Alfred Hitchcock, Part 2: Building a Golden Age — Grace Kelly, Vertigo, and the Road to Psycho

When Alfred Hitchcock's first bid for independence failed, he pivoted — and began a career-defining decade that would bring some of his most celebrated films, transform him into a household name, and lead him toward a gamble that would change Hollywood forever.

Continuing our October Halloween series, this is Part 2 of our three-part look at the life of Alfred Hitchcock.

After Rope and Under Capricorn brought his first attempt at independence to an end, Hitchcock returned to Warner Bros. and began rebuilding. Stage Fright, Strangers on a Train, and I Confess followed — along with new collaborators, including cinematographer Robert Burks, and the beginning of his partnership with Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder.

Then came Paramount. A landmark deal negotiated by Lew Wasserman gave Hitchcock greater freedom, a share of his films' profits, and eventually ownership of some of his greatest work. With Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, he entered the extraordinary run that would make him one of Hollywood's most successful directors.

At the same time, Alfred Hitchcock Presents made him a household name. But success brought its own complications: the end of key creative partnerships, Grace Kelly's departure from Hollywood, Hitchcock's plans for Vera Miles, and the difficult production of Vertigo with Kim Novak — a film that initially disappointed, despite eventually becoming one of his most celebrated.

This episode follows Hitchcock from the collapse of Transatlantic Pictures to North by Northwest, the spectacular hit that left him with more control than ever before. And then, after the biggest production of his career, he began looking for something smaller, darker, and far more dangerous: Psycho.

Part 3 of our Alfred Hitchcock series — covering Psycho, The Birds, Marnie and Tippi Hedren, Hitchcock's struggle to keep pace with a changing Hollywood, Frenzy, and his final years — releases next Tuesday, October 27.

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WTWMI is written, produced, and hosted by Patrick Rankin. Original artwork by Simone Beech and original music by Lionel Ziblat.