It’s Only a Movie is a very comprehensive biography, covering Hitchcock’s career from his beginnings as a title designer through the final movie he was never able to complete. Even the plots of his movies are included. Mostly though, this was an intimate portrait of the man, told through quotes from him and those who knew him.

At first I was afraid the prevalence of quotes in this book would mean an absence of facts. Instead, there were enough facts and stories outside the quotes that I felt like I got a full picture of the Hitchcocks’ lives. The quotes also provided a broad, unbiased view of a man whose character seems to be somewhat controversial. The movie descriptions, on the other hand, should either have been done better or left out. They often sounded silly and I felt that crucial plot points were missing from many.

Fortunately, the many quotes were well-integrated into the rest of the book (or it might be more accurate to say that the rest of the book was well-integrated into the quotes!). I can’t know if it captured Hitchcock’s character accurately, but he certainly came across as an interesting and eccentric person. Although I can’t point to what might be missing, this felt like a lighter read than what I was looking for. It was, however, very enjoyable and I liked how much the book conveyed Hitchcock’s unique personality.

This review first published on Doing Dewey. ( )

I am not really a major non-fiction reader. People may actually be shocked at the lack of non-fiction titles in my library. I don’t know why that is because I actually have enjoyed my little forays into the realm of non-fiction. It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock is no exception.

As an avid 'movielover', I have seen many of Alfred Hitchcock’s works. I must admit his movies make me feel uneasy (i.e. Rope. The movie starts with a scene that no one warned me about.) and at times plain revolted (i.e. Frenzy. Grisly to say the least.). But nevertheless, I find his movies interesting to watch and was eager to learn more about them.

It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock - A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler was published in 2005. The book gives a chronological account of Hitchcock’s life right from his childhood, his beginning in the nascent British film industry, his meeting and marriage with Alma, his rising fame, migration to America and finally his declining years. All of this in interjected with a lot of gossipy anecdotes from well known personalities.

I don’t really care about the personal aspects of the lives of the people involved in the movie business. They are, after all, mere human beings like the rest of us. So, although I doubt the accuracy of some of the personal bits of the book, it didn’t mar my enjoyment of the book.

What really interests me are movie plot summaries and little snippets of the shooting of the movie. The book has enough of those to keep me satisfied for a long time.

I like the cover of the book. It is striking. As I read this book en route to my workplace many people asked me what book I was reading and they seemed genuinely interested in it.

A rather sanitized image of Alfred Hitchcock is presented here. There are hints of a darker side but they are few and far between. His alleged treatment of Tippi Hedren (seriously, what a name!) is mentioned and discussed and that’s about it. Overall, the book presents Hitchcock as a slightly odd but immensely talented man who really meant no harm.

This a very, very easy book to read. I moved quite fast through it. The prose was comfortable to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock - A Personal Biography. Recommended. ( )

The life of one of the greatest director through stories about his films. Interesting but could be more deeper and detailed. The hungarian translation is disastrous.... ( )

This biography is a great look into the life of genius director Alfred Hitchcock. I have recently become a fan of the series Alfred Hitchcock Presents on DVD and am hooked on them. I also count his movies Shadow of a Doubt, Notorius and Psycho as some of my favorites.

Some of the actors Mr. Hitchcock worked with accused him of being aloof and not giving direction, but he countered with
saying that the actor was chosen because they supposedly knew what to do. He was fond of practical jokes and appreciated a good laugh. The title of this book says it all:

It's Only a Movie- don't sweat the small stuff! A very good book, although I would have loved to have read more about his life with his beloved and respected collaborator, his wife Alma. ( )

Charlotte Chandler gives us a look at the professional and private life of legendary director Alfred Hitchcock. Although I found the writing to be a bit jerky and shallow at times, hinting at things without really telling us the details, I do believe this was a fair representation of the life and times of Hitch. His reputation of being a difficult man to get to know is true, but it was more due to his shy nature and insecurities about himself. Many felt he was snooty and cold, but, if you were his friend and he felt comfortable with you, you were in--until you disappointed him. There was no room for mistakes in this friendship; and there was no apologizing and making things right. He would cut someone off at the slightest hint of disloyalty. I find this sad and arrogant, because, after all, his friends were human, walking on eggshells to keep a hold of his very delicate attentions.

He was definitely an innovator in his day; creative and enthusiastic. Always very intuitive to the needs of his movies--not so much the actors, or so they felt. His early training in the movie industry allowed him to approach films in a very unique way. In hindsight, I think he played somewhat of a psychologist and sociologist--he toyed with his actors using mind games to bring out just what he needed in their performance. Maybe being a little cold so an actor would be insecure and bring that into their character because the character needed to be insecure. I think he definitely was a student of human behavior and enjoyed manipulating people. He was very good at it.

We get to hear about all his movies. The hits. The flops. His thoughts; the actors thoughts. The new techniques he incorporated to bring his vision to the screen. I found the look at studio life interesting. Especially the fact that studios "owned" their actors and many negotiations happened to be able to use an actor or actress that was contracted to another studio or director.

We barely scratch the surface of his private life. As it should be I guess. But I would have liked to have read more about his relationship with his wife Alma, apparently the major influence in his life. Touted in the book as his rock, she oftentimes came off as a mealy little woman, almost like he controlled her. I just got a hint of that and didn't care for the thought. Anyway, I would have liked to have heard more from her point of view.

I cried at the end of this book. He loved making movies. He loved being creative and the studio stood behind him 100%, going on with plans for his next movie, all the while knowing it would never get made but yet, still doling out money for research and assistants because he was so beloved. It was crushing when he finally had to admit that he could not go on.

I would recommend this book. Although, I think it is more an appetizer to a more in-depth look at the man. I would seek out another book on Hitchcock to hopefully complement what I learned in this one. ( )