Relaxing Background Helps “Master Of Suspense”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29107, 20 January 1960, Page 2

Relaxing Background Helps “Master Of Suspense”

“Cherchez la femme” is much to obvious a method for solving his thrillers. But it does help to explain the placid and contented nature of Mr Alfred Hitchcock, Hollywood’s master of mystery and the macabre. “La femme” in this case is Mrs Alma Hitchcock, the goldenhaired wife of “Mr Suspense.” Mr and Mrs Hitchcock have been happily married for 33 years —a remarkable record for a Hollywood couple. Alma Hitchcock puts it down to her husband’s “wonderful temperament.” She says he is the most mildmannered person imaginable. She is also a woman of a placid nature.

Both are the same age (60) and

were born within a day of one another, on August 13 and 14. “That makes us both Leo subjects,” she says. Most important, they both have the same interests. Before their marriage Alma was a film script writer and now she is delighted when her husband “talks shop” after coming home from work. “We always seem to visualise films in the same way.” The Hitchcocks were married in 1926 at Brompton Oratory, London. For both it was their first marriage. She was then Not-tingham-born Alma Neville, an

assistant director at the old Laski studios. Hitchcock, a London fish-merchant’s son, was already a famous director.

Now they have two small houses—one in Hollywood and the other in Northern California. Since their daughter Pat married, they have led a very quiet home life.

“Alfred,” she explains, “likes nothing better than to come home at six, have dinner, watch television and go to bed at 11 o’clock.” On the other side, Hitchcock says: “My wife’s a wonderful cook and I still help her with the wiping up. Well, I feel terrible sitting with a cigar, drinking my coffee and hearing her puffing away in the kitchen, so I go and help.” This relaxed background helps the quiet master of suspense in his work. And one other thing pleases stubby Mr Hitchcock: he does not have to look up to his wife. She is only 4ft Ilin.