Used to like Thief a lot but it hasn’t aged quiet as well as the others IMHO. The dialog is still witty and terrific. Gotta love John Michael Hayes one of the best writers Hitch had in the 50’s
I'm sure I never saw VERTIGO in the theaters. In 1958 I would have been seven years old - pretty young for such a movie. If I encountered it at all back then, it would have been on network television, but I'm not sure it even ran on network TV. I know it was withheld for a long time, but don't recall the details or dates. So if I never saw it on network TV, then I must have finally caught up with it on an 80s/90s re-release on either VHS or LaserDisc. I instantly loved it and have tried to stay current on the various issues and restorations. Back in the mid-90s, I found a CD of the Bernard Herrmann score on a Mercury disc. The score for this movie is just incredible, probably one of Herrmann's best. Later on I picked up the Varese Sarabande issue of the soundtrack. It was expanded, but in some respects the old Mercury disc has it beat.
North by Northwest, I love this film. Asking me what my 2nd favorite Hitchcock film is would be a lot more difficult, there would be at least five contenders.
I saw RW, NBNW, V, Frenzy in theaters (along with Rope and Strangers) either in re-release or revival houses. I miss revival houses. “Psycho” also ina revival house but saw that first on TV (I think it was on Creature Features. Family Plot I saw in theaters. Oh I forgot to mention I saw Dial M For Murder in 3D in a revival house.
Agreed. Heck, Herman’s score for Torn Curtain would have improved a flawed film. The score for “frenzy” is serviceable.
The Birds: Love the cinematography, the dialogue, and the women characters. The story seems campy on purpose.
The 39 Steps. But The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Notorious and North by Northwest are all right behind it.
At the top of my list would be North By Northwest, The 39 Steps and Shadow Of A Doubt. But I'm a fan of Hitchcock and it's a pretty deep bench. There are some films that don't get much talked about such as Foreign Correspondent that I like a lot.
“Frenzy” is a favorite. I did a tour of the filming locations when I was in London a few years ago. Unfortunately the famous Piccadilly fruit market is long gone. However the Globe Pub was still there!
“Rope” is very suspenseful, and it’s more than just a cinematic experiment. I know that Hitchcock didn’t have high regard for Rope. The actors were perfect, and I really cared for the victim’s friends and family. John Dahl and Farley Granger were excellent as the killers. “Rope” also stirred my interest in the Leopold/Loeb murder case, which inspired the play and movie. One quibble however: it seemed like Brandon and Philip had it made. They were wealthy, had successful careers, lived in a beautiful apartment. Why waste it all on a senseless killing? They might have had strong feelings of superiority, but living the high life was the best way to flaunt it. By the way, I really love that NYC apartment! I know it’s just a set, but I always wished that I could’ve lived there.