"Rebecca" "Pinocchio" each win two Academy Awards 1941

Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca was nominated for eleven Academy Awards but took home only two at the annual celebration held February 27, 1941.  Rebecca won Best Picture, the award going to producer David O. Selznick.  It also won Best Cinematography (Black and White) for George Barnes.  It was the only Alfred Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture.  

Hitchcock was nominated for Best Directing. Laurence Olivier was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Maximilian de Winter.  Joan Fontaine was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal as Mrs.de Winter. Dame Judith Anderson was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as Mrs. Danvers.  She should have won.

Rebecca was nominated for Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Art Direction (Black-and-White), Best Film Editing, Best Special Effects, and Best Music (Original Score).

Walt Disney's Pinocchio was nominated for two Academy Awards and won both: Best Music (Original Score) for Leigh Harline, Paul Smith, and Ned Washington; and Best Music (Song) for When You Wish Upon a Star, music by Leigh Harline, and lyrics Ned Washington.

"Vertigo" released 1958

Vertigo, released May 9, 1958, is considered to be one of Alfred Hitchcock's classic movies.  It stars James Stewart as a former police detective, who is forced into early retirement after he develops vertigo, a fear of heights.  He is hired by an acquaintance to investigate the acquaintance's wife, played by Kim Novak.  

The movie co-starred Barbara Bel Geddes (of Dallas fame).  Edith Head was the costume designer.

It is based on a 1954 French novel From Among the Dead.  It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Art Direction and Best Sound.  In 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. 

Alfred Hitchcock born 1899

The undisputed master of horror Alfred Hitchcock was born August 13, 1899 in London, England.  He directed some of the scariest movies in all cinema history, including my favorites Psycho, The Birds and Rebecca.

He was nominated for an Oscar four times for Best Director but never won.  He did win an Academy Award for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968.

"Rebecca" released 1940

Rebecca, the movie based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, was released across the US April 12, 1940.  Alfred Hitchcock directed it and received a Best Director nomination for an Oscar.  It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, David Selznick as producer. It also won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black and White.  It received 8 more nominations for a total of 11, including Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

Rebecca has been honored by the American Film Institute.  It is #80 on AFI's 100 Thrills.  Mrs. Danvers, played by Dame Judith Anderson, is ranked as #31 on AFI's 100 Heroes and Villains.

It was selected by the Library of Congress in 2018 for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

"Rear Window" released 1954

Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Rear Window, starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Raymond Burr, was released across the US September 1, 1954.  It premiered in Los Angeles, New York City and Atlantic City in August.  It is considered by many people to be Hitchcock's best movie.

It was nominated for four Academy Awards.  The National Film Registry of the Library of Congress was selected for preservation as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

The American Film Institute has included Rear Window as #42 in its 100 Years...100 Movies; #14 in AFI's 100 years...100 Thrills; and #3 in AFI's Top 10 Mysteries.

"Dial M for Murder" released 1954

Another of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces, Dial M for Murder was released May 29, 1954.  It stars Grace Kelly as the cheating wife, and Ray Milland as her scheming husband.  It's a tale of blackmail, murder and double-crossing. 

It is listed by the American Film Institute as #48 of Top 100 Thrills and #9 of its Top 10 Mysteries. 

Only Hitchcock could make waiting for a door lock to move suspenseful.

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" released 1963

Alfred Hitchcock released his horror masterpiece The Birds March 29, 1963 (the premiere was the day before in New York City).

Based on a story by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca), it tells the story of a small coastal town in California inexplicably attacked by thousands of birds.  It starred Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy.

It was nominated for an Academy Awards for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects (but lost to Cleopatra?[WTF?]).  Tippe Hedren won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female.  The Birds has been honored by the American Film Institute as the seventh greatest thriller.  Bravo awarded the scene when the birds attack the town as 96th on the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

It won the Horror Hall of Fame award in 1991.

In 2016, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Happy birthday, Tippi Hedren!

Tippi Hedren, born January 19, 1930 in New Ulm, Minnesota, is probably best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.  She had only one role prior to Hitchcock casting her in his  masterpiece.

She is still acting but also maintains a sanctuary for retired big cats in California, named Shambala.

"Psycho" premieres 1960

One of the best, scariest movies of all time premiered June 16, 1960.  Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starred Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and Janet Leigh.

Voted the #1 horror film of all time by WatchMojo.com
Ranked #14 on the AFI 100 Years... 100 Movies 10th Anniversary Edition, up 4 places from #18 in 1997
Psycho (1960) features in both the American and British Film Institutes' Top 100 lists.
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #14 Greatest Movie of All Time
This was voted the seventh scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly
Ranked #1 on the AFI 100 Years... 100 Thrills film series
The movie's line "A boy's best friend is his mother." was voted as the #56 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100)
The strings-only music by Bernard Herrmann is ranked #4 on AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.

Alfred Hitchcock born today in 1899

Alfred Hitchcock, the undisputed master of suspense, was born on this day in 1899.  Although the violence in his films may be tame by today's standards, his movies still rank as some of the scariest of all time.  "The Birds" and "Rebecca" are two of my favorites.    "Psycho" is listed on imdb.com as #32 of the top 250 movies as voted by viewers.  I still remember being surprised to see Doris Day in "The Man Who Knew Too Much", since I was only familiar with her comedy.

“I'm a writer and, therefore, automatically a suspicious character.” - Alfred Hitchcock

The "Psycho" house

Dame Judith Anderson was deliciously evil in "Rebecca"

Still from "The Birds".  Creepy just to look at!