Originally published in 1977 and long out of print, Maurice Yacowars Hitchcocks British Films was the first volume devoted solely to the twenty-three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock in his native England before he came to the United States. As such, it was the first book to challenge the assumption that Hitchcocks mature period in Hollywood, from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, represented the directors best work. In this traditional auteurist examination of Hitchcocks early work, author Maurice Yacowar considers Hitchcocks British films in chronological order, reads the composition of individual shots and scenes in each, and pays special attention to the films verbal effects. Yacowars readings remain compelling more than thirty years after they were written, and some--on Downhill, Champagne, and Waltzes from Vienna--are among the few extended interpretations of these films that exist. Alongside important works such as Murder , the first The Man Who Knew Too Much, Secret Agent, The Lady Vanishes, and Blackmail, readers will appreciate Yacowars equal attention to lesser-known films like The Pleasure Garden, The Ring, and The Manxman. Yacowar dissects Hitchcocks precise staging and technical production to draw out ethical themes and metaphysical meanings of each film, while keeping a close eye on the source material, such as novels and plays, that Hitchcock used as the inspiration for many of his screenplays. Yacowar concludes with an overview of Hitchcock as auteur and an appendix identifying the directors appearances in these films. A foreword by Barry Keith Grant and a preface to the second edition from Yacowar complete this comprehensive volume. Anyone interested in Hitchcock, classic British cinema, or the history of film will appreciate Yacowars accessible and often witty exploration of the directors early work.
