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Alfred Hitchcock

22. Vertigo

#1 (2’22”)

<we see a ‘DICTIONARY’ which opens and we see the definition of “VERTIGO: ver’-ti-go – a feeling of dizziness… a swimming in the head… figuratively a state in which all things seem to be engulfed in a whirlpool of terror.”>
<voice>

“VERTIGO – a feeling of dizziness… a swimming in the head… figuratively a state in which all things seem to be engulfed in a whirlpool of terror. As created by Alfred Hitchcock in the story that gives new meaning to the word suspense.”
<cards>
‘VERTIGO’
STARRING JAMES STEWART
KIM NOVAK
<clip>
“I don’t wanna die. There’s someone inside me and she says I must die. Oh Scottie, don’t let me go.”
<voice>
“A beautiful girl haunted by the desperate unexplainable urge to destroy herself. A man possessed by the paralysing vertigo that made him afraid of high places.”
<clip>
“Easy now” “I know, I know, it’s a cinch. Here, I look up, I look down, I look up, I look-”
<voice>
“What was the strange attraction that brought these two together in spite of the dark forces that tore them apart. The spectre from the past that drew her to the ancient headstone in the mission graveyard. The compulsion that drove her relentlessly to the point of no return. The story of a love so powerful it broke down all barriers between past and present, between life and death. Between the golden girl in the dark tower and the tawdry redhead that he tried to remake in her image.”
<clip>
“If I let you change me, will that do it? If I do what you tell me, will you love me?” “Yes.” “Alright, then I’ll do it. I don’t care anymore about me.”
<cards>
JAMES STEWART AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE
KIM NOVAK PLAYING TWO AMAZING ROLES
CO-STARRING BARBARA BEL GEDDES WITH TOM HELMORE HENRY JONES
ONLY HITCHCOCK COULD WEAVE
THIS TANGLED WEB OF TERROR
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S ‘VERTIGO’ TECHNICOLOR(R) VISTAVISION(R)

#2 (Restoration trailer) (1’15”)

<voice from the film>
“I wake up at night seeing that man fall from the roof and I try to reach out to him.” “It wasn’t your fault.”
<card>
A MYSTERY REVISITED
<voice from the film>
“Do you believe that someone out of the past, someone dead, can enter and take possession of a living being?”
<card>
A MASTER REMEMBERED
<voice from the film>
“You jumped into the bay, you didn’t know where you were. You guessed, but you didn’t know.” “I didn’t jump, I didn’t jump, I fell, you told me I fell.” “Why did you jump? Why did you jump?”
<clip>
“Please don’t ask me, please don’t ask me.”
<cards>
A MASTERPIECE RESTORED
‘VERTIGO’
<clip>
“What is this? What do you want?”
<voice from the film>
“Just wanna know who you are.”
<card>
PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 70MM AND DTS DIGITAL STEREO
<voice from the film>
“I remind you of her.” “I need you to be Madeleine for a while.”
<cards>
JAMES STEWART
KIM NOVAK
IN ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S
‘VERTIGO’
“VERTIGO” CO-STARRING BARBARA BEL GEDDES WITH TOM HELMORE – HENRY JONES RESTORATION PRODUCED AND RECONSTRUCTED ROBERT A. HARRIS AND JAMES C. KATZ
BASED UPON THE NOVEL “D’ENTRE LES MORTS” BY PIERRE BOILEAU AND THOMAS NARCEJAC SCREENPLAY BY ALEC COPPEL AND SAMUEL TAYLOR DIRECTED BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK TECHNICOLOR(R) A UNIVERSAL CLASSIC
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT THIS FALL IN SELECTED CITIES

Remarks:

• there is an unusual displacement between voice and images in the clips (the voices almost always come from “off-screen”), somewhat adding to the dream-like effect

• exploits Bernard Herrmann’s magnificent music (just like the original trailer does)

Vertigo

23. North by Northwest

#1 (2’12”)

<cards>
THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE WEAVES HIS GREATEST TALE
CARY GRANT EVA MARIE SAINT JAMES MASON
IN ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NORTH BY NORTHWEST (C) MCMLIX BY LOEW’S INCORPORATED
IT’S A DEADLY GAME OF “TAG”
AND CARY GRANT IS “IT”
<clip>
“I’m a advertising man, not a red herring. I’ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders depended upon me, and I don’t intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed.”
<voice>
“You can’t fight it Cary, someone’s out to get you. By violence or by abduction, they’ll even frame you for murder. So run for your life. Search for a man who doesn’t exist, a secret nobody knows, and start a love affair in an upper berth.”
<clip>
“Hello there.” “Tell me, why are you so good to me?” “Shall I climb up and tell you why?”
<voice>
“A train may be an old fashioned way to make a getaway but who wants to get away from an exquisite inquisitive blonde.”
<clip>
“How do I know you aren’t a murderer?” “You don’t.”
<voice>
“Eva Marie Saint seems to enjoy Cary’s romantic performance, but her companion James Mason has other ideas. Ask him, Cary.”
<clip>
“Apparently, the only performance that will satisfy you is when I play dead.” “Your very next role, you’ll be quite convincing I assure you.”
<voice>
“One surprise after another. Adventurous Cary, romanced by the kind of blonde that gets into a man’s blood even if she has to shoot her way in.”
<cards>
HITCHCOCK SUSPENSE
EVERY STAGGERING SIGHT AND SOUND IS REAL
CARY GRANT
EVA MARIE SAINT
JAMES MASON
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NORTH BY NORTHWEST AN M-G-M PICTURE
IN THE MAGNITUDE OF VISTAVISION AND TECHNICOLOR(R)
THAT ONLY THE BIG THEATRE SCREEN CAN BRING YOU!

Remarks:

• the music at the beginning is not from Bernard Herrmann’s score, but then Herrmann’s music is included too

• the now famous crop duster sequence is not referred to in any way

#2 (2’03”)

<cards>
THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE WEAVES HIS GREATEST TALE
CARY GRANT EVA MARIE SAINT JAMES MASON
IN ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NORTH BY NORTHWEST (C) MCMLIX BY LOEW’S INCORPORATED
IT’S A DEADLY GAME OF “TAG”
AND CARY GRANT IS “IT”
<clip>
“I’m a advertising man, not a red herring. I’ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders depended upon me, and I don’t intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed.”
<voice>
“Cary Grant becomes a secret agent against his will. Propelled at gunpoint onto the highest level of international intrigue and framed for murder. Cary Grant, running for his life, searching for a man who doesn’t exist. And a secret nobody knows and finding a blonde who has all the answers.”
<clip>

“Hello there.” “Tell me, why are you so good to me?” “Shall I climb up and tell you why?”
<voice>
“At breakneck speed they race together toward the excitement that lies, dead ahead, North By Northwest.”
<clip>
“How do I know you aren’t a murderer?” “You don’t.”
<voice>
“Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason as the man of sinister surprises.”
<clip>
“Apparently, the only performance that will satisfy you is when I play dead.” “Your very next role, you’ll be quite convincing I assure you.”
<voice>
“The perfect setup for suspense. With the perfect woman and the perfect crime. As Alfred Hitchcock takes you North By Northwest.”
<cards>
HITCHCOCK SUSPENSE
EVERY STAGGERING SIGHT AND SOUND IS REAL
CARY GRANT
EVA MARIE SAINT
JAMES MASON
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NORTH BY NORTHWEST AN M-G-M PICTURE
IN THE MAGNITUDE OF VISTAVISION AND TECHNICOLOR(R)
THAT ONLY THE BIG THEATRE SCREEN CAN BRING YOU!

#3 (3’10”)

<card>
A GUIDED TOUR WITH ALFRED HITCHCOCK
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Have you planned your vacation yet? You’ve a choice between sand and sunburn or mountain-climbing and the Charlie-horse. I find it all very elevating, but we should all have some kind of holiday. So my suggestion is a quiet little tour, say, about 2000 miles. I have just made a motion picture, North By Northwest, to show you some of these delights. And the ideal place to start our holiday fun trip is New York, where Cary Grant can go places and do things. You don’t find a tasteful little murder on every guided tour, now do you? But this means we must leave Manhattan.”
<clip>
“Hello there.” “Tell me, why are you so good to me?” “Shall I climb up and tell you why?”
<clip>
“How do I know you aren’t a murderer?” “You don’t.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“A train may be an oldfashioned way to travel, but an upper berth can be a lovely place to go, when it’s your time to go. After an uneventful fine night’s rest, we arrive in Chicago. We seek out culture in a great art gallery. We can’t leave Chicago without a visit to the great plain, the people are all so friendly in the great outdoors. Now for the climax of our tour. The inspiration of a great American monument, the serene nobility of Mount Rushmore. On this tour you are sure of charming companions by Cary Grant, entirely relaxed, and a bit on the reticent side.”
<clip>
“I’m an advertising man, not a red herring. I’ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders depended upon me, and I don’t intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“And for vacation romance, how about an amourous blonde like Eva Marie Saint. She’s the kind of girl that gets into a man’s blood, even if she has to shoot her way in. Now for the best news of all, you can enjoy this wonderful vacation while seated comfortably in this theatre. I promise you nothing but entertainment. A vacation from all your problems. As it was for me.”
<cards>
CARY GRANT
EVA MARIE SAINT
JAMES MASON
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NORTH BY NORTHWEST AN M-G-M PICTURE
IN THE MAGNITUDE OF VISTAVISION AND TECHNICOLOR(R)
THAT ONLY THE BIG THEATRE SCREEN CAN BRING YOU!

Remarks:

• a very significant Hitchcock trailer, the first in a series of trailers hosted by Hitchcock himself (based, probably, on the popularity of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”)

• the funniest of all North by Northwest; Hitchcock does a much better job delivering the lines than the narrator in the previous ones does

North by Northwest

24. Psycho

#1 (6’30”)

<cards>
“The fabulous Mr. Alfred Hitchcock is about to escort you…
on a tour of the location of his new motion picture, “PSYCHO”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Good afternoon. Here we have a quiet little motel tucked away off the main highway, and as you see, perfectly harmless looking, when in fact it has now become known as the scene of the crime. This motel also has as an adjunct an old house which is, if I may say so, a little more sinister looking, less innocent than the motel itself. And in this house, the most dire horrible events took place. I think we can go inside, because the place is up for sale, although I don’t know who’s gonna buy it now. In that window on the second floor, the single one in front, that’s where the woman was first seen. Let’s go inside. You see even in daylight this place still looks a bit sinister. It was at the top of these stairs that the second murder took place. She came out of the door there and met the victim at the top, of course in a flash there was the knife and in no time the victim tumbled and fell with a horrible crack, I think the back broke immediately it hit the floor. It was, it’s difficult to describe the way the… the twisting of the… well I, it’s… I won’t dwell upon it. Let’s come upstairs. Of course the victim or should I say victims hadn’t any conception as to the type of people they would be confronted with in this house. Especially the woman, she was the weirdest and the most…, well let’s go into her bedroom. Here’s the woman’s room, still beautifully preserved. And the imprint of her figure on the bed where she used to lay. I think some of her clothes are still in this wardrobe. Bathroom. This was the son’s room but we won’t go in there, because his favorite spot was the little parlour behind his office in the motel. Let’s go down there. This young man, you had to feel sorry for him. After all, being dominated by an almost maniacal woman was enough to drive anyone to the extreme of…, well let’s go in. I suppose you’d call this his hideaway. His hobby as you see, was taxidermy. A crow here, an owl there. An important scene took place in this room. There was a private supper here, and… by the way, this picture has great significance, because… let’s go along to cabin number one. I want to show you something there. All tidied up. The bathroom. Well, they’ve cleaned all this up now. Big difference. You should have seen the blood. The whole, the whole place was… Well it’s, it’s too horrible to describe. Dreadful. And I tell you, there’s a very important clue was found here. Down there. Well the murderer, you see, crept in here very slowly, of course the shower was on, there was no sound, and…”
<clip of woman screaming>
<cards>
PSYCHO
STARRING ANTHONY PERKINS VERA MILES JOHN GAVIN CO-STARRING MARTIN BALSAM JOHN McINTIRE AND JANET LEIGH as MARION CRANE
The picture you MUST see from the beginning…
Or not at all!… for no one will be seated after the start of…
Alfred Hitchcock’s Greatest Shocker “PSYCHO” A PARAMOUNT PICTURE

Remarks:

• the longest Hitchcock trailer

• the script was written by James Allardice (the writer of the witty introductory speeches for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”)

• in the trailer first we hear a humorous musical motif, which is followed briefly by the romantic theme from Bernard Herrmann’s music for The Trouble With Harry (the only occasion when a Hitchcock trailer uses the score of another Hitchcock film)

• for most of the trailer we hear Psycho‘s original music, sometimes interrupted by the humorous introductory theme or by a chord played on brass instruments

• this trailer is even more tongue-in-cheek than the trailer for North by Northwest, Hitchcock visibly enjoys hinting at things and then stopping abruptly, leaving the audience in the dark

• remarkably, it refers very clearly to the shower scene (which is supposed to be the big surprise in the film)

• at the end of the trailer it is not Janet Leigh who screams under the shower, but a woman who might be Vera Miles (and she’s standing under the shower with dry hair)

#2

<the same as #1, but in German – Hitchcock dubbing himself>

#3 (Re-release trailer) (6’20”)

<cards>
The fabulous Mr. Alfred Hitchcock is about to escort you…
on a tour of the location of his new motion picture, “PSYCHO”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Good afternoon. Here we have a quiet little motel tucked away off the main highway, and as you see, perfectly harmless looking, when in fact it has now become known as the scene of the crime. This motel also has as an adjunct an old house which is, if I may say so, a little more sinister looking, less innocent than the motel itself. And in this house, the most dire horrible events took place. I think we can go inside, because the place is up for sale, although I don’t know who’s gonna buy it now. In that window on the second floor, the single one in front, that’s where the woman was first seen. Let’s go inside. You see even in daylight this place still looks a bit sinister. It was at the top of these stairs that the second murder took place. She came out of the door there and met the victim at the top, of course in a flash there was the knife and in no time the victim tumbled and fell with a horrible crack, I think the back broke immediately it hit the floor. It was, it’s difficult to describe the way the… the twisting of the… well I, it’s… I won’t dwell upon it. Let’s come upstairs. Of course the victim or should I say victims hadn’t any conception as to the type of people they would be confronted with in this house. Especially the woman, she was the weirdest and the most…, well let’s go into her bedroom. Here’s the woman’s room, still beautifully preserved. And the imprint of her figure on the bed where she used to lay. I think some of her clothes are still in this wardrobe. Bathroom. This was the son’s room but we won’t go in there, because his favorite spot was the little parlour behind his office in the motel. Let’s go down there. This young man, you had to feel sorry for him. After all, being dominated by an almost maniacal woman was enough to drive anyone to the extreme of…, well let’s go in. I suppose you’d call this his hideaway. His hobby as you see, was taxidermy. A crow here, an owl there. An important scene took place in this room. There was a private supper here, and… by the way, this picture has great significance, because… let’s go along to cabin number one. I want to show you something there. All tidied up. The bathroom. Well, they’ve cleaned all this up now. Big difference. You should have seen the blood. The whole, the whole place was… Well it’s, it’s too horrible to describe. Dreadful. And I tell you, there’s a very important clue was found here. Down there. Well the murderer, you see, crept in here very slowly, of course the shower was on, there was no sound, and…”
<clip of woman screaming>
<cards>
PSYCHO
STARRING ANTHONY PERKINS VERA MILES JOHN GAVIN CO-STARRING MARTIN BALSAM JOHN McINTIRE AND JANET LEIGH as MARION CRANE
“PSYCHO” IS BACK WITH ITS BLONDE… ITS SHOWER BATH… ITS BLOOD!
IF YOU WERE TOO YOUNG… OR TOO SCARED… OR THE LINES WERE TOO LONG…
DON’T MISS IT THIS TIME!
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S ”PSYCHO” COPYRIGHT (C)1960 BY SHAMLEY PRODUCTIONS, INC. A PARAMOUNT RE-RELEASE

#4 (Re-release trailer) (2’19”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Here we have a quiet little motel tucked away off the main highway, and as you see, perfectly harmless looking. This motel also has as an adjunct an old house, a little more sinister looking, less innocent than the motel itself. And in this house, the most dire horrible events took place. Let’s go inside. You see even in daylight this place still looks a bit sinister. It was at the top of these stairs that the second murder took place. She came out of the door there and met the victim at the top, of course in a flash there was the knife and in no time the victim tumbled and fell with a horrible crack, I think the back broke immediately it hit the floor. It was, it’s difficult to describe the way the… the twisting of the… well I, it’s… I won’t dwell upon it. Well, they’ve cleaned all this up now. Big difference. You should have seen the blood. The whole, the whole place was… Well it’s, it’s too horrible to describe. Dreadful. And I tell you, there’s a very important clue was found here. Down there. Well the murderer, you see, crept in here very slowly, of course the shower was on, there was no sound, and…”
<clip of woman screaming>
<cards>
PSYCHO
STARRING ANTHONY PERKINS VERA MILES JOHN GAVIN CO-STARRING MARTIN BALSAM JOHN McINTIRE AND JANET LEIGH as MARION CRANE
“PSYCHO” IS BACK WITH ITS BLONDE… ITS SHOWER BATH… ITS BLOOD!
DON’T MISS IT THIS TIME!
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “PSYCHO” DISTRIBUTED BY THE RANK ORGANISATION

Remarks:

• the same as the long trailer, only certain parts are left out

• instead of the final scream, although we see the woman open her mouth, we hear Bernard Herrmann’s shrieking violin music

#5 (Re-release teaser) (0’46”)

<cards & voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“I WANT YOU TO SEE ‘PSYCHO’ THE WAY I ORIGINALLY MADE IT! WITH EVERY SCENE INTACT! THE VERSION TV DID NOT DARE SHOW!” Alfred Hitchcock
<clip from trailer>
“The murderer, you see, crept in here very slowly, of course the shower was on, there was no sound and…”
<clip of woman screaming>
<card>

PSYCHO
<cards & voice>
SEE IT UNCUT! INTACT!
NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED TO SEE IT EXCEPT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO.
<voice>
“Rated M, suggested for mature audiences, parental discretion advised.”

#6 (Re-release teaser) (0’14”)

<card & voice>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S GREATEST SHOCKER!
<clip of woman screaming>
<card>
PSYCHO
<cards & voice>
SEE THE VERSION TV DIDN’T DARE SHOW!
NO ONE ADMITTED EXCEPT AT THE BEGINNING
<card>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO
<voice>
“PSYCHO. Rated M, suggested for mature audiences.”

#7 (Re-release teaser) (0’14”)

<card & voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“SEE THE VERSION OF ‘PSYCHO’ TV DID NOT DARE SHOW!” Alfred Hitchcock
<card & voice>
NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED EXCEPT AT THE BEGINNING!
<clip of woman screaming>
<card>

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO
<voice>
“Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO. Rated M, suggested for mature audiences.”

Remark:

• there is a nice visual touch in this trailer: during the first sentence (“see the version”, etc.) we see Norman’s eye looking through the hole in the wall, directly linking our movie viewing experience with Norman’s voyeurism

#8 (Re-release teaser) (0’08”)

<cards & voice>
SEE THE MOVIE VERSION TV DIDN’T DARE SHOW!
UNCUT! INTACT!
<clip of woman screaming>
<card & voice>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO

Remark:

• again, during the first sentence we see Norman’s eye peeping through the hole

#9 (Re-release teaser) (0’07”)

<card & voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“SEE THE VERSION OF ‘PSYCHO’ TV DID NOT DARE SHOW!” Alfred Hitchcock
<voice>
“Uncut! Intact!”
<clip of woman screaming>
<card & voice>

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO

Remark:

• here the first sentence is superimposed on Marion’s hand, which is about to grab the shower curtain

Psycho

25. The Birds

#1 (5’10”)

<card>
MR. HITCHCOCK WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO YOU
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“How do you do? My name is Alfred Hitchcock and I would like to tell you about my forthcoming lecture. It is about the birds and their agelong relationship with man. It will be seen in theatres like this across the country. In my lecture I hope to make you all aware of our good friends, the birds. Theirs is a noble history and through it all man has played a conspicuous part. This cave drawing is one of man’s earliest sketches of his feathered friend. One can see at once the loving care with which the artist depicted his subject. The story of man and his friends the birds is filled with many fine examples of ways in which these noble creatures have added to the beauty of the world. Take this plumed hat from the period of Charles the first. How proud the birds must have been to have their feathers plucked (!) out, to brighten man’s drab life. Here we have a later model, a refinement of the first. Here man, or rather woman, thought enough of the birds to have an entire one as a decoration. It’s quite dead of course. Naturally, the egg plays a very prominent part in my lecture. Not a word about which came first however. I don’t believe in dealing with controversial matters. Thousands of years ago man was satisfied merely to steal an egg from a nest and use it for food. Now he has perfected this process by imprisoning each hen in a separate cage and by scientifically manipulating the lights so that she doesn’t fall into the rut of the old twenty-four hour day. Thus he can induce the bird to reach fantastic heights of egg production. Originally there where many varieties of birds on earth. Some have become extinct, the great auk, the passenger pigeon and the famous dodo bird have all disappeared. Actually they didn’t exactly disappear, they were simply killed off, but of course, this is nature’s way. Man merely hurries a process along whenever he can be of help. Man and birds have been responsible for a great many advances in our civilization. For example the bird was the inspiration for the invention of gunpowder. And it was his speed that brought about the development… of the shotgun. But man has not been unmindful of his debt to the bird, we have honoured our feathered friends in many ways. We cage birds and show them off proudly in most of our zoos and the turkey is traditionally our guest of honour at Thanksgiving. I suspect you never realized that if it weren’t for birds even some of our pastimes would suffer noticeably, duckhunting for example. Granted bagging a fellow hunter can be diverting but the supply is rather limited. I hope you don’t mind if I have something to eat but I’m rushed today. Planning the lecture has been most educational for me. I’ve begun to feel very close to the birds and have developed a real sympathy for our little… what was I saying… oh yes, I’ve come to feel very close to the birds and I’ve come to realize how they feel when… I don’t think I’ll eat just now. Hardly proper with all of you here. Surely the birds appreciate all we’ve done for them. Don’t you? Beautiful cage, fresh water, no other birds to bother you, none of that blinding sunlight…
<bird picks AH’s finger> Oh, now why would he do that? Most peculiar, what on earth-”
<Tippi Hedren rushes in and cries:>
“They’re coming! They’re coming!”
<cards>
WHAT IS THE SHOCKING MYSTERY OF THE BIRDS?
THEY MASSED BY THE THOUSANDS
AND TENS OF THOUSANDS
WHY?
WHAT WAS THEIR EVIL INTENT?
SUSPENSE
AND SHOCK
BEYOND ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN
OR IMAGINED!
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “The Birds” From Daphne Du Maurier’s Thrilling Story TECHNICOLOR(R)
“THE BIRDS COULD BE THE MOST TERRYFYING MOTION PICTURE I HAVE EVER MADE.” Alfred Hitchcock

Remarks:

• the wonderful script was written by James Allardice

• the opening humorous musical motif is reminiscent of the opening theme in the Psycho trailer

• this trailer and the one for Psycho are the only two examples where no scenes are shown from the actual film at all (remarkably, two very long trailers can be built around the popularity of the director alone)

• Hitchcock here possibly wanted to make fun of De Mille’s trailer for The Ten Commandments

#2 (1’05”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“How do you do. I’m Alfred Hitchcock and I want you to know about my latest motion picture which will be coming soon to this theater. It is called The Birds, and for that reason we thought it would be appropriate if a bird informed you about the details. Go ahead. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds-. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds stars Rod-. On second thought perhaps it would be more appropriate if I gave you the details. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette, and introduces Miss Tippi Hedren.” <bird gives a wolf whistle at the sight of TH>
<cards>

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “The Birds” TECHNICOLOR(R)
the birds is coming
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“The Birds could be the most terrifying motion picture I’ve ever made.”

Remarks:

• just like the longer version, this trailer is funny, well-written, well-acted, and doesn’t show any scene from the film

• the wolf whistle given by the bird at the end playfully refers to the television commercial in which Hitchcock had discovered Tippi Hedren (and which was also commemorated in the opening scene of the film)

The Birds

The Birds The Birds

26. Marnie

#1 (4’40”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“How do you do? I’m Alfred Hitchcock and I would like to tell you about my latest motion picture Marnie, which will be coming to this theater soon. Marnie is a very difficult picture to classify. It is not Psycho, nor do we have a horde of birds flapping about and pecking at people willy-nilly. We do have two very interesting human specimens, a man and a woman. One might call Marnie a sex mystery, that is, if one used such words. But it is more than that. Perhaps the best way to tell you about the picture is to show you a few scenes. This is Mark coming down the stairs of his family home outside Philadelphia. He is a thoughtful man, dark and brooding. He is, in a sense, a hunter. And this is what he is hunting, Marnie. Seeing her in her mother’s modest house, one wonders how two such different people could cross paths. It was certainly not Marnie’s idea. Marnie was going about her own business, like any normal girl. Happy, happy, happy. <We see Marnie rob a safe.> Suddenly into this colourful life comes Mark. At first he didn’t know what to make of Marnie, she does seem a rather excitable type. What would account for this strange behaviour? Has she just realized that she forgot her umbrella?”
<clip>
“The colours, stop the colours.” “What colours?”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Marnie’s trouble goes deeper than that, far deeper. And this is the problem which Mark must probe. But first something must be done to calm this girl. Our hero applies mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But that may give you the impression this picture is all sex and no mystery. Not so at all. Here for example, Marnie is speaking to, uh… I’m not sure who actually. But he is a man from her past. A past she seems to be denying. <Mark and Marnie kiss.> Oh dear, they are at it again. Let me assure you that this is all in the spirit of investigation. And this, here is further proof that Marnie is a talking picture.”
<clip>
“You don’t love me. I’m just something you’ve caught. You think I’m some kind of animal you’ve trapped.” “That’s right, you are. And I caught something really wild this time, haven’t I? I’ve tracked you and caught you and by god I’m gonna keep you.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“That should be quite enough. If you wish to hear more you will have to buy a ticket. As for which one of them is a wild animal, there are times when I’m not sure. <Mark takes Marnie’s gown off.> I don’t think that was necessary, actually, I think I should withhold comment, since I’m not certain I understand this scene. I shall leave the explanation to your own vivid imagination. It would appear that Mark has a single solution for all problems. This is not so. Mark is a complex man. Dark and forbidding. He can also be kind and considerate. And he is also a troubled man. Troubled because he cannot seem to unravel the mystery of the girl called Marnie.”
<cards>
IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MARNIE
…………….. A SEX STORY…?
…………….. A MYSTERY…?
…………….. A DETECTIVE STORY…?
…………….. A ROMANCE…?
…………….. A STORY OF A THIEF…?
…………….. A LOVE STORY…?
…YES AND MORE!
‘TIPPI’ HEDREN SEAN CONNERY DIANE BAKER IN
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “MARNIE” TECHNICOLOR A UNIVERSAL RELEASE

Remarks:

the trailer suggests how hard it was to find a selling concept

– Michael Goodwin

by the time Marnie was ready to come out in 1964, Allardice had passed out of the picture and [Bob] Faber [head of the trailer department at Universal, and creator of the Saboteur trailer] took over scriptwriting responsibilities. Apparently, with Hitchcock’s blessing, Faber took over the direction of the Marnie trailer as well, and all the Universal trailers that followed, with one important exception. Regardless of who was standing behind the camera, the question of ultimate artistic responsibility for the Faber Universal trailers remains something of an auteurist puzzle. ‘Give Hitchcock all the credit,’ said Faber, who was a journalist before he was a trailer maker and knows about printing the legend. ‘It’ll be better for your story.’ But when pressed, he admitted: ‘I was mostly responsible. When you see a man’s style and you know what bit is, you write for him. I would come to him with a half dozen suggestions, and he would pick up and amplify.’

– Michael Goodwin

• the first time Hitch himself refers back (jokingly) to his previous films (Psycho and The Birds)

• like the two previous films, this trailer is very funny (full of self-irony on Hitchcock’s part), but it is also more conventional (it does show scenes from the film, and we see Hitchcock only briefly)

• Bernard Herrmann’s original music is used

• the introductions of Mark and Marnie (both walking towards us and looking into the camera) were shot specifically for the trailer

#2

<same as #1, but in German>

Remarks:

• unlike in the German trailer for Psycho, here Hitchcock doesn’t dub his speech into German, but he actually shot the whole speech again (both image and sound)

• it was probably shot on the same day as the English version, although the technician in the background is not exactly at the same place as in the other version

Marnie

27. Torn Curtain

#1 (2’55”)

<voice>
“What series of startling events would come to a climax in a scene like this?”
<cards>
THE ACKNOWLEDGED MASTER OF THE UNEXPECTED—ALFRED HITCHCOCK TEARS YOU APART WITH SUSPENSE!
PauL NeWMaN
JuLIe ANDReWS in
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “TORN CURTaIN”
<clip>
“I’m not a scientist, I’m a teacher.” “You’re a scientist. And you’re supposed to respect the natural order in all things. Breakfast comes before lunch- ouh- and marriage should come before a honeymoon cruise.”
<voice>
“Paul Newman and Julie Andrews find love in danger and danger in love when they venture behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain.”
<clip>
“Now you stay away from me, don’t talk to me. When this plane lands you take the next one out, anywhere. Go home.”
<voice>
“What she had to know what was happening to the man she loved.”
<clip>
“All right what would you like me to do?” “So I’ll be back in time for the wedding.” “In two months.” “Yeah.” “Or three.” “Yeah.” “Michael, you certainly know how to make a girl feel wanted.”
<clip>
“Who are you?” “Didn’t the farmer tell you? I’m Doctor Koska.”
<clip>
“Who is this Professor Armstrong?” “Pray for him.”
<clip>
“What possessed you to bring a girl on a job like this?” “I didn’t, she followed me.”
<clip>
“It’ll blow up!” “We built it. It didn’t blow up, it works.” “Four years ago we tried it in Alma Ata, it blew up!”
<clip>
“I- I love you very much. Won’t you please take me home?” “I’m sorry I can’t.”
<cards>
SHOCK
INTRIGUE
ECSTASY
DANGER
DECEIT
TERROR
<clip>
“They found Gromek’s body.”
<cards>
WHO BUT HITCHCOCK COULD FIRE THE SCREEN
WITH SUCH A NEW DIMENSION IN SUSPENSE!
PauL NeWMaN JuLIe ANDReWS IN
ALFReD HITCHCOCK’S
”TORN CURTaIN” TECHNICOLOR A UNIVERSAL PICTURE>

Remark:

• after the wonderful trailers for the previous four films, this one is a return to the average, boring, typical trailers

#2 (0’58”)

<voice>
“The acknowledged master of the unexpected Alfred Hitchcock thrusts you into his new world of suspense.”
<cards>
ALFReD HITCHCOCK
PauL NeWMaN
JuLIe ANDReWS
<voice>
“Paul Newman and Julie Andrews find love in danger and danger in love behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain.”
<card>
“TORN CURTaIN.”
<clip>
“Now you stay away from me, don’t talk to me, go home.”
<voice>
“But she had to know what was happening to the man she loved.”
<clip>
“They found Gromek’s body.”
<clip>
“Won’t you please take me home?” “I’m sorry I can’t.”
<clip>
“It’ll blow up.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“This is Alfred Hitchcock. Torn Curtain will tear you apart with suspense.”
<voice>
“Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain. In Technicolor.”
<cards>
PauL NeWMaN JuLIe ANDReWS IN
ALFReD HITCHCOCK’S ”TORN CURTaIN” TECHNICOLOR(R) A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

Remarks:

• Hitchcock’s “presence” (we only hear a short sentence from him, but we don’t see him) is very brief, and totally without the quiet self-confidence that characterized the previous trailers (from North by Northwest to Marnie)

• the only trailer in which the word “technicolor” is emphasized even in the narration (cf. Hitch’s proud statements to Truffaut about the colours in this film)

Torn Curtain Torn Curtain

28. Topaz (2’55”)

<clip>
“Does the word Topaz mean anything to you?”
<clip>
“What is Topaz?”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“A story of espionage in high places.”
<cards>
HITCHCOCK HITCHCOCK HITCHCOCK HITCHCOCK
SHATTERS THE SCREEN WITH
TOPAZ TOPAZ TOPAZ TOPAZ
<voice>
“A best-selling novel for over a year. The revelations in Topaz shook up world capitals and started a spy hunt that is still going on. From between the covers of this book, Hitchcock has taken intrigue, suspense, excitement. Warm blooded men and women take risks, make love, face death for stakes that involve the world.”
<clip>
“And I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut and uncover Topaz, at the risk of my own skin.”
<voice>
“The action is global, Moscow, Copenhagen,”
<clip>
“Get your heads down, quick.”
<voice>
“Washington.”
<clip>
“I gave you no understanding.” “The hell you didn’t, you’re in this business, you know the score.”
<clip>
“There is a woman in Cuba, isn’t there?” “She sometimes works for me.” “What else does she do for you?”
<voice>
“Over all lurks the mystery of Topaz and nothing is what it seems. A piece of bread can mean death, a broken figurine can mean freedom. In New York’s Harlem a man risks his life to take pictures of what? In Cuba an agent visits his mistress and no-one asks why, at first.”
<clip>
“You’ve picked a hell of a time to come. Security is tight. This island is crowding with Russians.”
<clip>
“She is a widow of a hero of the revolution, she is loved and honoured in this country. If it were not for her, you would disappear tonight.”
<voice>
“In Paris a secret meeting and in an alley…”
<clip>
“What’s the matter?” “Look.”
<voice>
“Murder or is it suicide?”
<clip>
“I don’t want you to be killed.”
<clip>
“There is something I have to tell you.” “Tell me now.”
<cards>
HITCHCOCK TOPS HITCHCOCK
TO UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY OF TOPAZ
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S TOPAZ FROM THE NOVEL BY LEON URIS A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

Remarks:

• again a boring, average trailer, without any of the delightful self-irony of some of the previous ones

• Hitchcock is mentioned five times, as if the studio knew that it is only Hitchcock’s name that could possibly save the film

Topaz Topaz

29. Frenzy

#1 (2’50”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“I dare say you are wondering why I am floating around London like this. I’m on the famous Thames river, investigating a murder. Rivers can be very sinister places and in my new film, Frenzy, this river you may say, was the scene of a very horrible murder.”
<clip>
“It’s a woman.” “Another necktie murder.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Of course, one can never be sure where danger lurks. They tell me a dreadful crime was committed right in this building. My investigation next lead me to this innocent alley of which there are hundreds in London. But I don’t think we should stay long. Something unpleasant is about to happen.”
<cards>
FRENZY
FRENZY
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Here is the scene of another horrible murder. This is the famous London wholesale fruit and vegetable market, Covent Garden. Here you may buy the fruits of evil and the horrors of vegetables. I’ve heard of a leg of lamb, a leg of chicken but never a leg of potatoes.”
<clip>
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“How do you like my tie? How do you like it?”
<clip>
“My god, the tie!” <scream>
<cards>

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S
FRENZY

Remarks:

Frenzy was about a necktie strangler and rapist in London,’ recalled [Bob] Faber. ‘There was a no-name cast, and all the characters spoke with English accents. The feeling was, we’d better concentrate on Hitchcock, not the story. I saw a publicity picture in Hitch’s office – they had made a full-size dummy of Hitchcock and taken a picture of it floating in the Thames. I said, ‘Hitch, it would be marvelous if I could cut to a close-up of you in the water, talking.’ And he said, ‘If you get the water in the tank warm enough, I’ll do it.’ So I wrote the script – including the integrated pieces from the film – and the ending, and submitted it. He made changes, but it came back essentianlly the way I had turned it in. We were setting up to do it here when Hitch had to go back to England for the scoring, so he took the script with him and shot it in England. He directed it himself. It was superb.’

– Michael Goodwin

this extraordinary trailer is deeply revealing, especially in light of Hitchcock’s lifelong fascination with the link between guilt and innocence, between murder, victim, and audience. He delights in building audience traps into his films sequences that trick us into complicity with rapists, murderers, and similar low-life types

– Michael Goodwin

here in Frenzy trailer, by playing all three parts in the equation – murderer (putting on the tie), victim (floating in the Thames), filmmaker (guiding us through Covent Garden), Hitchcock reclaims these roles as fragmented projections of himself

– Michael Goodwin

• Hitchcock’s quiet self-confidence and self-irony returns triumphantly in this trailer; it is beautifully written, beautifully acted, and Hitchcock is again the absolute hero of his trailer (just like in the “big ones”: North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, and Marnie)

• the film’s original music is featured

• when this trailer was screened in England, the following card appeared at its end: “British Board Of Film Censors – “U” trailer advertising an “X” film”

#2 (1’00”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock (as customer) and Tom Helmore (as salesclerk)>
“I’d like a dozen ties, please.” “Yes, sir. Any preference? Stripes, solids, any particular colors?” “No, I don’t care very much, it’s- they’re for a friend of mine. He uses them to strangle women.” <“FRENZY” written on different ties>
<card>
FRENZY
<clip>
“My god, the tie!” <scream>
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Frenzy will get you by the throat.”
<card>
COMING SOON

Remark:

• the only case when a former Hitchcockian actor (Tom Helmore) plays a part in a trailer for a film in which he actually doesn’t play

Frenzy Frenzy

30. Family Plot

#1 (1’10”)

<voice>
“The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock is involved in a family plot.”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“My word, what a grave insult. Please don’t take it to heart. We have some live ones we’d like you to meet.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“There’s a medium in the Family Plot, she is a fake. There’s a thief in the Family Plot.”
<clip>
“Absolutely perfect.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“There’s a kidnapper in the Family Plot.”
<clip>
“I bet that thing isn’t even loaded.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“There’s even a conman and a wild ride down the mountain.”
<clip>
“Don’t grab me for god’s sake.”
<cards>
Directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Screenplay by ERNEST LEHMAN
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“But who is buried in the Family Plot?”
<voice>
“For the answer to this and other startling questions, see Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plot.”
<cards>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S FAMILY PLOT
COMING SOON

Remarks:

• just like the film itself, the trailer is funny, witty, but somehow more modest and restrained than the trailers of North by Northwest, Psycho and The Birds

• the only Hitchcock trailer in which Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” (the theme music of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”) is used

#2 (2’05”)

<clip>
“Find him and I’ll pay you 10000 dollars.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“That’s Madame Blanche, a medium.”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Being a master spiritualist myself, I can assure you that Madame Blanche is a fake.”
<clip>
“What do we have to do for the money?” “Find one man.” “What’s his name?” “Nobody knows.” “Where is he?” “Nobody knows.”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“But let us go on. I see, I see a name strangely familiar. <Alfred Hitchcock> I see a title. <Family Plot> The implication is quite grave.”
<clip>
“Never liked them multiple funerals.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Cemetaries make my bones rattle. Let us leave these losers and find a winner. Miss Karen Black.”
<card>
KAREN BLACK
<clip>
“If a man my age is gonna get kidnapped by a woman, he wants her to be 25.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Mr Bruce Dern.”
<card>
BRUCE DERN
<clip>
“Your husband tried to kill me and you were in on it.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Miss Barbara Harris.”
<card>
BARBARA HARRIS
<clip>
“How can you do this to me?”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“…and Mr William Devane whose charm hides more than it reveals.”
<card>
WILLIAM DEVANE
<clip>
“We’ll have to eliminate these two ourselves” “Oh, I can’t.” “You must.”
<clip>
“He’s after us.”
<clip>
“Absolutely perfect.”
<clip>
“Blanche?”
<clip>
“The brakes don’t work!”
<cards>
Directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Screenplay by ERNEST LEHMAN
<clip>
“George!”
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Poor Madame Blanche. I’ve grown very fond of that girl.”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Are you alright, Madame Blanche?”
<clip>
“George!”
<card>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S FAMILY PLOT A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

Family Plot Family Plot

III. Curiosities

1. Script for a trailer for Spellbound, never (?) filmed (from Dan Auiler’s book Hitchcock’s Notebook):

FADE IN

INT. PROJECTION ROOM SEMI-LONG SHOT (FROM REAR OF ROOM)

A man is sitting in the middle of the projection room, his back to the camera. The room is lighted, and there is nothing on the square patch of screen in the background. The man sits quietly looking up at the empty screen; after a moment, he begins to speak, without turning

Man
There are stranger things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamed of in our philosophy…. Shakespeare said that….
(pause; then the man turns casually, looking fully into the camera and into the audience’s face as he places one arm leisurely over the back of the seat)

THE CAMERA MOVES IN TO

CLOSE SHOT THE MAN

Man
I’m Alfred Hitchcock… and I’ve just finished directing a picture which deals with some of those strange things Mr. Shakespeare spoke of… it’s called “Spellbound”, and it stars Miss Ingrid Bergman and Mr. Gregory Peck….
(as he speaks, he turns and looks up at the screen before him, as he does so, the lights go down,

THE CAMERA PULLS BACK TO

MEDIUM SHOT THE PROJECTION ROOM SCREEN

On the screen we begin to see the scenes in which Constance comes to J.B.’s room for the first time after his arrival at Green Manors; although the character’s mouths move as they speak the dialogue, we do not hear it. (The above scenes are SHOTS 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81.)

Mr. Hitchcock
Usually in a trailer, we’re able to let you hear scenes from the pictures… but we can’t in this one… this story, “Spellbound”, is too carefully knit… if we were to allow you to hear actual dialogue, it would destroy the suspense of the story when you view it as a whole….

Mr. Hitchcock is in the foreground, the projection room screen in the background.

Mr. Hitchcock
But I can tell you this much… it’s a love story… and it’s a story about murder… about quiet murders… not of the dark alley variety… but murders over a breakfast table…

On the screen back of Mr. Hitchcock we go into the scenes which show Constance and J. B. on their way to Gabriel Valley. (These scenes are not in the script which I have.) These are the scenes in the dining car in which Constance talks to J. B. as she cuts food on her plate. He listens but his attention is focused on her knife. It ends with the close up of J. B. as the train whistle comes in with startling effect. Although we do not hear dialogue, we hear all sound effects.

Mr. Hitchcock
“Spellbound” is a story about murders over a glass of milk….

We view the scenes in which Brulov gives J. B. the glass of milk while the former holds a razor in his hand. The scene winds up with the closeup of the milk in the glass, coming toward the camera, filling the screen and turning it white. These are shots 252, 253, 254, 255, 256.

CLOSE SHOT MR. HITCHCOCK

He is looking directly into the audience, and there is the illusion of his speaking directly to definite members of it.

Mr. Hitchcock
“Spellbound” is also a story about minds… about what happens to them when they are disturbed by real, or imaginary things… did it ever occur to you that the person seated next to you at this moment… the one you came into the theater with… might be a potential murderer? That he might actually have contemplated murdering you?… How do you know he hasn’t… what do you really know about him? What do you know about his dreams… what actually goes on in his mind… has he ever opened the locked doors of his mind and revealed the things that are hidden there?

As Mr. Hitchcock speaks, we see on the screen back of him the scene in which the series of doors open. Shot 82 from the script. Mr. Hitchcock continues to speak.

Mr. Hitchcock
Maybe you know about one of those doors, or maybe two… but there are others… there’s a whole succession of doors in the human mind… and very few people expose themselves beyond the first or second…. “Spellbound” deals with methods by which the individual is forced to open those closed doors… all of them….

The projection room screen is blank again, and Mr. Hitchcock turns to look at it a moment, without speaking.

Mr. Hitchcock
That screen up there is like a mind… we here in Hollywood can make anything happen there….

Here we go into the scenes in which Constance and J. B. come down the slope on skis. It is the shot which ends with them coming close to the precipice. These are shots 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, and part of 338 – we do not show the marble balustrade or the small boy who falls into the spiked railings.

Mr. Hitchcock
We can also show you what a man dreams….

Here we go into the more spectacular shots from the dream sequence of the picture. These are the impressionistic shots, such as 289, 292, 294.

Mr. Hitchcock
Yes, we here in Hollywood can make anything happen on the screen… but our powers are dwarfed compared to what you…
(he turns to look into the audience)
… can make happen in your mind… for instance, how many times have you actually murdered someone… I mean in your mind….

On the screen back of Mr. Hitchcock we go into the shot in which Dr. Murchison’s hand is in the foreground holding the revolver which he aims at Constance as she rises slowly from her chair and she walks across the room. We hear no dialogue, no sound effects, no music – it is very quiet. Just when we get to the point where Constance is about to go out the door, there is the startling effect (with sound) of the film breaking – it flaps around the reel noisily. This is shot 371 from the script.

Mr. Hitchcock
Too bad… the film broke… it’s just as well… we couldn’t allow you to see what happened next… it might spoil your enjoyment of “Spellbound”….
(pause)
In case I’ve forgotten to mention it, the title of this picture is “Spellbound”… it’s a Selznick International Production, and it stars Miss Ingrid Bergman and Mr. Gregory Peck….

THE CAMERA MOVES IN

VERY CLOSE SHOT MR. HITCHCOCK

He looks directly into the audience.

FADE OUT

Remarks:

• the only time the word “trailer” is uttered in a Hitchcock trailer

• it is a little similar to the trailer of Marnie (especially the way it tries to define the genre of the film), suggesting that perhaps the Marnie trailer was partly based on this script

2. Psycho – recordings for theatre lobbies (from Laurent Bouzereau’s book The Alfred Hitchcock Quote Book)

#1

<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“This is Alfred Hitchcock… We trust that the presence of a special policeman throughout the current engagement of PSYCHO will not prove annoying or frightening. Personally, they scare me to death. Actually, he merely represents the theatre management, who have been instructed to make certain that no one is seated after the picture begins.”

#2

<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“This is Alfred Hitchcock… Having lived with PSYCHO since it was a gleam in my camera’s eye, I now exercise my parental rights in revealing a number of significant facts about this well-eh-uh slightly extraordinary entertainment. I must warn you that PSYCHO was designed to be as terrifying as possible. Do not, however, heed the false rumor that it will frighten the moviegoer speechless. We do want your friends to come too.”

3. The Birds – radio spot (from Laurent Bouzereau’s book The Alfred Hitchcock Quote Book)

<sound of cuckoo clock>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the management. This is Alfred Hitchcock bringing you the correct time. It is now high time you saw THE BIRDS. Because of the unusual nature of this film, THE BIRDS should be seen from the beginning. Those of you who read magazines from back to front will consider this most peculiar, but please permit us this whim. It’s for your own good.”
<sound of cuckoo clock>

4. The Birds – recording for theatre lobbies (from Laurent Bouzereau’s book The Alfred Hitchcock Quote Book)

<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“How do you do. This is Alfred Hitchcock; that is, the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock. It was felt that in a lobby as crowded as this one, what was needed was more spirit than flesh. I wish to thank you for your patience and splendid cooperation. However, I know you have enjoyed standing around like this. In fact, there are some who say that waiting in line is the best part of the evening. We do this, of course, not as part of the nation’s emphasis on physical fitness but because we think you can enjoy THE BIRDS more if you see it from the start to finish instead of vice versa. As for THE BIRDS, I am sure they are as eager to see you as you are to see them. We make them wait on line too.”

5. Marnie – radio spots (from Laurent Bouzereau’s book The Alfred Hitchcock Quote Book)

#1

<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Do you have money problems? Are you hopelessly in debt? Wondering where the next dollar is coming from? This is Alfred Hitchcock suggesting: Why don’t you do as MARNIE does? Consolidate all your debts and then wipe them out in one enormous heist. There are dangers, of course. MARNIE seemed to enjoy taking the money. Robbery followed robbery. And then she met a man… but I am telling you too much. If you are interested in this questionable method of achieving solvency, you will have to see MARNIE. MARNIE is my latest motion picture. Don’t stage another robbery until you see MARNIE.”

#2

<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“I wouldn’t trust MARNIE any farther than I could throw Alfred Hitchcock. This is a terrible thing to say about a lady. But then – MARNIE is no lady. Personally, I wouldn’t have a thing to do with her. However, if you would, you’ll find her at your favorite theatre.”

6. Marnie – TV spot (from Goodwin’s article)

Hitchcock is stirring a giant pot with an oversize spoon. Behind him, two huge saltshakerlike objects are labelled SEX and SUSPENSE.

In making a motion picture like Marnie, notes Hitch, one must be careful as the most fastidious of chefs. She was a thief, a liar, and a cheat. And yet, there was something about her that made her different from the rest of us. That is the secret ingredient. So I first added the secret ingredient and stirred well. Then I added some suspense (he picks up the SUSPENSE shaker and tips a bit in it) and then, just a dash of sex (he upends the SEX shaker over the pot, the top falls on, and a massive overdose of sex pours in). That’s exactly the way it happened last time, says Hitch. Turned out to be rather interesting.

Remark:

• the description of this TV spot relies solely on Goodwin, since we don’t have a video version of it

7. Torn Curtain – spot (1’00”)

<card>
“TORN CURTaIN”
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“This is Alfred Hitchcock. My new picture Torn Curtain will tear you apart with suspense.”
<voice>
“What lies behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain? Paul Newman and Julie Andrews gamble love, life, reputation to find out. And what do they find? Shock and ecstasy, intrigue and deceit, danger and terror.”
<cards>
PauL NeWMaN
JuLIe ANDReWS
<clip>
“What possessed you to bring a girl on a job like this?” “I didn’t, she followed me.”
<clip>
“Michael, you certainly know how to make a girl feel wanted.”
<clip>
“They found Gromek’s body.”
<voice>
“We warn you: Alfred Hitchcock is going to tear you apart with suspense. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain. In Technicolor.”
<cards>
ALFRED HITCHCOCK IS GOING TO TEAR YOU APART
WITH SUSPENSE!
PauL NeWMaN JuLIe ANDReWS IN
ALFReD HITCHCOCK’S ”TORN CURTaIN” TECHNICOLOR(R) A UNIVERSAL PICTURE

8. Frenzy – spots

#1 (0’30”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock (with a Clar’s mirror on his head)>
“A doctor friend of mine, a throat specialist, informs me that when the circumference of the throat is reduced by external concentric pressure, strangulitis occurs. We demonstrate this in the film Frenzy with a surgical instrument known as a gentleman’s necktie.” <scream>
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Oh yes, Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#2 (1’00”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“I’m on the famous Thames river, investigating a murder.”
<clip>
“Another necktie murder!”
<card>
FRENZY
<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Look, she’s wearing my tie! How do you like my tie? How do you like it?”
<clip>
“My god, the tie!” <scream>
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Oh yes, Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#3 (0’20”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock (as customer) and Tom Helmore (as salesclerk)>
“I’d like a dozen ties, please.” “What kind, sir?” “Oh, any kind. I need them for a friend of mine. He uses them to strangle women.”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Oh yes, Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#4 (0’20”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“You think this is a tie, don’t you? Actually, it’s a murder weapon used to strangle women in Frenzy. What an elegant way to go.”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Oh yes, Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#5 (0’20”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“A lovely gift for a lady is flowers. A friend of mine gives them his necktie.”
<clip>
“Another necktie murder!”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Oh yes, Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#6 (0’10”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Can you be frenzied? Find out. See Frenzy.”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#7 (0’10”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Other pictures entertain you. We hope to frenzy you.”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

#8 (0’10”)

<clip of Alfred Hitchcock>
“This is Alfred Hitchcock. Frenzy will get you by the throat.”
<card>
HITCHCOCK’S FRENZY
<scream>
<voice of Alfred Hitchcock>
“Frenzy is rated ‘R’.”

To Part 1

Special thanks to Lisa Devereux Kernan (UCLA).

Bibliography

Dan Auiler: Hitchcock’s Secret Notebooks, Bloomsbury, 1999.

Laurent Bouzereau: The Alfred Hitchcock Quote Book, Citadel Press, 1993.

Michael Goodwin: “The Lost Films of Alfred Hitchcock”, New West, April 1981.

Vincenz Hediger: “L’image de l’auteur dans la publicité”, in: Politique des auteurs et théories du cinéma, L’Harmattan, 2002.

Brad Stevens: “In Praise of Trailers”, Senses of Cinema, Sept–Oct 2000.

Kenneth Turan: “The Lure of Trailers”, American Film, October 1982.

www.movietrailertrash.com.

About The Author

Nándor Bokor is a physicist with the Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He is the editor of the Hungarian edition of François Truffaut's book Hitchcock.

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