Book
Spellbound by beauty : Alfred Hitchcock and his leading ladies / Donald Spoto.
The third volume in a trilogy exploring the life and work of the legendary director examines Hitchcock's life in terms of his relationships with the actresses in his films, including Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780307351302 (hc) :
- Physical Description: xxiii, 324 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : Harmony Books, c2008.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Hitchcock, Alfred, 1899-1980 > Relations with women. Motion picture producers and directors > Great Britain > Biography. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 791.430233092 Hitch -S | 31681001912559 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
The third volume in a trilogy exploring the life and work of the legendary director examines Hitchcock's life in terms of his relationships with the actresses in his films, including Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren, in a study of his films, rise to fame and power, artistic legacy, unconventional marriage, and obsessions. - Baker & Taylor
The third volume in a trilogy exploring the life and work of the legendary director examines Hitchcock's life in terms of his relationships with the actresses in his films, including Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren, in a study of his films, rise to fame and power, artistic legacy, unconventional marriage, and obsessions. 80,000 first printing. - Baker & Taylor
The third volume in a trilogy exploring the life and work of the legendary director examines Hitchcock's life in terms of his relationships with the actresses in his films, including Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren. - Random House, Inc.
âThe trouble today is that we donât torture women enough.â
âAlfred Hitchcock
It is remarkable how infrequently, over a period of more than fifty years, Alfred Hitchcock spoke about the beautiful, legendary and talented actresses he directed. And when he did, his remarks were mostly indifferent and often hostile. But his leading ladies greatly enriched his films, even as many of them achieved international stardom precisely because of their work for Hitchcockâamong the dozens of women were Madeleine Carroll, Joan Fontaine, Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren. Yet he maintained a stony, insistent silence about the quality of their performances and their contributions to his art.
Spellbound by Beautyâthe final volume in master biographer Donald Spotoâs Hitchcock trilogy that began with The Art of Alfred Hitchcock and continued with The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcockâis the fascinating, complex and finally tragic story of the great moviemaker and his female stars, the unusual ideas of sex and romance that inform his films and the Hollywood dreams that often became nightmares.
Rich with fresh revelations based on previously undisclosed tapes, new interviews, private correspondence and personal papers made available only to the author, this thoughtful, compassionate yet explosive portrait details Hitchcockâs outbursts of cruelty, the shocking humor and the odd amalgam of adoration and contempt that time and again characterized Hitchcockâs obsessive relationships with womenâand that also, paradoxically, fed his genius.
He insisted, for example, that Madeleine Carroll submit herself to painful physical demands during the making of The 39 Steps. He harbored a poignantly unrequited love for Ingrid Bergman. He meticulously and deliberately constructed Grace Kellyâs image. Finally, he stalked, harassed and abused Tippi Hedren. His treatment of his daughter, Pat, was certainly unusual, while his strange marriage to his sometime collaborator Alma Reville was a union that (according to Hitchcock himself) was forever chaste after one incident.
Spellbound by Beauty offers important insights into the life of a brilliant, powerful, eccentric and tortured artist, and it corrects a major gap in movie history by paying tribute at last to those extraordinarily talented actresses who gave so much to his films.
