Hitchcock's Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession

by Laurence Leamer

Bestselling author of Capote’s Women Laurence Leamer shares an engrossing account of the enigmatic director Alfred Hitchcock that finally puts the dazzling actresses he cast in his legendary movies at the center of the story.

Alfred Hitchcock was fixated—not just on the dark, twisty stories that became his hallmark, but also by the blond actresses who starred in many of his iconic movies. The director of North by Northwest, Rear Window, and other classic films didn’t much care if they wore wigs, got their hair coloring out of a bottle, or were the rarest human specimen—a natural blonde—as long as they shone with a golden veneer on camera. The lengths he went to in order to showcase (and often manipulate) these women would become the stuff of movie legend. But the women themselves have rarely been at the center of the story, until  now.

In Hitchcock’s Blondes, bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer offers an intimate journey into the lives of eight legendary actresses whose stories helped chart the course of the troubled, talented director’s career—from his early days in the British film industry, to his triumphant American debut, to his Hollywood heyday and beyond. Through the stories of June Howard-Tripp, Madeleine Carroll, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Janet Leigh, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, and Tippi Hedren—who starred in fourteen of Hitchcock’s most notable films and who bore the brunt of his fondness and sometimes fixation—we can finally start to see the enigmatic man himself. After all, “his” blondes (as he thought of them) knew the truths of his art, his obsessions and desires, as well as  anyone.

From the acclaimed author of Capote’s Women comes an intimate, revealing, and thoroughly modern look at both the enduring art created by a man obsessed…and the private toll that fixation took on the women in his orbit.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Film, Audiobook, Media Tie In, Feminism

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2023

About the author

Laurence Leamer is an award-winning journalist and historian who has written eighteen books including five New York Times bestsellers. He has worked in a factory in France, a coal mine in West Virginia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in a remote village in Nepal two days from a road. He has written two novels and an off Broadway play but is primarily known for his nonfiction. His most recent book, Capote's Women, is being made into an eight-part series starring Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, and Demi Moore.

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listed as one of fall’s most anticipated books, the cover of Hitchcock’s Blondes is stunning especially in a world before photoshop.

Going into this, I expected a TED-talk style, highly engaging, well-organized book, but…….

Let’s off with the band-aid, shall we?

This book didn’t work for me.

Full Disclosure: I have never seen an Alfred Hitchcock film, but I was interested to learn more. Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if I was familiar with his works.

The editor should be fired because this book is a hot mess. Hitchcock’s Blondes is not well organized, and each chapter should have been titled after the particular actress. At times, the book veers off topic, starting to go into the weeds with the actors. Perhaps a more fitting title for this work would be Old Hollywood?

Also, there are a few photos in the book that are wasted by being placed at the very back of the book. In fact, I missed them the first time through because they are truly the last pages of the book even after the long notes, acknowledgement, and sources. Instead, these should have been strategically weaved in with the corresponding chapter.

The narrative voice was underdeveloped and inelegant. The super quick film summaries didn’t work for someone not familiar with Hitchcock’s work. It was like the author took a big breath and tried to punch through the summary as quickly as possible.

Finally, the tone of this book is a little cringy especially in light of the #MeToo movement. The author attempted to downplay sexual assault and harassment, noting when an actress asserted abuse in later years and trying to pass off uncomfortable, inappropriate jokes.

In one of the last chapters, it is noted that Hitchcock’s secretary would come into his office and shut the door. David Freeman, a screenwriter, thought she was partially undressing to buy a new car.

Unless the secretary wanted this story out, it is shameful to publish it. First, this appears to be based on no more than speculation and vicious rumors. Maybe she shut the door to transcribe some notes? Second, even if this story is 100% true, the inherent imbalance of power is abusive and is the secretary’s story to share.

*Thanks to Putnam Brothers, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion who I am sure will love to work with me after this absolutely brutal but honest review.

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[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Alfred Hitchcock is fascinating to film lovers, and I've read several books that feature the director, his life, and his movies. In this book, Laurence Leamer approaches the subject from the perspective of the blonde actresses that captivated Hitchcock and played leading roles in his pictures.

For each featured actress, Leamer provides a mini-biography as well as an overview of the woman's experience working with Hitchcock. Along the way Leamer describes the plot(s) of each actress's Hitchcock movie(s), so if this would be a spoiler for you, you should probably see the movies before you read the book.

I want to say up front that - for the most part - I enjoyed the narratives about the actress's lives, which include anecdotes about their families, boyfriends, husbands, children, jobs, travel, film careers, etc. I do think Leamer took too much delight describing the women's sexual peccadilloes, and for me there was a whiff of misogyny in Leamer's attitude to the ladies.

This is especially clear in the author's chapters about Tippi Hedren, whom Leamer seems to dislike. Hedren has been very open about Hitchcock sexually harassing her, and Leamer becomes an apologist for the director. In fact, the author dismisses most of Hedren's accusations as 'misunderstanding' things Hitchcock said and did (How would Leamer know?) and consistently suggests she's a sub-par actress.

Leamer also appears to know what's in people's minds, and he writes that Hedren didn't love her husband Noel Marshall, and Noel didn't love her, and they were using each other, and so on. Leamer goes on to denigrate their work together on films, to criticize their animal preserve, etc. For the record, I've read Hedren's book "Tippi: A Memoir" and I believe her about Hitchcock's behavior.

I'm actually shocked that some of Leamer's more outrageous passages passed muster with an editor. That said, most of the book is quite interesting, and I (mostly) enjoyed the overview of Hitchcock, the blonde actresses, and the movies they made with the famous director.

In addition to the stories about the performers, I liked the snippets about Hitchcock's life, personality, and career. The author mentions Hitchcock's love of pranks; his penchant for telling raunchy stories; his outsize appetite for good food and fine wine; his and his wife's home, filled with beautiful art; his compulsion to make one movie after another; his dismay when a favorite leading lady took up with a suitor; the screenwriters he worked with; and more.

*****

Alfred Hitchcock grew up in a devout Catholic family and seems to have been sexually repressed. Considering himself overweight and homely, Hitchcock was self-conscious about his appearance and timid in relationships with women. However, at the age of 27, Hitchcock married feisty Alma Reville - a screenwriter and film editor - who was a loyal partner for Hitchcock's entire life. Hitchcock was devoted to his wife, but was fascinated by the beautiful blonde women he put in his films.

Hitchcock had a rather odd attitude towards his leading ladies. He often felt the need to take them down a peg, and "would turn on the actress in measures both deliberately cruel and casually thoughtless." Hitchcock also had a reputation for regaling his leading ladies with smutty stories and dirty jokes, in a seemingly blatant attempt to make them uncomfortable.

Leamer highlights eight actresses that intrigued the director. I'm just going to mention the movies each woman made with Hitchcock. To learn more of their fascinating histories, you can read Leamer's book.

⦿ June Howard-Tripp



June Howard-Tripp was brought to Hitchcock's attention by screen idol Ivor Novello, who suggested the director cast June in a film.

June starred in Hitchcock's 1927 movie 'The Lodger', about a serial killer who was murdering blonde women in London. The lead actor in the movie was Ivor Novello, and June played the role of Daisy Bunting, a working class model who lived with her family. The Bunting family took in a lodger......and the movie goes on from there. This was the only film June made with Hitchcock.


June Howard-Tripp and Ivor Novello in 'The Lodger'

⦿ Madeleine Carroll



Madeleine Carroll was in a film co-written by Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville before she was cast in a movie by the director.

Madeleine's first movie with Hitchcock was the 1935 film 'The 39 Steps', about a man (played by Robert Donat) who's falsely accused of murder. To keep the suspect from fleeing, the police handcuff him to a witness called Pamela (played by Madeleine Carroll), and the twosome escape and go on the run. According to Leamer, "Hitchcock understood that the linking together relates more to sex than anything else", and it seems sex is a theme in all Hitchcock movies.


Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat in 'The 39 Steps'

Madeleine also starred in Hitchcock's 1936 film, 'The Secret Agent', in which Madeleine plays Elsa Carrington, a woman asked to help kill a German spy.

⦿ Ingrid Bergman



When Hitchcock first saw Bergman, he was taken with her beauty and sexuality, and decided he had to cast her in a film. In all, Ingrid starred in three Hitchcock movies.

In 1945's 'Spellbound', Ingrid plays a psychoanalyst named Dr. Constance Peterson, who works at Green Manors mental sanatorium in Vermont. Constance falls in love with the new head of the institute, Dr. Anthony Edwardes (played by Gregory Peck). Dr. Edwardes is a troubled man, and Constance helps him "reach deep within his psyche to retrieve the truths that save him."


Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck in 'Spellbound'

In 1946's 'Notorious', Ingrid's role is Alicia Huberman, a woman of loose morals whose father is a convicted Nazi spy. FBI agent T. R. Devlin (played by Cary Grant) convinces Alicia to spy on her father's Nazi comrades.


Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in 'Notorious'

In 1949's 'Under Capricorn', Ingrid plays Lady Henrietta, an alcoholic aristocrat who has come to live in early nineteenth-century Australia. The story is a mystery involving a love triangle.

⦿ Grace Kelly



Grace Kelly, renowned for her beauty, was sure to catch Hitchcock's eye. Grace made three movies with Hitchcock.

In 1954's 'Dial M for Murder', Grace plays Margo Wendice, a woman having an affair with an American writer (played by Robert Cummings). Margo's husband (played by Ray Milland) finds out, and arranges to have Margo murdered, but Margo manages to kill her attacker. She's then arrested for murder.


Grace Kelly and Ray Milland in 'Dial M for Murder'

In 1954's 'Rear Window', a photojournalist called Jeff Jeffries (played by James Stewart) - hobbled by a broken leg - sits at his window peeping into the apartments of his neighbors. Grace plays Jeff's girlfriend, fashion executive Lisa Fremont. Jeff believes he sees a murder across the way, and he and Lisa investigate the incident.


Grace Kelly and James Stewart in 'Rear Window'

In 1955's 'To Catch a Thief', Grace plays Francie Stevens, an American heiress who's come to Cannes with her mother, in pursuit of a husband. The potential husband is John Robie (played by Cary Grant), a retired jewel thief. Meanwhile, there's a new cat burglar in town, who's copying Robie's methods, and the police suspect Robie's at work again.


Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in 'To Catch a Thief'

⦿ Kim Novak



When Hitchcock began working with Kim Novak, she was already a celebrity, with her throaty voice, provocative figure, and girl-next-door appeal.

The only movie Kim made with Hitchcock was 1957's 'Vertigo.' In this movie, a retired police detective called Scottie Ferguson (played by James Stewart) has an intense fear of heights. An old college buddy hires Scottie to follow his heiress wife Madeleine (played by Kim Novak), who's behaving strangely. Scottie falls in love with Madeleine, who later jumps from a church tower while acrophobic Scottie is helpless to stop her. Once Scottie recovers from the terrible experience he happens to see a factory worker named Judy (played by Kim Novak) who seems to be Madeleine's double.....and the rest is history.


Kim Novak and James Stewart in 'Vertigo'

⦿ Eva Marie Saint



Eva Marie Saint made one movie with Hitchcock. In 1959's 'North by Northwest', Eva Marie played Eve Kendall, the girlfriend of a communist spy named Philip Vandamm (played by James Mason). Vandamm mistakes businessman Roger Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) for a government agent, and frames him for murder. As Thornhill is on the run from the police he meets Eve Kendall on a train, and she tries to help him.


Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant in 'North by Northwest'

⦿ Janet Leigh



Janet Leigh was a well-known movie star when she filmed the 1960 movie 'Psycho', her only film with Hitchcock. In 'Psycho' Janet's character is Marion Crane, an office worker in Phoenix. When Marion gets the chance, she steals $40,000 from her boss and takes off to join her boyfriend Sam Loomis (played by John Gavin) in California. Along the way, Marion stops at a motel for the night, and meets motel owner Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). That evening, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower (this is one of the most famous scenes in movie history).


Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins in 'Psycho'

⦿ Tippi Hedren



Hitchcock discovered Tippi Hedren in an ad for a diet drink, where he was struck by her beauty and jaunty stride. Tippi made two films with Hitchcock, the first being 1963's 'The Birds.'

In 'The Birds', Tippi plays spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels, who happens to meet Mitch Brenner (played by Rod Taylor) in a pet store, where he's looking for a gift for his sister. On a whim, Melanie purchases two lovebirds and delivers them to Mitch's family home in Bodega Bay. While Melanie's in town, vicious birds start to attack the residents.


Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor in 'The Birds'

In 1964's movie 'Marnie', Tippi plays a compulsive thief named Marnie who "moves from employer to employer, stealing from them and moving on." Marnie's new boss, Mark Rutland (played by Sean Connery) decides to marry Marnie and help her find the psychological reason for her thievery, so she can mend her ways.


Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in 'Marnie'

*****

In March, 1979 Hitchcock received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award, where he received tributes from many members of the film industry. Leamer writes, "The most profound tribute to Hitchcock came not from spoken words but from film clips......one after another they appeared interspersed throughout the evening." Leamer goes on, "These shots from films made over the course of five decades in England and Hollywood testified to the compelling entertainment Hitchcock created and the unprecedented longevity of his career."

Hitchcock's blondes - and their eventful lives - are an interesting subject and I recommend the book to film fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Laurence Leamer, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of the manuscript.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[Erin Entrada Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that inexplicably dwells on the women’s sex lives, reiterates outdated Freudian concepts by assuming all the women have daddy issues, portrays the women only through the lens of the men in their lives, fails to provide adequate context for the rampant sexism and sexual abuse that existed in Hollywood at the time, and — as an added bonus — questions the women’s credibility and implies that they should be thankful for the man who bullied and abused them.

Hitchcock was a genius. He was also a monster.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite its claims of “finally putting the actresses of Hitchcock’s movies at the center of the story,” this book is hardly about these women. Leamer seems to see these actresses’ experiences with Hitchcock as the only interesting thing about them. Throughout the book, he relies heavily on amateur Freudian psychology, painting a very bland picture of the director and all but dismissing his actual subjects. The limited biographical information in each chapter often reads like a Wikipedia page and entire pages are devoted to point-by-point film summaries. The chapters themselves vary wildly in length: June Howard-Tripp and Madeleine Carroll get barely 20 pages between them, while Grace Kelly’s surpasses 50. Disappointingly, the most compelling details of these actresses’ stories, their backgrounds, hardships, and successes, are skimmed over in favor of making the same trite conclusions about Hitchcock’s perversions again and again.

Worse yet is Leamer’s own obvious disdain for these women, and his relentless fixation on their sex lives—particularly Ingrid Bergman’s and Grace Kelly’s, whose 40+ page chapters read more like a chronology of their affairs than anything else. Leamer apparently gets off on fetishizing “Hitchcock’s blondes” as much as Hitchcock himself did. The writing is juvenile at best throughout the book, but the passages in which he describes their sex lives are particularly off-putting:

“They [boys] knew just how far the girls at Stevens School would go, and few went as far and as often as Grace [Kelly], who enjoyed it as much as the boys. She flitted from one relationship to the next as quickly as a soap opera heroine, and as she moved from youth to youth, she took her pleasures in the back seat of more than one car, always stopping before giving out her ultimate treasure.”

What a weird, predatory way to describe a high school girl. The women are described at all ages as irresistible “creatures,” amoral seductresses, and brainless pretty faces. According to Leamer, all of them have daddy issues. He speculates on the credibility of the womens’ accounts of sexual harassment, continuously downplays Hitchcock’s behavior, and insinuates they should be grateful to him for their success. Invasive, mean-spirited, gossipy details like this are constant—they appear, no exaggeration, on nearly every page (with the odd exception of Eva Marie Saint’s chapter)—and have no place in any fair, nuanced portrait of some of Hollywood’s greatest actresses.

Overall, this book is repetitious, disorganized, and full of gross generalizations and speculation. Although it serves as a decent introduction to Hitchcock’s work and the Golden Age of Hollywood, it overwhelmingly fails to deliver—and actively works against—its promise of centering the lives and stories of these eight women. I love reading about old Hollywood so much that I almost hesitated to give this such a low rating—but anything higher would be too generous.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible read and one of the best books I've read this year! I would rate it higher if I could. Each story of one of Hitchcock's women included the background of life, how he discovered her and the specifics of the movie. It also showcased the intimate relationships between them. I really can't do this review justice but to say you will not be disappointed with this book. This is the second book I've read by this author and will definitely not be my last. Thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for the honor of an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Katelynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird vibe to wanna write a book highlighting the women who starred in Hitchcock’s movies, then spend most of the time focusing solely on who they slept with, then end the book by questioning their accusations against Hitch and reiterating *his* genius.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen most of the movies mentioned in this book (and other Hitchcock films) several times, and own copies of five of them. So I was hoping this would be a book I'd love. I did enjoy learning about events on the sets of the movies, but for the most part, it's thumbs way down for me.

Hitchcock's behavior could be horrible and abusive, and certainly wouldn't be accepted today. Lots of it directed toward 'his blondes' gets described in the book, with a couple Me Too mentions--this could have led to interesting ideas about Art vs Artist, how Hitchcock might have reacted to current culture, how these great movies might not have been made under different circumstances, etc. But there's none of that.

The author does a lot of detailed recounting of the plots of movies, so you certainly wouldn't want to read this before seeing them.

I thought the book had a trashy tabloid tone with way too much space devoted to people's sex lives.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about famous women that repeats every bit of malicious and misogynistic gossip about those women as gospel fact and every accusation of mistreatment that those women make against men is treated as something between an honest mistake and slander by a crazy bitch. Tippi Hendron, we are told, was called a narcissist by a psychoanalyst one time but we are also told that her story about Hitchcock assaulting her was clearly her misinterpreting an innocent gesture.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Leamer spins a wonderful book out of the stories of Alfred Hitchcock’s blonde stars. Leamer has woven the story of Hitchcock around these women and the great films in which they starred. Essentially this is a fabulous read for those of us that love film and enjoy the gossipy stories of these fascinating women.

Just as I loved Capote’s Women, I was engaged in these mini-biographies. I especially enjoyed the story of Eva Marie Saint and the filming of North By Northwest. Cary Grant is also included in this memoir.

I enjoy Leamer’s style which combines film history and biography with a dash of social history. I highly recommend this book to all of us who enjoy films and those who made them.

Thank you Netgalley for this incredibly informative and enjoyable book.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was expecting more tea to be spilled

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of my favorite annual traditions is getting a big group of friends together and going to see a Hitchcock film at Angelika’s “Hitchcocktober” series each October. I love Hitchcock films! And I was really interested to read more about his relationships with his actors, because I know they were fraught. This book’s subtitle is “the unforgettable women behind the legendary director’s dark obsession,” so I was hoping to get some in-depth accounts of these women’s stories and learn about how they were treated on set, etc.

But this book was wack.

Each chapter was basically a surface-level biography of an actress, a story about how Hitchcock discovered her and made her what he wanted her to be, and then synopses of any films they made together. Some actresses have a pretty short section, others (e.g, Grace Kelly) get 50+ pages.

What’s most alarming to me in this book is that 80% of each actress’ biography is just a running account of every person she ever slept with, which reads like a tabloid and also reduces women down to their roster in a way that makes me think the author doesn’t respect women very much! After reading the whole thing I can still barely differentiate between most of the people involved because all the chapters were written so similarly. Also, like half of the Tippi Hedren chapter is just the author being like “she said he kissed her but probably she just misread something” or “she said he made a lewd proposition and I’m not saying she’s lying but there’s no proof!” It was genuinely jarring to read that in 2024.

In fact, the book does almost nothing to give the reader the impression that Hitchcock even had a “dark obsession” at all, rather it just excuses all of his conduct and dismisses any accusations out of hand. I’m not really sure how Leamer is getting away with attaching this piece of work to his (more intriguing) title.

The book is a pass for me. I hope something better is out there and I will continue to enjoy Hitchcock’s films in the meantime acknowledging that I still know very little about the man.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This turned into a hate read for me. Rather than explore Hitchcock's problematic relationships with his actresses, Leamer spends a good deal of time psychoanalyzing the actresses and excusing or dismissing Hitchcock's behavior. I am a huge fan of his movies but feel no need to whitewash the director's behavior. Clearly Leamer falls on the other side of that dilemma. The chapter on Tippi Hedren in particular is jaw-droppingly misogynistic. If it had been at the beginning of the book rather than the end I may not have read any further.

[Mighty Aphrodite]

DFN at 68

In questi ultimi anni, abbiamo assistito a una rinascita travolgente della scrittura al femminile e, nel migliore dei casi, femminista. Le voci delle donne sono tornate ad animare i dibattiti, rendendo più dolorosamente reale il dominio del patriarcato nelle nostre vite.

Riconoscendo le differenze tra uomini e donne che – ancora oggi – sussistono, riscoprendo il femminismo delle origini e trasformandolo per adattarlo al presente, le scrittrici della contemporaneità hanno creato una lunga onda positiva di nuove consapevolezze, un nuovo dizionario attraverso il quale qualsiasi donna ora può riconoscere ciò che sta vivendo, dare al proprio dolore e al proprio disagio un nome, trovare una via per affrancarsi dal potere maschile e dagli inganni del patriarcato.

Ciò che stupisce è che anche alcuni scrittori sono riusciti a cogliere le potenzialità di questa nuova narrazione, di questa nuova ricerca da parte delle donne di punti di riferimento, di verità, di storie che non le facessero più sentire sole, indifese, incapaci.

Capendo appieno il valore di questa nuova vena aurifera – che ha anche e soprattutto un immenso peso sul mercato editoriale – hanno deciso di appropriarsi nuovamente della nostra storia, di riscriverla a loro uso e consumo per offrirci su un piatto d’argento contenuti paternalistici, subdolamente misogini e privi di sostanza; un vero specchietto per le allodole, un’altra trappola ben infiocchetta e proposta al grande pubblico nella quale è davvero facile cadere.
Continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...

[Mattea · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, so bored probs need to watch some Hitchcock films for context. Had Onyx storm on my bedside table calling my name instead.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I was expecting a book on Hitchcock's obsession with blondes and perhaps his relationships with each of these actresses. What I got was a mini biography of each actress and detailed notes on the plots of the movies they starred in. If there wasn't enough material on Hitch's obsessive relationships, perhaps there wasn't a story to write a book about. For a casual reader with no knowledge of his work, perhaps this is a bite sized introduction. But at that point, why not just watch a movie?

[Jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know as much as Leamer does, but I do know enough to recognize that this is badly structured.

[Jes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smh @ myself: I finished and returned this book last month. I think I've gotten lazy logging physical books. Kindle gives you the option to rate a book the minute you swipe to the last page. I'm pretty sure that's spoiled me.

I wasn't huge on this one. My dad really liked Hitchcock so I've seen a lot of the movies the book covers. This was a really annoying read, with that in mind, because a ton of it is just plot summaries. And I also feel like the book felt more like a gossip rag than biographies and vignettes from the actresses' lives. It felt more concerned about the sordid details than really making the blondes in question feel like real women.

I dunno. I need better discipline about clearing my currently reading shelf, that's for sure. 💔

[Samantha Kostkowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does this author just not like women? This book is maybe 20% Hitchcock and the rest about these women who starred in his movies. The book starts out with Tippi Hedren’s The Birds experience but then the author basically calls her a liar a lot at the end. The format of the book was also very messy. It was a struggle to get through this but I needed it for my last challenge bookmark.

[WM D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hitchcock’s blondes was a very interesting book. It examines how he treated his leading ladies and how he loved his wife Alma and how she was deeply devoted to him. The book included very detailed biographies of each leading lady and what they are doing now

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of "Hitchcock"s Blondes" from NetGalley.The author Laurence Leamer.writes about the actresses that have worked in Alfred Hitchcock's movies. The famous director was known to hire an actress that had blonde hair. They did not have to be a natural blonde. Each chapter has a focus on each actress. It writes a biography on each actress that leads up to the movie or movies the actress starred in. Some of the actresses had good experiences with Hitchcock others were miserable. He did have reputations for making the actor do many takes. he could be cruel according to some of the actresses but others had a good experience with the director. the author writes of each actress and their experience with Hitchcock. at the end of the book their is more writing of the what became of each actress. Some of the actresses in this book include. Indgrid Bergman. Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren, Grace Kelly. An interesting book. I enjoyed reading.

[Corinne Colbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not what it could have been. It feels ickily like it’s told from the male gaze instead of what was abuse these women actually went through. Hitchcock was a trash human and this book downplayed this fact.

Read for biography/memoir square for summer reading bingo card challenge.

[Kerry O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written and spent a bizarre amount of time focusing on the women's sex lives. Also just SO much speculation treated as fact - felt like I was reading a gossip column, not a nonfiction book. And he VERY OFTEN downplays sexual harassment as "off-color jokes" .......

[Samantha Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars ⭐️

This book was fascinating and I enjoyed the “Old Hollywood” gossip that was spilled. Hitchcock, while talented, was pretty grotesque in his treatment of most of the women in his movies. Don’t read this book if you haven’t seen his movies (this book will spoil them) but I recommend watching the films first then reading the book. It brings new light to some of the best movies ever made.

[emmalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s not NOT feminist…

[Elisa Romagnoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't offer the reflection that it sought on Hitchcock and his treatment of women in his films, particularly the leading ladies.
It is an interesting, though sparse, history on these women. However time and again it seems that the author downplays, excuses and obscures Hitchcock's behavior that should be seen as nothing less than abusive and terroristic.

Tldr; this book promised an analysis that it failed to deliver.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read a ton of nonfiction, but I am a big fan of old movies, and I especially love Hitchcock’s films (Rear Window and North by Northwest are favorites of mine) so I decided to give this one a try.

I was surprised by the dark tone of the book. Leamer doesn’t shy away from the darkness of Hollywood and Hitch himself. I was also surprised by how little I ended up liking most of the actresses. The shining light of this book for me was Eva Marie Saint and the North by Northwest section. I love Cary Grant, and he was mentioned a lot in that section as well.

For those wanting to read the book - just be aware that the author spoils all of the movies discussed so if you haven’t seen any of the films, you might want to do that before picking up the book.

Overall it was a really interesting analysis of the leading ladies and the movies that brought them to fame.

Now for some tidbits I learned:

— Cary Grant didn’t like the script for N by NW and thought it would be a flop (What?!?)
— the script for N by NW started with nothing more than the idea of having characters hang off one of the statues on Mt Rushmore
— Cary Grant chose what his character would wear each day and always got it right.

I just realized they’re all from the North by Northwest section. Well, that was the best part of the book so I guess it makes sense. Oh, and go and watch the movie too. It’s fantastic.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to love this but the author's judgemental, condescending attitude towards most of the book's subjects got in the way of any true enjoyment. He didn't explore the chosen actresses relationships to their roles or the Hitchcock films they appeared in so much as catalog their private lives (and by that I mean their romantic lives) with snarky at times cruel asides directed at the women. You have zero doubt about how he feels about each actress but he doesn't explore them in a constructive way. Only Eva Marie Saint receives any sort of respectful treatment.

I was initially disappointed that the book wasn't looking at all of the blonde actresses who found themselves under Hitch's directorial hand, particularly Priscilla Lane. But after reading this smear/hatchet job Priscilla, Doris Day, Anne Baxter, Marlene Dietrich, Vera Miles, Ann Todd, Barbara Harris, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Bel Geddes and Carole Lombard among others would have considered themselves lucky to be excluded.

Quite a disappointment.

[Jillian Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply researched and surprisingly bright in a scandalous landscape; in a world of Weinsteins~ be a Hitchcock!

Reading along a prolific timeline, from his eye-opening experiences in 1925 Berlin- to his death in 1980 we get to observe ‘Hitch’s’ good and perplexing qualities.
All in tandem while vividly observing each of his icon films, through the lens of their powerful heroin’s role and influence.

This sprawling history deftly colors a century within the film industry- from silent films, to talkies, to the cult-followed blockbusters we still revere today.
I say all this with gushing admiration, but the book doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Hitchcock’s personality, and personal life as well.

I was enamored with how Leamer featured each leading lady throughout this read- from Ingrid Bergman to Jamie Lee Curtis!

Galley borrowed from the publisher.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I was disappointed in this book.
Based on the title, the cover, the tag line, and the summary/blurb, I was really excited to read a book about what it was like for the actresses on Hitchcock's sets and what he put them through. What I got was a somewhat scattered, surface-level biography of some of the major hollywood players along Hitchcock's timeline.

Rather than leaving me wanting to recommend this book to others, it left me wishing I had read the various biographies and memoirs Leamer is getting his info from instead.

If you know practically nothing about Hitchcock and want the basics of his career and movies so you know what people are talking about during spooky season, maybe this book will work for you? Though, that potentially useful summary is wrapped in how many different affairs each of the actresses had. 🤷‍♀️