all bore his distinctive trademarks, all including a cameo by the
portly "Master of Suspense" himself. Some of them were masterpieces;
all of them are entertaining. Here's a list of nine of the best Alfred
Hitchcock movies.

1. 'The 39 Steps' - 1935
Made during his early career in Britain, The 39 Steps is stamped with
Hitchcock movie hallmarks - an innocent man on the run, unwillingly
accompanied by an icy blonde who's not sure she can trust him. It's an
involving espionage mystery that jaunts across the streets of London
to the Scottish countryside, with a tight plot and clever dialogue.
There's good chemistry between Robert Donat as the plucky Canadian
hero and Madeleine Carroll literally handcuffed together. Donat is
delightful when he is mistaken for a political candidate and has to
give a rousing, impromptu speech - a scene Hitchcock would repeat in
subsequent films.

2. 'The Lady Vanishes' - 1938
Suppose you're chatting with a charming old lady on a train. You doze
off, - and the lady vanishes. What's more, no one on the train will
believe that she was ever there, That's the problem Hitchcock sets
plucky Margaret Lockwood and fellow traveler Michael Redgrave, the
only other passenger willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. A
great cast with Dame May Whitty as the disappearing Miss Froy and a
stable of terrific comic English actors rounds out the mystery, and
the fun. There's always sly or macabre humor in Hitchcock films, but
The Lady Vanishes may be his most amusing movie - one of the last he
made in England, and a box-office success that helped ensure his
welcome in Hollywood.

3. 'Notorious' - 1946
Tense espionage thriller with Hitchcock's favorite actor, Cary Grant,
as an upright American agent and Ingrid Bergman as the daughter of a
German spy. Bergman - at heart an American patriot - is a notorious
party girl and a drinker. Grant recruits her as an agent to infiltrate
a Nazi plot in Rio, and of course falls in love with her. Despite a
passionate kissing scene that runs three minutes, they can't quite get
their act together. Cary fails to claim her, and lets her go off to
serve her country in the arms of the chief local Nazi, Claude Rains.
Terrific sexual tension and nail-biting suspense, along with great
examples of Hitchcock "McGuffins" (in this case a key and some wine
bottles) that serve both as plot devices and symbols.

4. 'Strangers on a Train' - 1951
Yet another chance Hitchcock meeting of strangers on a train - this
one with a strong homoerotic subtext and a particularly nasty murder.
Professional tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets idle rich
boy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), who turns out to know quite a bit
about Guy - enough to propose a bizarre double murder. He'll get rid
of Guy's coarse and cheating wife, and Guy will do away with Bruno's
domineering dad, who's withholding the trust fund. The idea is that
they'll each have alibis and escape detection. Walker is truly creepy;
there are some unforgettable camera angles and set shots; and a
terrifying climax with an out-of control carousel. Thrilling stuff.

5. 'Rear Window' - 1954
No trains here, but Hitchcockian voyeurism and obsession are on full
display. Photographer Jimmy Stewart is laid up with a broken leg,
spying on his fellow New Yorker in a courtyard surrounded by apartment
houses. Seen from his rear window, they're funny, lonely, lively and
possibly deadly, in the case of the mysterious traveling salesman
whose sickly, nagging wife suddenly disappears. Stewart enlists the
help of his gorgeous girlfriend, elegant Grace Kelly as a Park Avenue
fashion model/designer, to solve the mystery. A bizarrely original
plot, ingenious set and heart-pounding suspense highlight Rear Window,
along with a fascinating look at the open windows of New York
apartment life in the days before air conditioning.
Read Review

6. 'Vertigo' - 1958
I favor North by Northwest, but many see Vertigo, a brooding
exploration of obsession, failed nerve and lost love as Hitchcock's
masterpiece movie. It's filmed in a dreamlike haze on the oddly empty
streets of San Francisco, as Jimmy Stewart pursues Kim Novak, another
elegant Hitchcock blonde, who seems to slip in and out of her dead
great-grandmother's persona. Here again is the central Hitchcock motif
of a pair of lovers who are made for each other, but can't quite come
to a place of trust, and for good reason. The plot's a little iffy,
but that's not the point in this almost surreal tale. You'll find
yourself thinking back on its slow, dreamy scenes for days after you
see it.

7. 'North by Northwest' - 1959
This one's got just about every Hitchcock theme stuffed masterfully
inside. A "chance" meeting on a train, mistaken identity, a man
falsely accused, an icy blonde, a little voyeurism, a touch of
homoeroticism, a woman sent to seduce a spy for love of her country
and locations that range from Madison Avenue to Mount Rushmore. Whew!
Its all wildly entertaining, with Cary Grant as the impossibly
debonair, quick-thinking hero, Eva-Marie Saint as the ice-blonde femme
fatale, James Mason as the dastardly spy and Martin Landau as his too-
devoted henchman. Witty dialogue, a breakneck pace and a microfilm
McGuffin. People, what are you waiting for? Go watch this movie. And
if you've already seen it, go watch it again!
Read Review

8. 'Psycho' - 1960
Not Hitchcock's best film, but perhaps his most famous. Shocking in
its day, it seems tame by modern horror movie standards, but it can
still pack a jolt or two. Janet Leigh is a comely criminal who rips
off her boss and makes a very bad decision to spend a night at the
Bates Motel. There she meets Norman Bates, mild-mannered momma's boy
and serious psycho. He likes to spy on motel guests (voyeurism again)
and gets a little agitated, which leads to the infamous shower scene.
With its famous screeching-violin score by Bernard Herrman, it seems a
bit campy now, but countless horror movies owe a great deal to this
classic Hitchcock film.

9. 'The Birds' - 1963
Bizarre and absolutely unforgettable, Hitchcock's The Birds is the
story of an inexplicable avian attack on a quiet seaside town. For no
apparent reason, the birds attack kids at birthday parties, innocent
farmers and school teachers in vicious, mindless waves. While it's
tempting to see it as an ecological fable, the film really has more to
do with primal human forces. It's Hitchcock's trademark exploration of
men with strong mothers and the relative attractions of icy blondes
like Tippi Hedren versus earthy beauties like Suzanne Pleshette.
Trained birds, mechanical birds and animated birds make for
spectacular scenes of menace, and the vision of crows settling
silently on a school playground, one by one, will stay with you.
From: Scott on 16 Jul 2010 06:49
"I have watched all these movies...except The Birds,
I like all of them. I am not a very big fan of either North By
Northwest (a James Bond type movie which I didn't find too thrilling)
or Vertigo (somewhat cold, I couldn't sympathize with any character).
I like the early ones better."

NxNW inspired the James Bond film canon. the Bond series was born in
NxNW.

i saw Vertigo recently. it is amazingly absurd and unbelievable, yet
i think it is on a short list of great American movies. no one has
really captured the futility of believing quite like Hitchcock's V.
Jimmy Stewart is also excellent; there's not a wrong note with any of
his lines.

a forgotten film from his early days is 'Young and Innocent'. it is
solid.

my favorite AH movies are probably:

1. Notorious
2. Rear Window
3. Vertigo
4. the Lady Vanishes
5. Strangers on a Train
6. Psycho
7. Shadow of a Doubt
8. N x NW
9. 39 Steps
10. Young and Innocent

From: Raja, The Great on 16 Jul 2010 06:56
On Jul 16, 5:49 am, Scott <scott...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> "I have watched all these movies...except The Birds,
> I like all of them. I am not a very big fan of either North By
> Northwest (a James Bond type movie which I didn't find too thrilling)
> or Vertigo (somewhat cold, I couldn't sympathize with any character).
> I like the early ones better."
>
> NxNW inspired the James Bond film canon.  the Bond series was born in
> NxNW.
>
> i saw Vertigo recently.  it is amazingly absurd and unbelievable, yet
> i think it is on a short list of great American movies.  no one has
> really captured the futility of believing quite like Hitchcock's V.
> Jimmy Stewart is also excellent; there's not a wrong note with any of
> his lines.

I think Jimmy was good. He does this desperate kind of roles very
well. Even in Rear Window, he was at his best, when he was in
desperate situations. But I did not like Kim Novak. She was very
wooden.

>
> a forgotten film from his early days is 'Young and Innocent'.  it is
> solid.
>
> my favorite AH movies are probably:
>
> 1. Notorious
> 2. Rear Window
> 3. Vertigo
> 4. the Lady Vanishes
> 5. Strangers on a Train
> 6. Psycho
> 7. Shadow of a Doubt
> 8. N x NW
> 9.  39 Steps
> 10. Young and Innocent

Great list, what about Rebecca? I haven't seen Young and Innocent. I
like it that you have The Lady Vanishes that high. It is a great
movie. What about Dial M For Murder? Have you seen Rope or Lifeboat?
They are great experimental movies.
From: Scott on 16 Jul 2010 07:18
On Jul 16, 6:56 am, "Raja, The Great" <zepflo...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jul 16, 5:49 am, Scott <scott...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > "I have watched all these movies...except The Birds,
> > I like all of them. I am not a very big fan of either North By
> > Northwest (a James Bond type movie which I didn't find too thrilling)
> > or Vertigo (somewhat cold, I couldn't sympathize with any character).
> > I like the early ones better."
>
> > NxNW inspired the James Bond film canon.  the Bond series was born in
> > NxNW.
>
> > i saw Vertigo recently.  it is amazingly absurd and unbelievable, yet
> > i think it is on a short list of great American movies.  no one has
> > really captured the futility of believing quite like Hitchcock's V.
> > Jimmy Stewart is also excellent; there's not a wrong note with any of
> > his lines.
>
> I think Jimmy was good. He does this desperate kind of roles very
> well. Even in Rear Window, he was at his best, when he was in
> desperate situations. But I did not like Kim Novak. She was very
> wooden.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > a forgotten film from his early days is 'Young and Innocent'.  it is
> > solid.
>
> > my favorite AH movies are probably:
>
> > 1. Notorious
> > 2. Rear Window
> > 3. Vertigo
> > 4. the Lady Vanishes
> > 5. Strangers on a Train
> > 6. Psycho
> > 7. Shadow of a Doubt
> > 8. N x NW
> > 9.  39 Steps
> > 10. Young and Innocent
>
> Great list, what about Rebecca? I haven't seen Young and Innocent. I
> like it that you have The Lady Vanishes that high. It is a great
> movie. What about Dial M For Murder? Have you seen Rope or Lifeboat?
> They are great experimental movies.-

shoot...i forgot about Rope, Lifeboat and Rebecca. they are all
awesome.

Lifeboat is Hitchcock at his most real (i.e., complete opposite of N x
NW and V). it has some really inspiring scenes at the end. in a
particular scene, Tallulah Bankhead has lines that are unforgettable;
not just in Hitchcock's catalogue but everyone else's.

Rope deals with the dual-psychology of crime and hypocrisy. it
doesn't have a wrong note. (that is, unless you count Jimmy Stewart's
toupee.) you gotta love the experimental way of filming it via single
camera.

Rebecca really pulls you in. actually, (i'd put it ahead of Lady
Vanishes.) It starts out as a gothic romance, becomes a mystery and a
horror story. it has a terrific sequence at the end.

Suspicion is similiar to Rebecca; a gothic romance becomes a thriller.
I love the character of Bunky. Ultimately, it is a nice cheat. you
gotta love how you were teased throughout.

Dial M is a great play adaptation. The foundation of the story is the
clever twist at the end; that didn't come from AH. however, it is put
together very well. )Ray Milland fans may still prefer Gaslight,
though.)
From: Raja, The Great on 16 Jul 2010 08:31
On Jul 16, 6:18 am, Scott <scott...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Jul 16, 6:56 am, "Raja, The Great" <zepflo...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jul 16, 5:49 am, Scott <scott...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > "I have watched all these movies...except The Birds,
> > > I like all of them. I am not a very big fan of either North By
> > > Northwest (a James Bond type movie which I didn't find too thrilling)
> > > or Vertigo (somewhat cold, I couldn't sympathize with any character).
> > > I like the early ones better."
>
> > > NxNW inspired the James Bond film canon.  the Bond series was born in
> > > NxNW.
>
> > > i saw Vertigo recently.  it is amazingly absurd and unbelievable, yet
> > > i think it is on a short list of great American movies.  no one has
> > > really captured the futility of believing quite like Hitchcock's V.
> > > Jimmy Stewart is also excellent; there's not a wrong note with any of
> > > his lines.
>
> > I think Jimmy was good. He does this desperate kind of roles very
> > well. Even in Rear Window, he was at his best, when he was in
> > desperate situations. But I did not like Kim Novak. She was very
> > wooden.
>
> > > a forgotten film from his early days is 'Young and Innocent'.  it is
> > > solid.
>
> > > my favorite AH movies are probably:
>
> > > 1. Notorious
> > > 2. Rear Window
> > > 3. Vertigo
> > > 4. the Lady Vanishes
> > > 5. Strangers on a Train
> > > 6. Psycho
> > > 7. Shadow of a Doubt
> > > 8. N x NW
> > > 9.  39 Steps
> > > 10. Young and Innocent
>
> > Great list, what about Rebecca? I haven't seen Young and Innocent. I
> > like it that you have The Lady Vanishes that high. It is a great
> > movie. What about Dial M For Murder? Have you seen Rope or Lifeboat?
> > They are great experimental movies.-
>
> shoot...i forgot about Rope, Lifeboat and Rebecca.  they are all
> awesome.
>
> Lifeboat is Hitchcock at his most real (i.e., complete opposite of N x
> NW and V).  it has some really inspiring scenes at the end.  in a
> particular scene, Tallulah Bankhead has lines that are unforgettable;
> not just in Hitchcock's catalogue but everyone else's.

Tallulah back when she was young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfibtX7YIZ4
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