Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies“The trouble today is that we don’t torture women enough.” —Alfred Hitchcock It is remarkable how infrequently, over a period of more than fifty years, Alfred Hitchcock spoke about the beautiful, legendary and talented actresses he directed. And when he did, his remarks were mostly indifferent and often hostile. But his leading ladies greatly enriched his films, even as many of them achieved international stardom precisely because of their work for Hitchcock—among the dozens of women were Madeleine Carroll, Joan Fontaine, Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren. Yet he maintained a stony, insistent silence about the quality of their performances and their contributions to his art. Spellbound by Beauty—the final volume in master biographer Donald Spoto’s Hitchcock trilogy that began with The Art of Alfred Hitchcock and continued with The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock—is the fascinating, complex and finally tragic story of the great moviemaker and his female stars, the unusual ideas of sex and romance that inform his films and the Hollywood dreams that often became nightmares. Rich with fresh revelations based on previously undisclosed tapes, new interviews, private correspondence and personal papers made available only to the author, this thoughtful, compassionate yet explosive portrait details Hitchcock’s outbursts of cruelty, the shocking humor and the odd amalgam of adoration and contempt that time and again characterized Hitchcock’s obsessive relationships with women—and that also, paradoxically, fed his genius. He insisted, for example, that Madeleine Carroll submit herself to painful physical demands during the making of The 39 Steps. He harbored a poignantly unrequited love for Ingrid Bergman. He meticulously and deliberately constructed Grace Kelly’s image. Finally, he stalked, harassed and abused Tippi Hedren. His treatment of his daughter, Pat, was certainly unusual, while his strange marriage to his sometime collaborator Alma Reville was a union that (according to Hitchcock himself) was forever chaste after one incident. Spellbound by Beauty offers important insights into the life of a brilliant, powerful, eccentric and tortured artist, and it corrects a major gap in movie history by paying tribute at last to those extraordinarily talented actresses who gave so much to his films. |
Contents
| 14 | |
OF SOUND AND SENSE 19261934 | 23 |
Three | 39 |
Four | 67 |
PASSPORT TO HOLL 000 19391940 | 81 |
CHILLING ELEGANCE 19411942 | 105 |
Seven | 125 |
DESIRES AND PULSATIONS 19451946 | 145 |
THE LURE 19491950 18 3 | 183 |
Twelve | 199 |
WOMEN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH 19541957 | 215 |
Thirteen | 231 |
Fifteen | 259 |
Afterword | 279 |
Bibliography | 309 |
Nine | 158 |
Other editions - View all
Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies Donald Spoto No preview available - 2008 |
Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies Donald Spoto No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
39 Steps actors actress Alfred Hitchcock Alida Alma Reville American Anny Ondra appeared artist asked audience began birds Blackmail blondes British camera career Cary Grant cast character Charles Bennett closeup co-star cock cock's collaboration comedy critics daughter directed director Elsie Randolph felt final gave girl Grace Kelly handcuffs Hitch Hitchcock knew Hitchcock picture Hitchcock told Hitchcock's films Hollywood humor husband Ingrid Bergman interviews Ivor Joan Fontaine Joan Harrison John jokes Kim Novak Lady Vanishes later leading lady Leff Lodger London Madeleine Carroll Marnie married McGilligan Michael Balcon movie murder never Nova Pilbeam novel Novello obsession Olivier Ondra Paradine performance perhaps play players production Psycho Rebecca recalled role scene screen screenplay script Secret Agent seemed Selznick sequence sexual shot Spellbound Stage Fright star story studio Taylor television Teresa thing thought thriller tion Tippi Hedren Truffaut Valli Vertigo wanted wife woman women writers wrote York young