Acting and Performance in Hitchcock - by Adrian Garvey & Victoria Lowe (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Despite his professed disdain for actors, this book argues that Hitchcock's films show a fascination with acting, and also contain many exceptional performances.

In this collection, the first on this subject, a group of distinguished film scholars analyse some key performances in Hitchcock's work, covering his career from the British silent era to the last years of the Hollywood studio system. The actors covered range from Ivor Novello to Tippi Hedren, with classic, and less well-known films discussed including Notorious, Stage Fright, Strangers on a Train and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

This book reflects the growing academic interest in film performance, and opens new perspectives on the films of Alfred Hitchcock.

From the Back Cover

Acting and Performance in Hitchcock, the first collection on this subject, argues that Hitchcock's famously dismissive view of actors has helped to obscure the importance of acting in his work. His films are full of exceptional performances, with many stars delivering their best work, and they also show a continuing fascination with acting and impersonation as a theme.

The collection offers close analysis of key performances in his work, covering a range of films from the silent era to the 1960s. Detailed readings of specific roles convey the centrality of performance to the director's films, as well as considering acting in relation to issues of stardom, gender, sexuality, and national identity. The actors discussed include Ivor Novello, Cary Grant, Doris Day, and Tippi Hedren. Among the films considered are Notorious, Stage Fright, Strangers on a Train and Dial M for Murder.

With contributions by leading film scholars, this book offers new insights into Hitchcock's work through the prism of performance.

About the Author

Adrian Garvey is a film historian
Victoria Lowe is Senior Lecturer in Drama and Film Studies, University of Manchester