Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980). British film director. He directed many films in Britain, including The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), before going to Hollywood in 1940. Hitchcock is generally acknowledged to be the master of cinematic suspense, as in such thrillers as Dial M for Murder (1954), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). His fleeting appearances in each of his films, in a very minor role or as an extra, have become a trademark. Hitchcock also produced two popular suspense series for television. He was knighted shortly before his death.