The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock: A Memoir Featuring the Screenplay of "Alfred Hitchcock's the Short Night"
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Book Overview
In The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock, David Freeman, screenwriter and Hitchcock's last collaborator, has written a penetrating account of his experience working with the famous idrector. he takes the reader behind the scenes, into Hitchcock's home and into the Universal Studios bungalow, where the director planned his movies, and illuminates a very private side of the man. In the time they spent collaborating on the thriller "The Short Night"- the director's final film project, which remains unproduced-Hitchcock was in constant pain and suffered from severe depression about his health and that of his wife, Alma. Nevertheless, he worked steadily and reminisced about his life, his films, and the people he knew, including Ingrid Bergman, howard Hughes, Cary Grant, and Kim Novak. This unique vollume includes a new introduction by the author, the complete screenplay of "The Short Night" as well as commentary on the screenplay, and a complete filmography. The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock will fascinate and enlighten anyone who's ever enjoyed the work of this cinematic giant, whose classic films continue to fascinate us.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:087951728X
ISBN13:9780879517281
Release Date:August 1999
Publisher:Harry N. Abrams
Length:281 Pages
Weight:1.00 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
An insightful behind-the-scenes look at the master's methods
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
After having years ago started and abandoned Donald Spoto's dry, psychologizing biography of Alfred Hitchcock, I found this book by Hitch's last collaborator a welcome surprise. It offers a far more tangible and intimate portrayal of the actual, day-to-day functioning of Hitchcock's genius, thrown into sharp--and often comic--relief by the old man's inexorable decline. This often poignant, always clear-eyed memoir examines Hitchcock's working methods in illuminating detail: his exploratory process of developing the screenplay, his focus on the minutiae of his characters and the topography of their environment, his views on editing and image size, shock vs suspense, "horizontal cinema" vs "pure cinema," and his use of rhythm and tempo to elicit detailed performances that help audiences identify with his characters. The author's penetrating analyses of Hitchcock's films, and his insightful behind-the-scenes commentary on the included screenplay made me want to go back to view again films I've watched a dozen times. This book is a treasure for Hitchcock fans, and required reading for working or aspiring writers and directors.
A master struggles to work up to the end
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I've read "The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock" with pleasure. Before saying why, I want to comment on a review posted by another reader. It's a misguided attack that cries out for a response. The objection seems to be that the Hitchcock that emerges isn't the one the reader wanted him to be. So? The book is a balanced and nuanced portrait of a great artist at the end of his life. Hitchcock was in bad shape. The pleasure of this book and the reason that people should read it is that we can see his struggle from day to day. Far from being "tabloid commentary" it's an immensely moving story. There's sadness in Hitchcock's deterioration, but there's inspiration in his refusal to quit. This book is about Hitchcock's humanity.
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