Just when I thought I’d seen every Hitchcock publicity photo ever, I stumbled across this one. Taken to promote “The Birds“, it shows Hitchcock and Suzanne Pleshette… The rear caption reads: “School days are re-enacted by director Alfred Hitchcock with Suzanne Pleshette playing her screen role of a pretty school-teacher.”
So far, two out of three of the new Hitchcock “Legacy” 2 DVD sets have arrived on my doorstep — Psycho and Vertigo. I’ve analysed both transfers and compared them to the previous US Masterpiece Collection. Although Gary at DVD Beaver talks about the new Vertigo transfer being a slight improvement over the 2005 transfer, it’s very much in the eye of the beholder. The primary difference between the Masterpiece and Legacy transfers is the… (read more)
I think it’s a given that any Hitchcock fan who’s seen the 2007 film “Disturbia” (co-produced by Steven Spielberg) will know that it owes more than a little to “Rear Window“… Well, the current owners of the rights to Cornell Woolrich‘s original short story (“It Had to be Murder” or “Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint”) aren’t happy about that and filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan federal court yesterday… What the defendants have been unwilling… (read more)
Many thanks to playwright Joe Landry for sending me details of “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play“, which premieres at the Legacy Theatre, Atlanta, GA on October 17th. “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play” is an evening of radio play adaptations of three early films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In “The Lodger,” a landlady suspects her mysterious new tenant may be a serial killer. In “The Lady Vanishes,” a young woman on vacation triggers an… (read more)
I’m sure most people are aware that “The 39 Steps” was recently turned into a highly successful stage play by playwright Patrick Barlow. Well, it looks like the same has now been done for “Vertigo“. The Derby Evening Telegraph has a write up of the adaptation by Jonathan Holloway: Holloway returns the psychological thriller to wartime Paris and, in supremely theatrical style, frames the tale of the tortured hero as a public demonstration of hypnosis…. (read more)
Via Dan Auiler’s “All Things Hitchcock” blog, here’s your chance to own a prop from “North by Northwest“: Antique Secretary Desk – $5000 The desk puts in an appearance in the Townsend house… It’s also where Martin Landau gets the bourbon from…
Sony have just announced that the 2008 remake of “The Lodger” (directed by David Ondaatje) will be released on DVD next February.
The DVD Times site is reporting that the long awaited Universal releases of “Psycho” and “Vertigo” will be released in October, along with “Rear Window“… Universal Studios Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of new Two-Disc Special Editions of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Rear Window and Vertigo on 7th October 2008. Priced at $26.98 SRP each, these two-disc sets are released under the Universal Legacy Series banner and offer the following features… Psycho… (read more)
Quite a few people have already blogged about this, but toy manufacturer Mattel are releasing a Barbie doll of Tippi Hedren‘s character from “The Birds” in time for Halloween… More details are available on the Entertainment Earth web site. Of course, this isn’t the first time that Hedren has been turned into a doll. Hitchcock had makeup artist Robert Dawn create a lifelike doll of the actress, which was presented to her young daughter (Melanie… (read more)
Via Dan Auiler’s blog, both he and “Hitchcock’s Music” author Jack Sullivan took part in a fascinating 45 minute program on NPR about “Vertigo” — well worth a listen! Happy 50th, “Vertigo”
