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Summary: What Was Hitch Thinking?...This Book Will Tell You....
Review: This review refers to "Hitchcock's Notebooks..An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the Creative Mind Of Alfred Hitchcock" by Dan Auiler....The title of this book says it all. It is exactly that. A look into the creative mind of "The Master"..Alfred Hitchcock.
Although geared largely toward the aspiring film maker, it is also a wonderful treasure for film buffs and huge fans(like myself). Each chapter gives detailed information and documents on Hitch's genius at the making of his films. Not just the blockbusters, but all of them.(Even the ones that never saw an audience.) From the First chapter, "Beginnings", where you may see many photographs of the young director working on the set of his earliest completed work "The Mountain Eagle" which has disappeared and is one of the world's most sought after films, through the last chapter "Fade Out". which describes his marketing techniques(i.e. not letting anyone in the theatre after "Psycho" had started) once the films were wrapped up, you will find that Mr.Auiler has done extensive research and enlightens us on Hitch's methods. Very detailed accounts of scripts from "Rebecca", "The Paradine Case" and Suspicion" may be found in the chapter entitled "Building The Screenplay", correspondance, notes, and letters in Hitch's own handwriting in refrence to "Shadow of a Doubt" may also be found here. This is a very technical chapter, but Auiler gives an easy understanding of the production processes used. In "Preparing the Visual" you'll find lots of sketches, drawings, and Hitch's famous story boards for movies like "Lifeboat", "North by Northwest" and "Vertigo" are shown as well. In "Production Gallery" there are many stills of Hitch and the actors on the sets of works going as far back as "The Farmer's Wife" and "Number 17"(an experimental film, which was never completed), the "Thirty Nine Steps", Sabatoge","Strangers on a Train" and much more. Auiler fills this 559 page book with fascinating facts and memorabia that any Film buff would love. There are even taped conversations(in which Hitch does almost all the talking), one with Tippy Hedron on exactly how he wants her to act in "The Birds" among them. I loved it and could not put it down!.....enjoy....Laurie
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Summary: Outstanding look at how film-making should be done!
Review: This thick book contains plot treatments for many of his best films, including marked up scripts and Hitchcock's sketches of what he wanted his films to look like. This is one of the best books I've ever found for students of movies. You may feel like you are about to go blind as you read through the handwritten letters and edits to scripts and treatments, but the book really gave me a good idea of who Alfred Hitchcock was and what it means to direct a movie. The book ably shows how Hitchcock was involved in every minute detail of the projects (especially during his "best" years of the 1950s) and how he was able to "Wheel and Deal" with the studios on their own terms. What struck me the most was Hitchcock's intimate work on areas that I felt were reserved for the Producers, Writers, Director of Photography and Gaffers. Hitchcock seemed to be able to stick his nose in every aspect of the film making process and not only created such masterpieces as "North by Northwest" and "Psycho", but seemed to be well liked and respected by those around him. I'm now looking forward to reading Dan's book on Vertigo!
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