Alfred Hitchcock

                                                                 Part 4

        Here are Mr. Movie’s top five Hitchcock films. There could certainly be legitimate arguments about this list and any of the previous ones. Be that as it may, these are really good!

5. Rebecca (1940) is the dead first wife of nobleman Lawrence Olivier, but her ghostly presence looms over all of the characters. Joan Fontaine is superb as the second wife who fears she will never measure up. Dame Judith Anderson is the dour and vaguely threatening housekeeper who constantly reminds Fontaine how wonderful her predecessor was. The ending is a complete shocker. Measures up very well to Daphne du Maurier’s novel.  This was Hitchcock’s first American film and the only one which won the Oscar for best movie.

4. Vertigo (1958) is to heights what Psycho is to showers. James Stewart is a retired cop hired by an old friend to keep an eye on his beautiful wife, Kim Novak. Absolutely riveting suspense holds as scene after scene builds the plot. What exactly is going on is a subject of much discussion among film buffs. Some of Hitchcock’s most famous set pieces, especially the tower scene, are completely fascinating.

3. Dial "M" for Murder (1954) builds suspense to a fever pitch in the first reel, then does it again toward the end. Ray Milland hires a killer to dispatch his wife (Grace Kelly). Then policeman Robert Cummings leads us through the intricate process of figuring out the villain and trying to trap him. Some versions of this film look a little funny because it was shot in 3-D. You get used to it.

2. In North by Northwest (1959) the police think Cary Grant is an assassin and the bad guys think he’s a double agent. Actually, he’s just an advertising man who is neither. He and Eva Marie Saint have one narrow escape after another. Lovely comic touches include Grant having to escape from an art auction full of enemies. The famous scene on Mount Rushmore is still compelling after several viewings, as is the scene with the crop dusting plane. Hitchcock at the top of his game.

1. In Rear Window (1954) photographer James Stewart has broken his leg and is confined to a wheelchair in his apartment. Bored and immobile, he spies on his neighbors across the courtyard and decides he has seen a murder. He tries to convince girlfriend Grace Kelly and nurse Thelma Ritter (and us) that he is right. The suspected villain is Raymond Burr (Perry Mason; Ironside) who started his career as a heavy. Wonderful banter among the three principals and a heart-stopping conclusion. 

By the way, your public library has loads of movies on DVD and it’s free!

All of the films in this column are available on DVD. All but Psycho are suitable for children 10 and up.