Role Call

Hitchcock In A Thrilling Photo Finish

A couple of hours ago, I posted a Trivia Pur$uit segment (see below) on why Alfred Hitchcock made guest appearences in his own movies. Quick as a flash, I got a great response from Terry Fletcher, the Portugal-based ex-RAF man who runs the excellent Anglo-Indian Portal. His must-read comment on my blogspot provides a complete list of every Hitchcock walk-on role. Thanks, Terry, for that great research. I actually remember a couple of them, but the most unusual was his quirky ``appearance'' in the film `Dial M for Murder' - on the left side in the class-reunion photo.

Trivia Pur$uit

The late Alfred Hitchcock did walk-on roles in his early films, ostensibly to save money. Then he turned the habit into one of the hallmarks of his movies. Always attentive to feedback, he soon realised that audiences were missing vital clues in early scenes - because they were looking for him instead. From then on, he always made it a point to appear in one of the opening sequences.