Alfred Hitchcock

[Cameo] Often has a quick cameo in his films. He eventually began making his appearances near the beginning because he knew viewers were watching for him and he did not want to divert their attention away from the plot. Some of his live cameo appearances includeThe Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)(in the newspaper office);The Lady Vanishes (1938)(on the station platform);Young and Innocent (1937)(outside of the courthouse);The 39 Steps (1935)(on the street);Murder! (1930)(on the street);Blackmail (1929)(on the subway); andEasy Virtue (1927)(near the tennis court). Some of his non-live appearances includeLifeboat (1944)(in a newspaper ad);Dial M for Murder (1954)(in a class reunion photo);Rope (1948)(his caricature appears on a neon sign); andFamily Plot (1976)(a silhouette against a frosted glass door).
[Hair] Likes to insert shots of a woman's hairstyle, frequently in close-ups.
[Bathrooms] Often a plot device, a hiding place or a place where lovemaking is prepared for. Hitchcock also frequently used the letters "BM", which stand for "Bowel Movement".
Often used the "wrong man" or "mistaken identity" theme in his movies (Saboteur (1942),I Confess (1953),The Wrong Man (1956),North by Northwest (1959),Frenzy (1972)).
[Blondes] The most famous actresses in his filmography (mostly in leading roles) wereAnny Ondra,Madeleine Carroll,Joan Fontaine,Ingrid Bergman,Grace Kelly,Eva Marie Saint,Kim Novak,Vera Miles,Janet LeighandTippi Hedren.

When he won his Lifetime Achievement award in 1979, he joked with friends that he must be about to die soon. He died a year later.
He almost never socialized when not shooting films, and spent most of his evenings quietly at home with his wifeAlma Revilleand daughterPatricia Hitchcock.
In addition to his fear of the police, Hitchcock possessed one other phobia: eggs.
As a child, Hitchcock was sent to the local police station with a letter from his father. The desk sergeant read the letter and immediately locked the boy up for ten minutes. After that, the sergeant let young Alfred go, explaining, "This is what happens to people who do bad things." Hitchcock had a morbid fear of police from that day on. He also cited this phobia as the reason he never learned to drive (as a person who doesn't drive can never be pulled over and given a ticket). It was also cited as the reason for the recurring "wrong man" themes in his films.
Though he was Oscar-nominated five times as best director, DGA-nominated six times as best director, and received three nominations from Cannes, he never won in any of these competitive categories, a fact that surprises fans and film critics to this day.

There is a dreadful story that I hate actors. Imagine anyone hatingJames Stewart...Jack L. Warner.I can't imagine how such a rumor began. Of course it may possibly be because I was once quoted as saying that actors are cattle. My actor friends know I would never be capable of such a thoughtless, rude and unfeeling remark, that I would never call them cattle... What I probably said was that actors should be treated like cattle.
[on his cameos] One of the earliest of these was in The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927),the story of Jack the Ripper. My appearance called for me to walk up the stairs of the rooming house. Since my walk-ons in subsequent pictures would be equally strenuous - boarding buses, playing chess, etc. - I asked for a stunt man. Casting, with an unusual lack of perception, hired this fat man!
The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.
There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.
To me,Psycho (1960)was a big comedy. Had to be.

Psycho(1960) - 60% of the net profits (salary deferred)
North by Northwest(1959) - $250,000 + 10% of the net profits.
Vertigo(1958) - $150,000 + 10% of the profits +film negative ownership
The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956) - $150,000 + 10% of the profits +film negative ownership
Rear Window(1954) - $150,000 + 10% of the profits +film negative ownership