My Top 20 Favorite Hitchcock Films

Here is my top 20 list of favorite Alfred Hitchcock films.



20.) FRENZY (1972) A serial killer is on the loose in London and the police think they have the right man, but he's not. The theme of mistaken identity has also been used by Hitch since his early days, but never this graphic. This was Hitch's next to last film.



19.) MARNIE (1964) Tippi Hedren is excellent as Marnie, a habitual thief with some serious pyschological problems. Sean Connery tries to help her.



18.) THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) Having never seen Hitch's original version, I have to go by this one and it's a good thriller with James Stewart and Doris Day a perfect couple caught in international intrigue.




17.) SUSPICION (1941) Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine as a married couple who Joan suspects Cary of being dangerous and trying to kill her.


16. ) NOTORIOUS (1946) Hitch assembled a star studded cast of Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains in this solid tale of spies and Nazis



15.) SABOTEUR (1942) Robert Cummings goes on the run after being accused of starting a fire that kills his best friend. Priscilla Lane joins in as a girl who helps him stop the real bad guys.



14.) LIFEBOAT (1944) Several survivors of a torpedoed ship find themselves in the same boat with one of the men who sunk it. Claustrophobia doesn't begin to cover what these survivors will go through. Tallulah Bankhead is top notch as Connie Porter, one of the survivors.



13.) VERTIGO (1958) Some regard this as Hitch's masterpiece but not me. I mean it's a good movie with a stellar performance by James Stewart as the slightly unhinged Scottie Ferguson but it's not my favorite Hitch film.



12.) THE 39 STEPS (1935) A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information. Good performances by Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll.



11.) REBECCA (1940) Hitch's first American film is a great one. Suspenseful to the very end.




10.) TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) Cary Grant. Grace Kelly. The Riviera. What's not to love?



9.) STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) Solid thriller involving a psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder...a theory that he plans to implement. Robert Walker gives his best performance as the psycho with the plan.




8.) THE BIRDS (1963) When the birds in the air go amok, look out.






7.) NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) By far my favorite pairing between Cary Grant and Hitch for this super smooth adventure yarn that predates James Bond by a few years. Eva Marie Saint is positively stunning.



6.) DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER (1954) Another team up between Hitch and Grace Kelly delivers once again.




5.) MR. AND MRS. SMITH (1941) A screwball farce from Hitch? Turns out to be one of his best films ever. Having Carole Lombard star in it certainly helps.



4.) PSYCHO (1960) All the slasher films of today and horror icons like Freddy Krueger and Michael Meyers owe a big thanks to Hitch for this immensely creepy and suspenseful thriller with a star defining performance by Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Often imitated but never equalled.



3.) REAR WINDOW (1954) My favorite Grace Kelly film with Hitch is a wonderful film. Gorgeous color, crackling dialogue and great performances by Kelly, Jimmy Stewart and Thelma Ritter.





2.) SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) A look at life in a small town turns dark when a visiting family member named Uncle Charlie comes a calling. Turns out he has a deadly secret. Joseph Cotten is awesome as Uncle Charlie and Teresa Wright is just as good as his niece Charlie.


1.) THE LADY VANISHES (1938) And my favorite Hitchcock movie of all time, The Lady Vanishes is a perfect mix of comedy, suspense, and action.









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