Alfred Hitchcock

[Kevin 22]

How can Alfred Hitchcock not win a single oscar for his films, but Mel Gibson and George Clooney can? That needs significant explanation.

[Beowulf 4]

How can Alfred Hitchcock not win a single oscar for his films, but Mel Gibson and George Clooney can? That needs significant explanation.

Something tells me that Hitch, like all true artists, was not interested in winning any "award" as a means of validating his art.

Besides, we all know the illustrious track-record of the Oscars not awarding the right accolades onto the right people/movies (LOTTR: TROTK winning 'best picture' being the only true exception in recent times).

[indy4 155]

John Williams deserves about 20+ Oscars.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

There's nothing to explain. Take it up with the Academy.

[Hitch 57]

How can Alfred Hitchcock not win a single oscar for his films, but Mel Gibson and George Clooney can? That needs significant explanation.

Something tells me that Hitch, like all true artists, was not interested in winning any "award" as a means of validating his art.

How would you know that I'm not interested in winning awards? I've 2 Golden Globes between my chins

[Josh500 1,615]

I think Alfred Hitchcock was treated like Steven Spielberg in his early years (before Schindler's List). They thought he was too commercial, popular. That's why.

[Quintus 5,399]

All these years later and there is still something I don't understand either.

Arabic.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Could just be that at the time of each of his nominations, people thought there were better movies to reward. I mean, he was nominated for Rebecca, but lost to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath, which is really not much of an insult. The Acadamy may actually have gotten that one right.

He was also nominated for:

Lifeboat -- lost to Leo McCarey for Going My Way, which I've never even heard of.

Spellbound -- lost to Billy Wilder for The Lost Weekend; again, the right call by Oscar (I've never seen The Lost Weekend, but Spellbound is not one of Hitch's better movies, in my opinion).

Rear Window -- lost to Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront; I'd give the edge to Hitchcock there, but not by a lot.

Psycho -- defeated again by Billy Wilder, this time for The Aaprtment, which I've never seen, but I know it is well-regarded (as is Wilder).

I'd say that none of those are clear-cut examples of cases in which Hitchcock ought to have won.

That leaves movies he ought to have been nominated for. Everybody would have their own list of those films (or not), but here's mine, along with that year's winners:

The Lady Vanishes -- winner, Frank Capra for You Can't Take It With You

Shadow of a Doubt -- winner, Michael Curtiz for Casablanca

Notorious -- winner, William Wyler for The Best Years of Our Lives

Strangers on a Train -- winner, George Stevens for A Place in the Sun

Vertigo -- winner, Vincente Minnelli for Gigi

North By Northwest -- winner, William Wyler for Ben-Hur

The Birds -- winner, Tony Richardson for Tom Jones

Not having seen the victorious films, I'd say he ought to have won for at least Vertigo and The Birds. Those seem like fairly unforgivable sins by Oscar, unless you remember that nobody liked Vertigo when it came out, and also that The Birds was not all that well-received, either. Heck, you can still find people who don't like that one very much. Also, not rewarding him for Psycho seems a little crazy in 2009, but that movie was seen as a cheapie exploitation flick when it came out; honestly, I'm surprised he even got nominated in the first place.

I'd probably have given him one for Lifeboat, as well, but it, too, was not universally loved.

The rest of them...? Fairly understandable that he took home no gold, in most of those cases.

He got a whopping big lifetime achievement award, though, and those count for a lot.

[MrScratch 294]

Psycho -- defeated again by Billy Wilder, this time for The Apartment, which I've never seen, but I know it is well-regarded (as is Wilder).

Vertigo -- winner, Vincente Minnelli for Gigi

These two are the biggest travesties, not only are they undeniable classics but they lost to vastly inferior movies. The other ones either aren't that great (Spellbound) or Hitch did lose to a great film.

[Ollie 1,059]

There have been a lot of people who should have Oscars or more than one, but they don't and that's just how it goes. Some have been travesties but some have just had the misfortune of being nominated the same year as something else that was good or better.

[Vaderbait1 1]

Hithcock should have won, but I'd like to defend Gibson, he makes some damn good movies.

George Clooney I could live without.

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

Or the other way round.

[Hitch 57]

They're useless cattle anyway

[Williamsfan301 11]

How can Alfred Hitchcock not win a single oscar for his films, but Mel Gibson and George Clooney can? That needs significant explanation.

Something tells me that Hitch, like all true artists, was not interested in winning any "award" as a means of validating his art.

How would you know that I'm not interested in winning awards? I've 2 Golden Globes between my chins

I thought those were boils.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Maybe if he actually made good movies he'd be worthy of an Oscar.

[indy4 155]

This is where the fun begins!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Think them up!

Color them in!

Cut 'em out,

And pop them in!

Then watch your shrink dinks shrink and let the fun begin!

[Ollie 1,059]

Although I disagree with his post I just want to compliment Blume on his avatar.

[Morlock 11]

A possible reason might be that Hitchcock was not taken very seriously before the 60's. He was considered and entertainer, not an artist. The French were the ones who triumphed him, and acknowledged him for his artistry (and not in Oscar-fare, like Rebecca, which won best picture). And, unlike with Jerry Lewis, the French kiss for Hitchcock actually caught on across the channel and the Atlantic.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

My post was a joke, by the way. Hitchcock was brilliant.

[Ollie 1,059]

You funny guy.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I laughed. I laughed hard.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

just because Alfred didn't win, doesnt mean those others weren't worthy. Its not like we're talking head to head films. Over a course of time lots of movies win best picture but in other years they wouldn't have been nominated.

[Beowulf 4]

My post was a joke, by the way. Hitchcock was brilliant.

"If you tell a joke in the forest, but nobody laughs, was it a joke?"

- Steven Wright

That being said, I could look at your avatar until the end of time.

[Quintus 5,399]

You're funny guy.

I like you.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,541]

Hitch himself once said; "My films are not slices of life, they are slices of cake". Perhaps that summed not only his attitude to his audience, but also his attitude to The Academy. It seems nowadays, as it has always seemed, that only "important" films, or films with a "message" are award-worthy, and that films made for the sheer fun of it do not get noticed. Hands up how many people think that "E.T." should have gotten the Oscar over "Gandhi"? Thought so.

[Maestro 147]

Hands up how many people think that "E.T." should have gotten the Oscar over "Gandhi"? Thought so.

I believe Richard Attenborough's would be the first hands to go up.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,541]

Hands up how many people think that "E.T." should have gotten the Oscar over "Gandhi"? Thought so.

I believe Richard Attenborough's would be the first hands to go up.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's time for you to leave".

[Hitch 57]

"We have 12 vacancies in fact."

[DreamTheater 131]

I must confess: I had never watched a film by Hitchcock before getting the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection on blu-ray last year, but the man's work had always fascinated me. The 14 film-collection seemed like a good place to start and I have watched most of the films already and liked quite a bit of them. After I also bought North by Northwest, a film that unfortunately didn't make it in the collection here in Europe, yet it was present in the U.S. release.

Of that collection the ones I really liked are: Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds and Marnie.

However I feel that I'm still missing out on essentials. Can those in the know recommend some worthy titles that aren't in that collection (see link)?

On a sidenote, some of these films really shine in HD, while others look horrible. Weird how older films sometimes look a lot better than the more recent ones. The B&W films look especially fantastic.

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

Yes, for some of the later films the source material seems to have been in bad shape. I remember that Vertigo in particular has a long, sad history of quality issues.

I believe North by Northwest has been added in a later version of the European set? I didn't mind not having it in the set though, as I'd already bought the standalone release before. It's probably my favourite Hitchcock, and by far the one I've seen most often.

Of that collection the ones I really liked are: Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds and Marnie.

On the set, Shadow of a Doubt was a revelation. I'd never seen it before and it really is among his best.

I also like To Catch a Thief. I still have to get Suspicion. I haven't seen that in 10+ years, but at least back then I also ranked it among my favourites.

[Quintus 5,399]

You're funny guy.

I like you.

That's why I'm going to kill you last.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I miss Mark...

And Joe.

*sniff*

[Quintus 5,399]

It's like wandering around a long abandoned mill or farm, gutted about what was once was a thriving hive of activity and productivity. Reduced to decrepit indifference.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Yeah, fuck all these newcomers.

[Quintus 5,399]

No, they are welcome.

Still the doldrums, though. By JWFan standards.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Oh well. 1,5 years before the next Star Wars score. And we have the resurgence of the LOTR/Hobbit threads to look forward to come December!

[DreamTheater 131]

Yes, for some of the later films the source material seems to have been in bad shape. I remember that Vertigo in particular has a long, sad history of quality issues.

I believe North by Northwest has been added in a later version of the European set? I didn't mind not having it in the set though, as I'd already bought the standalone release before. It's probably my favourite Hitchcock, and by far the one I've seen most often.

Of that collection the ones I really liked are: Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds and Marnie.

On the set, Shadow of a Doubt was a revelation. I'd never seen it before and it really is among his best.

I also like To Catch a Thief. I still have to get Suspicion. I haven't seen that in 10+ years, but at least back then I also ranked it among my favourites.

To Catch a Thief looks like something I might enjoy. How about Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder? The first is supposedly classic Hitch. Not sure about the second.

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

I've seen both only once, long ago. I vaguely remember finding Strangers on a Train somewhat annoying and unconvincing and being disappointed after my rather high expectations. I should give it another try though. As far as I recall, I loved M for Murder. It's still on my "things to get" list.