Review: 'A Century of Hitchcock: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy' by Tony Lee Moral

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It's no secret that I hold a profound admiration for Robert Bloch's Psycho, the 1959 horror novel that screenwriter Joseph Stefano masterfully adapted into Alfred Hitchcock's classic film of the same name in 1960. While my affinity for Psycho and its sequels—excluding the completely unnecessary 1998 shot-for-shot remake by Gus Van Sant, which I prefer to forget—runs deep, my heart truly belongs to Hitchcock's 1954 thriller Rear Window, starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Hot on its heels is 1940's Rebecca, a cinematic classic, largely due to my newfound love for Daphne du Maurier's works. And then there's that nostalgic tie between Psycho and 1963 The Birds, a film loosely rooted in du Maurier's short story. The latter, alongside 1964's Marnie, has sparked intense debate over the years regarding the alleged mistreatment of actress Tippi Hedren by Hitchcock—a dialogue ignited by Donald Spoto's The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983) and echoed in Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies (2008). The latter work inspired the BBC/HBO film The Girl in 2012, which escalated claims of Hitchcock's purported sexual harassment of Hedren, a matter fiercely contested among those who worked with Hitchcock and film scholars alike

This backdrop leads us to the recently published A Century of Hitchcock: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy ^[*] by Tony Lee Moral, who, as a chronicler of Hitchcockian lore, aims to unravel these lasting narratives. With a fresh perspective grounded in new archival research, unpublished interviews, and a critical reevaluation of existing biographies, Moral challenges the entrenched views that have shaped Hitchcock's reputation over time. He carefully revisits the contentious claims regarding Hitchcock's supposed abuses, particularly scrutinizing Spoto's portrayal of his relationship with Hedren. Through the lens of Spoto's interviews, Moral reveals contradictions within longstanding claims and shines a light on the embellishments and distortions that have tainted Hitchcock's legacy for too long.

Divided into three comprehensive sections, The Rise of Hitchcock, The Unraveling of a Genius, and Hitchcock's Legacy, the book takes readers on a journey through Hitchcock's evolution. The first part delves into his early career, detailing his silent films and British sound projects, showcasing the genesis of his distinctive cinematic style and his obsessive quest for total control over his films. The second section x-rays his Hollywood years, with a keen focus on the production of The Birds and Marnie, where Moral marshals a wealth of interviews and archival evidence to expose Spoto's distortions and misrepresentations regarding Hitchcock's character. The final segment offers a piercing examination of Donald Spoto himself, venturing into the possible motives that fueled his vendetta against Hitchcock, and why he sought to paint a damning portrait of one of cinema's greatest maestros.

Moral also addresses the impact of The Girl and the #MeToo movement, which thrust Tippi Hedren's allegations back into the spotlight. Ultimately, the interpretation of her claims rests with individual readers; believe what you choose to believe.

Having read A Century of Hitchcock ^[*], I was initially under the impression that it would provide a broad overview of Hitchcock's filmography. Much to my surprise, I discovered its primary goal was to dismantle Donald Spoto's narrative concerning Alfred Hitchcock and the shadows cast upon him. While Moral refrains from assigning complete blame to Tippi Hedren, he does illuminate inconsistencies in her accounts that have evolved over the years. Unfortunately, Hitchcock is no longer here to defend his legacy, leaving us to grapple with the polarized views of Hedren's experiences on the sets of The Birds and Marnie, set against Spoto's sensationalized accounts.

In essence, A Century of Hitchcock is a thought-provoking read. Afterward, I found myself revisiting the BBC/HBO film The Girl, which presents Tippi Hedren's claims in a rather heavy-handed way. I also rewatched The Birds, and to say that I found The Girl unsatisfactory would be an understatement; its portrayal of Hitchcock seems misaligned with the director’s brilliant legacy. When I compare its historical inaccuracies to those in the much-criticized film Hitchcock from 2012, I find myself being more forgiving of Hitchcock. 

Ultimately, Tony Lee Moral's A Century of Hitchcock: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy serves as a beacon for those willing to explore the tangled web of storytelling and truth in the world of cinema, forcing us to confront the shadows that haunt even the brightest of luminaries in Hollywood's illustrious history. ╌★★★★★

〜B.J. Burgess

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