Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man

by Pat Hitchcock O'Connell, Laurent Bouzereau

The daughter of Alfred and Alma Hitchcock offers an illuminating portrait of the relationship between her parents, describing growing up in Hollywood, Alma's remarkable contributions to her father's work, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes of the film world, accompanied by rare personal photographs and testimonies from family and friends. Reprint.

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Memoir, Biography Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2003

Reviews

[Anna Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reasonably well-written book about Alma Hitchcock. Married for decades to the renowned 'master of suspense' Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Hitchcock was, in her own right, an important figure in early British and American cinema. The book is a bit choppy here and there, but mostly it's an easy and enjoyable read. Like many biographies the story leaves much yet to be revealed about Alma Hitchcock. Since it is written by her daughter there's a tendency to believe that she, of all people, will hold the key to understanding what made this remarkable woman 'tick'. Sadly, she does not. Perhaps I was hoping for too much. Many biographies disappoint in the same way.

The book lays out many of the facts about Alma Hitchcock's life as documented in the pubic record. It also adds anecdotes and personal experiences that fill in around those facts. But the author, like many daughters, seems to come up short when providing an adequate understanding of her mother. In Pat Hitchcock O'Connell's case, at least some of that may have to do with the fact that she spent large chunks of her life in boarding schools. Then, of course, she moved on to an adult life of her own. At that point her life intersected with her parents' life at short intervals, interspersed by distance and time.

There is a deep and abiding sense of regard for her parents evident in this book, however. That's refreshing in an age when parents are so often blamed for coming up short--especially among children of the rich and famous. Hitchcock does not fare as well in other biographies and scandal sheets where he is regarded by some as almost as dark and sinister as his films. What does come through in this book is the spirit of adventure that dominated the Hitchcocks' lives, as individuals and as a couple.

Alma's devotion to her husband is apparent as is her dedication to the cinema. It's unfortunate that the woman so often gets second billing to the better-known spouse. More disappointing, still, is the fact that she often gets no credit at all for contributions she made. Bravo to her daughter for trying to redress this oversight. A good first attempt at throwing light on the remarkable life of Alma Hitchcock. A recommended read for fans of Hitchcock, cinema, and women's history in film.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by Pat O'Connell, the Hitchcocks' daughter, at times the style does gush a bit. But the book is very worthwhile for fans of Hitchcock. The best thing about it is that it redresses the balance by telling us just how much Alma Hitchcock influenced the master of suspense. He depended on her judgment 100% and would not consider shooting a film of any script Alma did not wholeheartedly like. He needed to please her always. They were a true couple to the end of their lives, and O'Connell describes their last days together with much pathos.

Alma was a true film pioneer, working as an editor in the very early English movie industry before Hitchcock even got his first job as a sub-titler for silent films. She wrote scripts and did continuity and other jobs within the business. A woman with a gift for analysis and observation, she was truly a fascinating and egoless person who was Hitchcock's prime adviser on everything from scripts to casting. O'Connell's book features a wealth of rarely seen photos of the family's life together from England through their move to California in 1939, and she reveals the other side of her famous father: he was obviously a family man who cherished the stability of his life within the embrace of Alma.

No book about the Hitchcocks would be complete without incidents involving Hitch's outrageous dry humor. My favorite in this book is the one which centers on Tallullah Bankhead working on Hitch's movie Lifeboat, her habit of not wearing underwear, and Hitch's reaction to a memo from studio bosses telling him to correct the situation.

[Lee Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't so much a biography of Alma Reville, Alfred Hitchcock's wife and film-making partner, as it is a reminiscence of Alma and Hitch by Pat, their only child. While there is some biographical information on Alma's early life, mostly it's a pleasant ramble through Hitchcock's life and work, punctuated with numerous pictures (many featuring one or another of the family's beloved Sealyham terriers) throughout. There are a few punctuation/spelling/grammatical errors, but overall, this is an enjoyable, shaggy dog of a memoir. A pleasure for fans of the Master.

[Simon Omnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the years, many statements have been said about Alfred Hitchcock. Some of them truthful and kind. Others not so respectful and inflammatory; many of them debunked recently by actors, actresses, and collaborators who worked with the movie director and the people making these shocking remarks.

But of his wife Alma Reville, not much has been properly said about her. Until her daughter Patricia Hitchcock wrote this excellent biography about her mother. About all of what this woman has done in her career as a film editor, script supervisor, continuity girl, scriptwriter, and as wife to Alfred Hitchcock.

Through a lengthy and rich research backed up with photos, personal revelations, and interviews with people who met Alma and interacted with her and her husband Alfred Hitchcock, we start with the origins of her family, how she lived in England and how her life next to a big motion picture studio motivated her calling to work in that industry. Then from her movie career to her marriage and life in Hollywood, we explore in detail the life of that woman behind the most important director in the history of cinema. And during this reading, we are presented various photos and testimonials of people who interacted with Alma. We learn about who she is, what she liked, feared or hated, and her work values as she was participating in many movies. Furthermore, we are also informed about other bibliographical sources that people may decide to consult for further readings and researches. From books to interviews; the research in this volume is rigorous and takes time to explore the life of that woman who has been neglected at times by certain movie experts.

As such, we learn through the pages various recounts of Alma’s work experiences, but also exclusive material and infos about the Hitchcock and Reville family that people might not know. For as the daughter of Alma, Patricia has the chance to share personal infos from her archives. Production details that confirm how Alma was a crucial collaborator for her husband’s movies. For from the pre-production to the post-production, everything went through Alma’s deep eye and judgement. Including the casting process for she was involved in it and did not hesitate to tell her husband if an actor or an actress was appropriate or not for the role. Even, according to the book at page 188, watching with her husband and other people involved the screen tests of actress Tippi Hedren and even, at one time, asking right away her husband, who had returned from work in a bad mood, the following question: “What’s wrong, is the leading lady (Tippi Hedren) getting out of hand?“ (page 200); an interesting question that shows he was probably, during the production, talking with Alma about what was going on behind the scenes during Marnie and she was aware of it. Which is important as the actress has made some shocking declarations about the director and her experience with him over the years.

Therefore this book, like the website https://savehitchcock.com/ which interviewed many Hitchcock collaborators, helps debunk some of Ms. Hedren’s remarks about the director. Making it a valuable piece for any film academicians and moviegoers who’d want to know more about this conflict. Just like the books "The Making of Hitchcock’s The Birds" and "Hitchcock and the Making of Marnie" did as they confront recent attacks on the director through interviews with multiple people involved in the production. From both sides of the conflict; which is necessary as Hedren’s side has been over-favoured by some medias who neglect Hitchcock’s perspective and those who defend him. Including people like Vera Miles who even, in 1983, denounced Donald Spoto’s book about Hitchcock and her work with him as lies and gossip.

But more than that, this book allows Patricia Hitchcock to recount her experience as an actress and in her acting work with her dad, alongside the chance to humanise her father; whom medias tend to mistreat as this frightening force of nature. Through this book, we discover the sensitive humanity of Mr. Hitchcock, including touching moments with his wife, which proves how much he adored that woman and insisted on giving women the chance to be heard in his work; whether they were scriptwriters, actresses, costume designers, and others.

So with this volume, we gain a more intimate and personal perspective on Alfred Hitchcock and his life, but also about his filmography. All of that written in a well-typed and printed volume, accompanied with photos in black and white, personal handwritten notes, and even recipes from the Hitchcock family. Such as those for special events like Tippi Hedren’s birthday.

As the book hasn’t been re-released since its 2003 publication, I do wish that they could offer it one day either as an e-book edition or as an upgraded edition with new details about his wife and the director.

Until then, the only way you could purchase it would be either at a used bookseller, on Ebay or on Amazon Marketplace.

In sum, this book is a valuable document for anyone who wants to know more about Alfred Hitchcock and his work, but also about Alma Reville Hitchcock; the woman and muse of his life.

[Kimberly (kimmerthebooknerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! The best book on Hitch I've read.

[Nathan Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a little choked up towards the end there 🥹 Alma Reville and Alfred Hitchcock had such a sweet and simple love story. Met on the film studio, collaborated his whole career, and were a perfect team at home. I loved learning more about Alma, as she’s often overshadowed by her husband. It was cool learning just how much she contributed to some of his most famous movies. And even when she wasn’t credited, he was always turning to her for advice and feedback on the film. The majority of the book was written by their only daughter Pat Hitchcock. She would sometimes focus on her life more than Alma, and while I found it fascinating, I wanted to continue learning more about Alma. She would also summarize each Hitchcock movie she mentioned, which was annoying if you’ve seen the movie. But those are my 2 biggest complaints. It was otherwise a really cool first-hand story of Alma and Hitch.

[Kika23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es que el libro no sea entretenido, o qué le falte interés. Es solo que no es tanto una biografía de Alma como una colección de recuerdos de la única hija de los Hitchcock. El libro nos lleva de la mano por toda la vida de la pareja en conjunto y cubre toda la filmografía de Hitchcock y cómo cada película se vivió desde dentro. Desde luego, Alma juega un rol gigante en el desarrollo de la carrera del director británico, aspecto que el libro recoge generosamente. No diré que se trata de un libro imprescindible, y puede que el estilo no sea el mejor, pero vale la pena darle una pasada, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que no es extenso y es de muy fácil lectura.

[Heather R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The master of suspence did not rise to fame on his own. I loved how this story shined a light on the amazing talent of this duo. Bonus, behind the sceens family and Hollywood gossip.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in that portrays the world of old Hollywood with family stories. Curious to know if the actors Hitchcock and Alma worked with have the same perspective as their daughter.

[saranimals · Rating 4 out of 5]

One needn't have an exhaustive knowledge of the 50+ films in the Hitch collection in order to enjoy this book.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read that Helen Mirren used this book when making the Hitchcock film. I was very unimpressed with the writing, mundane and boring. I found it of passing interest only. Unfortunately the film was also disappointing - shallow and superficial, even though it starred two wonderful actors. The topic has, however, fascinated me and I will looks for other books which explore the Hitchcocks and their fabulous film legacy.

[Meleya]

This is a good first introduction to the history of the Hitchcock family. I did find the continuity atrocious at times. It is as if Pat Hitchcock threw a bunch of stories on paper and the editor had to piece through them to create a book. A story is told and then a couple pages later it is re-told. My memory is bad, but not that bad. Cute inside stories though and I am glad I got to read it.

[Adam Philips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started this wonderful book and I'm loving it already. It is full of fascinating details about the early years of British cinema and, of course, about the character of Alma Lucy Reville.