Alfred Hitchcock: the greatest director

With 21% of the vote, Alfred Hitchcock has been chosen as the greatest director of all time by readers of F&R. Hitchcock is known as the “master of suspense,” and with over 60 movies to his name, he is one of the undisputed masters of film. His most famous works include Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959), Vertigo (1958), Rear Window (1954), Dial M for Murder (1954), and The Birds (1963).

Between 1920 and 1922, Hitchcock (known as Hitch) got his start in film by designing the titles for movies with a studio in London. Eventually, his own talent as a director was recognized, and after a false start with the film Number 13, he finally directed his first feature film in 1925, The Pleasure Garden. After directing Saboteur in 1942, studios began naming his films after him (e.g., Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho). In 1980, he was knighted. Today, he is widely considered one of the most influential directors of all time. His films are beloved by people all over the world.

Useless trivia: Hitch had two major phobias—police and eggs. He never won an Oscar for Best Director.