(The top 10: “ Psycho,” “ Vertigo,” “ Notorious,” “The Birds,” “North by Northwest,” “ Shadow of a Doubt,” “Foreign Correspondent,” “ Frenzy,” “The Lady Vanishes” and “Marnie.”)
This case history would seem to add up to a man who was famous in his time but is now perhaps half-scorned, half-forgotten, past his sell-by date (the evolution of Cecil B. de Mille’s reputation comes to mind). But Hitchcock’s stature is as great as it ever was. Witness the controversy over last week’s poll by Sight and Sound, the British film magazine, which asked directors to vote on Hitchcock’s 10 best films. There was outrage when the list did not include “Rebecca,” “ Strangers on a Train” and “ Rear Window.” And for that matter, where were “Suspicion” and “ Spellbound“? (The top 10: “ Psycho,” “ Vertigo,” “ Notorious,” “The Birds,” “North by Northwest,” “ Shadow of a Doubt,” “Foreign Correspondent,” “ Frenzy,” “The Lady Vanishes” and “Marnie.”) Name another director who could make “ Strangers on a Train” and not have it ranked as one of his best 10 films.