Alfred Hitchcock is fascinating to film lovers, and I've read several books that feature the director, his life, and his movies. In this book, Laurence Leamer approaches the subject from the perspective of the blonde actresses that captivated Hitchcock and played leading roles in his pictures.
Alfred Hitchcock
I want to say up front that - for the most part - I enjoyed the narratives about the actress's lives, which include anecdotes about their families, boyfriends, husbands, children, jobs, travel, film careers, etc. I do think Leamer took too much delight describing the women's sexual peccadilloes, and for me there was a whiff of misogyny in Leamer's attitude to the ladies.
This is especially clear in the author's chapters about Tippi Hedren, whom Leamer seems to dislike. Hedren has been very open about Hitchcock sexually harassing her, and Leamer becomes an apologist for the director. In fact, the author dismisses most of Hedren's accusations as 'misunderstanding' things Hitchcock said and did (How would Leamer know?) and consistently suggests she's a sub-par actress.
Leamer also appears to know what's in people's minds, and he writes that Hedren didn't love her husband Noel Marshall, and Noel didn't love her, and they were using each other, and so on. Leamer goes on to denigrate their work together on films, to criticize their animal preserve, etc. For the record, I've read Hedren's book "Tippi: A Memoir" and I believe her about Hitchcock's behavior.
I'm actually shocked that some of Leamer's more outrageous passages passed muster with an editor. That said, most of the book is quite interesting, and I (mostly) enjoyed the overview of Hitchcock, the blonde actresses, and the movies they made with the famous director.
In addition to the stories about the performers, I liked the snippets about Hitchcock's life, personality, and career. The author mentions Hitchcock's love of pranks; his penchant for telling raunchy stories; his outsize appetite for good food and fine wine; his and his wife's home, filled with beautiful art; his compulsion to make one movie after another; his dismay when a favorite leading lady took up with a suitor; the screenwriters he worked with; and more.
Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville
*****
Alfred Hitchcock grew up in a devout Catholic family and seems to have been sexually repressed. Considering himself overweight and homely, Hitchcock was self-conscious about his appearance and timid in relationships with women. However, at the age of 27, Hitchcock married feisty Alma Reville - a screenwriter and film editor - who was a loyal partner for Hitchcock's entire life. Hitchcock was devoted to his wife, but was fascinated by the beautiful blonde women he put in his films.
Hitchcock had a rather odd attitude towards his leading ladies. He often felt the need to take them down a peg, and "would turn on the actress in measures both deliberately cruel and casually thoughtless." Hitchcock also had a reputation for regaling his leading ladies with smutty stories and dirty jokes, in a seemingly blatant attempt to make them uncomfortable.
Leamer highlights eight actresses that intrigued the director. I'm just going to mention the movies each woman made with Hitchcock. To learn more of their fascinating histories, you can read Leamer's book.
⦿ June Howard-Tripp
June Howard-Tripp was brought to Hitchcock's attention by screen idol Ivor Novello, who suggested the director cast June in a film.
June starred in Hitchcock's 1927 movie 'The Lodger', about a serial killer who was murdering blonde women in London. The lead actor in the movie was Ivor Novello, and June played the role of Daisy Bunting, a working class model who lived with her family. The Bunting family took in a lodger......and the movie goes on from there. This was the only film June made with Hitchcock.
June Howard-Tripp and Ivor Novello in 'The Lodger'
⦿ Madeleine Carroll
Madeleine Carroll was in a film co-written by Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville before she was cast in a movie by the director.
Madeleine's first movie with Hitchcock was the 1935 film 'The 39 Steps', about a man (played by Robert Donat) who's falsely accused of murder. To keep the suspect from fleeing, the police handcuff him to a witness called Pamela (played by Madeleine Carroll), and the twosome escape and go on the run. According to Leamer, "Hitchcock understood that the linking together relates more to sex than anything else", and it seems sex is a theme in all Hitchcock movies.
Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat in 'The 39 Steps'
Madeleine also starred in Hitchcock's 1936 film, 'The Secret Agent', in which Madeleine plays Elsa Carrington, a woman asked to help kill a German spy.
⦿ Ingrid Bergman
When Hitchcock first saw Bergman, he was taken with her beauty and sexuality, and decided he had to cast her in a film. In all, Ingrid starred in three Hitchcock movies.
In 1945's 'Spellbound', Ingrid plays a psychoanalyst named Dr. Constance Peterson, who works at Green Manors mental sanatorium in Vermont. Constance falls in love with the new head of the institute, Dr. Anthony Edwardes (played by Gregory Peck). Dr. Edwardes is a troubled man, and Constance helps him "reach deep within his psyche to retrieve the truths that save him."
Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck in 'Spellbound'
In 1946's 'Notorious', Ingrid's role is Alicia Huberman, a woman of loose morals whose father is a convicted Nazi spy. FBI agent T. R. Devlin (played by Cary Grant) convinces Alicia to spy on her father's Nazi comrades.
Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in 'Notorious'
In 1949's 'Under Capricorn', Ingrid plays Lady Henrietta, an alcoholic aristocrat who has come to live in early nineteenth-century Australia. The story is a mystery involving a love triangle.
⦿ Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly, renowned for her beauty, was sure to catch Hitchcock's eye. Grace made three movies with Hitchcock.
In 1954's 'Dial M for Murder', Grace plays Margo Wendice, a woman having an affair with an American writer (played by Robert Cummings). Margo's husband (played by Ray Milland) finds out, and arranges to have Margo murdered, but Margo manages to kill her attacker. She's then arrested for murder.
Grace Kelly and Ray Milland in 'Dial M for Murder'
In 1954's 'Rear Window', a photojournalist called Jeff Jeffries (played by James Stewart) - hobbled by a broken leg - sits at his window peeping into the apartments of his neighbors. Grace plays Jeff's girlfriend, fashion executive Lisa Fremont. Jeff believes he sees a murder across the way, and he and Lisa investigate the incident.
Grace Kelly and James Stewart in 'Rear Window'
In 1955's 'To Catch a Thief', Grace plays Francie Stevens, an American heiress who's come to Cannes with her mother, in pursuit of a husband. The potential husband is John Robie (played by Cary Grant), a retired jewel thief. Meanwhile, there's a new cat burglar in town, who's copying Robie's methods, and the police suspect Robie's at work again.
Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in 'To Catch a Thief'
⦿ Kim Novak
When Hitchcock began working with Kim Novak, she was already a celebrity, with her throaty voice, provocative figure, and girl-next-door appeal.
The only movie Kim made with Hitchcock was 1957's 'Vertigo.' In this movie, a retired police detective called Scottie Ferguson (played by James Stewart) has an intense fear of heights. An old college buddy hires Scottie to follow his heiress wife Madeleine (played by Kim Novak), who's behaving strangely. Scottie falls in love with Madeleine, who later jumps from a church tower while acrophobic Scottie is helpless to stop her. Once Scottie recovers from the terrible experience he happens to see a factory worker named Judy (played by Kim Novak) who seems to be Madeleine's double.....and the rest is history.
Kim Novak and James Stewart in 'Vertigo'
⦿ Eva Marie Saint
Eva Marie Saint made one movie with Hitchcock. In 1959's 'North by Northwest', Eva Marie played Eve Kendall, the girlfriend of a communist spy named Philip Vandamm (played by James Mason). Vandamm mistakes businessman Roger Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) for a government agent, and frames him for murder. As Thornhill is on the run from the police he meets Eve Kendall on a train, and she tries to help him.
Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant in 'North by Northwest'
⦿ Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh was a well-known movie star when she filmed the 1960 movie 'Psycho', her only film with Hitchcock. In 'Psycho' Janet's character is Marion Crane, an office worker in Phoenix. When Marion gets the chance, she steals $40,000 from her boss and takes off to join her boyfriend Sam Loomis (played by John Gavin) in California. Along the way, Marion stops at a motel for the night, and meets motel owner Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). That evening, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower (this is one of the most famous scenes in movie history).
Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins in 'Psycho'
⦿ Tippi Hedren
Hitchcock discovered Tippi Hedren in an ad for a diet drink, where he was struck by her beauty and jaunty stride. Tippi made two films with Hitchcock, the first being 1963's 'The Birds.'
In 'The Birds', Tippi plays spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels, who happens to meet Mitch Brenner (played by Rod Taylor) in a pet store, where he's looking for a gift for his sister. On a whim, Melanie purchases two lovebirds and delivers them to Mitch's family home in Bodega Bay. While Melanie's in town, vicious birds start to attack the residents.
Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor in 'The Birds'
In 1964's movie 'Marnie', Tippi plays a compulsive thief named Marnie who "moves from employer to employer, stealing from them and moving on." Marnie's new boss, Mark Rutland (played by Sean Connery) decides to marry Marnie and help her find the psychological reason for her thievery, so she can mend her ways.
Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in 'Marnie'
*****
In March, 1979 Hitchcock received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award, where he received tributes from many members of the film industry. Leamer writes, "The most profound tribute to Hitchcock came not from spoken words but from film clips......one after another they appeared interspersed throughout the evening." Leamer goes on, "These shots from films made over the course of five decades in England and Hollywood testified to the compelling entertainment Hitchcock created and the unprecedented longevity of his career."
Hitchcock's blondes - and their eventful lives - are an interesting subject and I recommend the book to film fans.
Thanks to Netgalley, Laurence Leamer, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of the manuscript.
Alfred Hitchcock grew up in a devout Catholic family and seems to have been sexually repressed. Considering himself overweight and homely, Hitchcock was self-conscious about his appearance and timid in relationships with women. However, at the age of 27, Hitchcock married feisty Alma Reville - a screenwriter and film editor - who was a loyal partner for Hitchcock's entire life. Hitchcock was devoted to his wife, but was fascinated by the beautiful blonde women he put in his films.
Hitchcock had a rather odd attitude towards his leading ladies. He often felt the need to take them down a peg, and "would turn on the actress in measures both deliberately cruel and casually thoughtless." Hitchcock also had a reputation for regaling his leading ladies with smutty stories and dirty jokes, in a seemingly blatant attempt to make them uncomfortable.
Leamer highlights eight actresses that intrigued the director. I'm just going to mention the movies each woman made with Hitchcock. To learn more of their fascinating histories, you can read Leamer's book.
⦿ June Howard-Tripp
June Howard-Tripp was brought to Hitchcock's attention by screen idol Ivor Novello, who suggested the director cast June in a film.
June starred in Hitchcock's 1927 movie 'The Lodger', about a serial killer who was murdering blonde women in London. The lead actor in the movie was Ivor Novello, and June played the role of Daisy Bunting, a working class model who lived with her family. The Bunting family took in a lodger......and the movie goes on from there. This was the only film June made with Hitchcock.
June Howard-Tripp and Ivor Novello in 'The Lodger'
⦿ Madeleine Carroll
Madeleine Carroll was in a film co-written by Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville before she was cast in a movie by the director.
Madeleine's first movie with Hitchcock was the 1935 film 'The 39 Steps', about a man (played by Robert Donat) who's falsely accused of murder. To keep the suspect from fleeing, the police handcuff him to a witness called Pamela (played by Madeleine Carroll), and the twosome escape and go on the run. According to Leamer, "Hitchcock understood that the linking together relates more to sex than anything else", and it seems sex is a theme in all Hitchcock movies.
Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat in 'The 39 Steps'
Madeleine also starred in Hitchcock's 1936 film, 'The Secret Agent', in which Madeleine plays Elsa Carrington, a woman asked to help kill a German spy.
⦿ Ingrid Bergman
When Hitchcock first saw Bergman, he was taken with her beauty and sexuality, and decided he had to cast her in a film. In all, Ingrid starred in three Hitchcock movies.
In 1945's 'Spellbound', Ingrid plays a psychoanalyst named Dr. Constance Peterson, who works at Green Manors mental sanatorium in Vermont. Constance falls in love with the new head of the institute, Dr. Anthony Edwardes (played by Gregory Peck). Dr. Edwardes is a troubled man, and Constance helps him "reach deep within his psyche to retrieve the truths that save him."
Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck in 'Spellbound'
In 1946's 'Notorious', Ingrid's role is Alicia Huberman, a woman of loose morals whose father is a convicted Nazi spy. FBI agent T. R. Devlin (played by Cary Grant) convinces Alicia to spy on her father's Nazi comrades.
Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in 'Notorious'
In 1949's 'Under Capricorn', Ingrid plays Lady Henrietta, an alcoholic aristocrat who has come to live in early nineteenth-century Australia. The story is a mystery involving a love triangle.
⦿ Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly, renowned for her beauty, was sure to catch Hitchcock's eye. Grace made three movies with Hitchcock.
In 1954's 'Dial M for Murder', Grace plays Margo Wendice, a woman having an affair with an American writer (played by Robert Cummings). Margo's husband (played by Ray Milland) finds out, and arranges to have Margo murdered, but Margo manages to kill her attacker. She's then arrested for murder.
Grace Kelly and Ray Milland in 'Dial M for Murder'
In 1954's 'Rear Window', a photojournalist called Jeff Jeffries (played by James Stewart) - hobbled by a broken leg - sits at his window peeping into the apartments of his neighbors. Grace plays Jeff's girlfriend, fashion executive Lisa Fremont. Jeff believes he sees a murder across the way, and he and Lisa investigate the incident.
Grace Kelly and James Stewart in 'Rear Window'
In 1955's 'To Catch a Thief', Grace plays Francie Stevens, an American heiress who's come to Cannes with her mother, in pursuit of a husband. The potential husband is John Robie (played by Cary Grant), a retired jewel thief. Meanwhile, there's a new cat burglar in town, who's copying Robie's methods, and the police suspect Robie's at work again.
Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in 'To Catch a Thief'
⦿ Kim Novak
When Hitchcock began working with Kim Novak, she was already a celebrity, with her throaty voice, provocative figure, and girl-next-door appeal.
The only movie Kim made with Hitchcock was 1957's 'Vertigo.' In this movie, a retired police detective called Scottie Ferguson (played by James Stewart) has an intense fear of heights. An old college buddy hires Scottie to follow his heiress wife Madeleine (played by Kim Novak), who's behaving strangely. Scottie falls in love with Madeleine, who later jumps from a church tower while acrophobic Scottie is helpless to stop her. Once Scottie recovers from the terrible experience he happens to see a factory worker named Judy (played by Kim Novak) who seems to be Madeleine's double.....and the rest is history.
Kim Novak and James Stewart in 'Vertigo'
⦿ Eva Marie Saint
Eva Marie Saint made one movie with Hitchcock. In 1959's 'North by Northwest', Eva Marie played Eve Kendall, the girlfriend of a communist spy named Philip Vandamm (played by James Mason). Vandamm mistakes businessman Roger Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) for a government agent, and frames him for murder. As Thornhill is on the run from the police he meets Eve Kendall on a train, and she tries to help him.
Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant in 'North by Northwest'
⦿ Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh was a well-known movie star when she filmed the 1960 movie 'Psycho', her only film with Hitchcock. In 'Psycho' Janet's character is Marion Crane, an office worker in Phoenix. When Marion gets the chance, she steals $40,000 from her boss and takes off to join her boyfriend Sam Loomis (played by John Gavin) in California. Along the way, Marion stops at a motel for the night, and meets motel owner Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). That evening, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower (this is one of the most famous scenes in movie history).
Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins in 'Psycho'
⦿ Tippi Hedren
Hitchcock discovered Tippi Hedren in an ad for a diet drink, where he was struck by her beauty and jaunty stride. Tippi made two films with Hitchcock, the first being 1963's 'The Birds.'
In 'The Birds', Tippi plays spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels, who happens to meet Mitch Brenner (played by Rod Taylor) in a pet store, where he's looking for a gift for his sister. On a whim, Melanie purchases two lovebirds and delivers them to Mitch's family home in Bodega Bay. While Melanie's in town, vicious birds start to attack the residents.
Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor in 'The Birds'
In 1964's movie 'Marnie', Tippi plays a compulsive thief named Marnie who "moves from employer to employer, stealing from them and moving on." Marnie's new boss, Mark Rutland (played by Sean Connery) decides to marry Marnie and help her find the psychological reason for her thievery, so she can mend her ways.
Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in 'Marnie'
*****
In March, 1979 Hitchcock received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award, where he received tributes from many members of the film industry. Leamer writes, "The most profound tribute to Hitchcock came not from spoken words but from film clips......one after another they appeared interspersed throughout the evening." Leamer goes on, "These shots from films made over the course of five decades in England and Hollywood testified to the compelling entertainment Hitchcock created and the unprecedented longevity of his career."
Hitchcock's blondes - and their eventful lives - are an interesting subject and I recommend the book to film fans.
Thanks to Netgalley, Laurence Leamer, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of the manuscript.
Excellent review and post!!
ReplyDeleteThank you. 🙂🥀🌺
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