Hitchcock At Work

by Bill Krohn

A comprehensive, behind-the-scenes examination of the work of director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980). Fully illustrated throughout in colour and black and white, this book examines all of the director's career, from the early films made in the UK in the 20th and 30th, to his move to Hollywood where he became co-producer as well as director of his films. It therefore provides an overview of his movies as well as being a visual celebration of one of the word's most renowned directors. Many of the illustrations are published here for the first time and include film stills, shots from film sets, storyboards and reproductions of Hitchcock's annotated scripts. The book also includes a complete filmography.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

287 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Hitchcock books but Bill Krohn's volume is really something special. Drawn from Hitch's archives and production notes, the book provides insights into how the Master of Suspense really worked, contradicting his oft-told suggestion that he plans everything meticulously in advance such that filming itself was boring and he didn't even need to be there. Instead, we see Hitch actively involved in the creative process, improvising on the set including with his actors (not just cattle, we see), and rewriting the scripts and storyboards (or throwing out huge sections) as he went along. Krohn offers details about all of the American pictures but goes into depth on the classics (e.g., Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, Notorious, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds). Although this isn't an academic tome about Hitch's themes, the insights that Krohn offers can't help but shine light on Hitchcock's thought process and his goals for each film (and his oeuvre as a whole, as it developed over time). This is an incredible book and highly recommended -- if you can find it (I checked it out of a University library).

[Richard Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its title, Krohn presents a series of pieces on the ways in which Hitchcock worked. From the start, he firmly aims to refute the popular conception that Hitch did 90% of his work prior to shooting and found the actual filmmaking process a chore. Instead, through a series of focused discussions on his major works — and some anecdotes on all the ones in between — we see a filmmaker who was constantly innovating, willing to experiment on the day and change things on the fly. Of course, the value of this book is in all the visuals: huge glossy photos from the productions, excerpts from draft scripts and copious amounts of storyboards and sketches. For the 'golden era' (primarily the Universal pictures), there are more things than could possibly fit into one book (or one review). Yet having just read a whole lot about the Production Code, there's some great stories on how Hitch skirted around the edges of it. You may not always agree on which films get a focus, and which get a page or two, but if this doesn't send you back to rewatch (or first watch) all of his films, then nothing will. An essential primer.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wissenschaftliches Schreiben, wie ich es mag. Nur mit seinen Thesen an sich bin ich nicht immer warm geworden.

[Mésange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce livre peut intéresser un lecteur qui ignore tout des méthodes de travail d'Hitchcock. Les autres auront sans doute l'impression de ne pas apprendre grand chose.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rien de bien nouveau avec ce livre. On relit ce qu'on a déjà eu l'occasion de lire et relire dans pas mal de livres consacrés à Hitchcock.

[Jack Messenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a rereading of an indispensable book about the Master.