Alfred Hitchcock, Part 3: The End of an Era — Psycho, The Birds, and a Changing Hollywood

With Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock bet his own money on a low-budget shocker — and changed Hollywood forever. What followed would bring some of his biggest hits, his most troubling partnership, and a final chapter like no other.

Concluding our October Halloween series, this is Part 3 of our three-part look at the life of Alfred Hitchcock.

When plans for a new thriller starring Audrey Hepburn fell through, Hitchcock turned to something radically different. Working with a modest budget and much of his television crew, he transformed Psycho into a sensation. Janet Leigh's famous shower scene shocked audiences, while an unprecedented publicity campaign helped make it the most profitable film of his career. 

With greater independence than ever before, Hitchcock began planning a return to the screen for Grace Kelly in Marnie, while moving ahead with his next major production, The Birds. For its leading lady, Hitchcock chose an unknown model named Tippi Hedren, whom he hoped to turn into a major Hollywood star. But their partnership, which continued with Marnie, would end in bitter conflict. Years later, Hedren's allegations of sexual harassment and assault would raise lasting questions about the man behind the camera.

Meanwhile, Hollywood was changing around Hitchcock. As a new generation of filmmakers began pushing the boundaries of cinema, he struggled to find his place. His longtime partnership with composer Bernard Herrmann came to an end during Torn Curtain, and the failure of Topaz left his career at a crossroads. A return to Britain, however, would bring a late-career comeback with Frenzy, followed by his final film, Family Plot.

From his final years alongside wife, Alma Reville, to his death in 1980 and the reassessment of his work in the decades that followed, this concluding chapter explores the life and complicated legacy of Alfred Hitchcock — the Master of Suspense.

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