Their 1940 production of “Rebecca” won the Oscar as best picture; ironically, it was a macabre romance and did not have the kind of suspense for which Hitchcock was most famous.
Born in London, Hitchcock broke into silent films as a go-fer, artist and writer. The first of his own films, “The Pleasure Garden,” was shot in Germany at the height of Expressionism, and throughout his career, he liked strange camera angles, dramatic shadows, weird juxtapositions, unexpected visual revelations. His first big hits were “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934) and “The 39 Steps” (1935), and after the huge success of “The Lady Vanishes” (1938), he was soon summoned to Hollywood by producer David O. Selznick. Their 1940 production of “Rebecca” won the Oscar as best picture; ironically, it was a macabre romance and did not have the kind of suspense for which Hitchcock was most famous.