Alfred Hitchcock

The daughter of the undisputed master of film suspense, Sir Alfred Hitchcock, has marked the centenary of his birth at a special ceremony. Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell revisited the London flat, home to her famous father and mother for more than a decade, and unveiled a commemorative plaque on Friday. The English Heritage blue plaque marking his birthday, which aptly fell on Friday 13, honored his unique contribution to the world of cinema. Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell had come from her home in California for the ceremony. Her father Sir Alfred Hitchcock, the Hollywood king of suspense, was honored at the west London house where he lived after his marriage until he moved to the United States in 1939. The director and his wife Alma Reville lived in the upstairs flat on the Cromwell Road for 13 years during his early career as he was making a name for himself at Islington Studios. Hitchcock had begun his career in advertising but his genius lay in movies. His thrillers, including Psycho and The Birds, have inspired terror in generations of filmgoers and are regarded as classics worldwide. During his long career he directed an illustrious list of screen greats which included Cary Grant in North By North West, and James Stewart and Grace Kelly in Rear Window. Fans would eagerly await the fleeting moment when he would appear in the background in some form, often as an inconspicuous passer-by. Patricia too made appearances in her father's films, including Stagefright, Strangers on a Train and Psycho. Psycho was recently voted his best film by a distinguished panel of directors. The famous shower scene in the 1960 film took seven working days and more than 70 takes for just 45 seconds of film. Janet Leigh, who played the murder victim Marion Crane recently said she had never got over the shock of seeing Psycho for the first time and has never taken a shower again. Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel on which the film was based anonymously from Robert Bloch for 9,000 U-S dollars and then bought as many copies as he could, to keep the ending a secret. But the director, who died in 1980, has been accused of exploiting his stars by manipulating their emotions and was once quoted as calling actors "cattle". A famous example of his alleged insensitivity towards stars involved Tippi Hedren in The Birds when, legend has it, she did not know so many real birds would be used and was traumatized for months afterwards by the terrifying scene. By fair means or foul, Sir Alfred Hitchcock is remembered as the true Hollywood master of suspense and calculated terror.