Alfred Hitchcock's Cameo appearences in his films

Submitted by Oedipus on Wed, 11/23/2005 - 03:51
Tags: 
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Technorati
  1. Family Plot (1976) With his widely-familiar but stern silhouette viewed through the frosted-glass door of the "Registrar of Births and Deaths". Hitchcock appears to be arguing with an elderly woman and accusedly pointing his finger. 40 minutes
  2. Frenzy (1972) In the center of a crowd, wearing a black bowler hat; he is the only one not applauding the political speech-maker (delivering a speech about pollution and cleaning up the Thames River); a moment later, he is among bystanders watching as another necktie murder corpse floats ashore. 3 minutes
  3. Topaz (1969) In a crowded LaGuardia Airport scene, seated in a wheelchair as he is being pushed by a nurse under a sign reading "United Air Lines"; he miraculously stands up from the wheelchair, greets and shakes hands with a man, and walks off to the right. 28 minutes
  4. Torn Curtain (1966) In Copenhagen, sitting in the large Hotel d'Angleterre's lobby entrance with a blonde-haired baby in his lap (who possibly wets itself), with his back to the camera; during the brief cameo, the music changes to resemble the famous "Hitchcock theme," also known as the Funeral March of the Marionettte. 8 minutes
  5. Marnie (1964) Entering from the left of the hotel corridor from a hotel room after Marnie Edgar (Tippi Hedren) has passed by with a bellman carrying her things; the director looks guiltily at the camera. 5 minutes
  6. The Birds (1963) Leaving downtown San Francisco's Davidson's Pet Shop with two white terriers (Hitchcock's own Sealyham terriers Geoffrey and Stanley on leashes) as elegantly-dressed blonde Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) enters. 2 minutes
  7. Psycho (1960) Wearing a large cowboy hat and viewed through Marion Crane's (Janet Leigh) office store-front window, standing on the sidewalk, as she returns to her Phoenix realty company after a lunchtime quickie in a cheap hotel with lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin). 7 minutes
  8. North By Northwest (1959) At the end of the opening credits in a bustling NYC, missing a bus that slams its door in his face, anticipating a similar scene in the countryside near a cornfield when a bus door shuts on Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant). 2 minutes
  9. Vertigo (1958) In a gray suit walking across the street past Gavin Elster's (Tom Helmore) Mission District shipyard and office in San Francisco, in front of columns and a newspaper rack, carrying a horn case. 10 minutes
  10. The Wrong Man (1956) On-screen narrating the film's prologue and introducing the film's true story before the credits appear. Not a traditional cameo, but this was the sole time Hitchcock actually spoke in any of his feature films. Beginning of film
  11. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Watching acrobats in the crowded outdoor French Moroccan (Marrakesh) marketplace (on the left side of the frame with his back to the camera) just before the murder of Louis Bernard (Daniel Gelin). 25 minutes
  12. The Trouble With Harry (1955) Walking past a parked-by-the-side-of-the-road limousine of an old man who is looking at Sam Marlowe's (John Forsythe) outdoor stand/exhibition of artwork and paintings. Not easily identifiable. 21 minutes
  13. To Catch A Thief (1955) Staring straight ahead and sitting motionless to the left of John Robie (Cary Grant) in the rear-seat of a bus; to Robie's right is a woman with a bird cage (containing two birds). 10 minutes
  14. Rear Window (1954) Winding/repairing a clock in the songwriter's/musician's (real-life composer and vocalist Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.) apartment. 25 minutes
  15. Dial M for Murder (1954) On the left side of Tom's class-reunion dinner photograph hung on the wall, turning back and looking up to his right, seated at a white table-clothed table; taken off the wall and shown to Captain Swan Lesgate (Anthony Dawson) by Tom Wendice (Ray Milland), who is across the table from Hitchcock in the photo. 13 minutes
  16. I Confess (1953) Strolling across or along the top of a long flight of stair-steps in Quebec, in a long-shot silhouette filmed at a distance, during/after the opening credits. 1 minute
  17. Strangers on A Train (1951) Struggling to board a train with a very large and awkward double bass fiddle (similar in shape to Hitchcock's own rotund body), as Guy Haines (Farley Granger) gets off in his hometown of Metcalf. 10 minutes
  18. Stage Fright (1950) Walking by, and then turning back to give a prolonged side-look and stare at Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) on the sidewalk, unconvinced and puzzled by her disguise to pose as Doris Tinsdale - the replacement maid of Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). 38 minutes
  19. Under Capricorn (1949) Two appearances: (a) In Sydney's town square during a parade, wearing a blue coat and brown hat. 3 minutes (b) One of three men on the steps of Government House. 14 minutes
  20. Rope (1948) Two appearances: (a) in the opening credits, as a man crossing the street. Beginning of film (b) Hitchcock's trademark silhouette/caricatured profile can be seen briefly but blurrily on a flashing neon sign seen through the apartment window. 52 minutes
  21. The Paradine Case (1947) Disembarking from the train at England's Cumberland Station, carrying a cello case. 36 minutes
  22. Notorious (1946) As a guest at a grand party in Alex Sebastian's (Claude Rains) mansion, lifting a glass of champagne to sip at the champagne table, and then quickly leaving. 64 minutes
  23. Spellbound (1945) As Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) enters the Empire State Hotel lobby, Hitchcock is coming out of a crowded elevator, carrying a small violin case and daintily smoking a cigarette. 36 minutes
  24. Lifeboat (1944) In "before" and "after" pictures displayed in a newspaper ad for Reduco Obesity Slayer, a slimming 'fat reduction' product - a men's corset, on the back side of a newspaper being read by Gus Smith (William Bendix) on the lifeboat. 25 minutes
  25. Shadow of A Doubt (1943) On the train to Santa Rosa carrying Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten), playing a card game (and having a potentially-winning hand - a full house of spades) with a husband-doctor and wife couple, with his back to the camera on the left side of the frame. 17 minutes
  26. Saboteur (1942) At a news-stand, standing just behind the saboteur's car (carrying Barry Kane (Robert Cummings)) that pulls up in front of the Cut Rate Drugs store window in New York. Not easily identifiable. 60 minutes
  27. Suspicion (1941) Mailing a letter at a village mailbox, in a long-shot, as Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine) meets a friend in town. 45 minutes
  28. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) Walking past Mr. David Smith (Robert Montgomery) in front of his building where he lives with wife Ann Smith (Carole Lombard). 41 minutes
  29. Foreign Correspondent (1940) After Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) leaves his hotel in London, Hitchcock - almost directly in front of him, is walking down the street wearing a coat and hat and looking down while reading a newspaper. 11 minutes
  30. Rebecca (1940) Walking past a phone booth occupied by Jack Favell (George Sanders) who made a call to Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson). 123 minutes
  31. The Lady Vanishes (1938) Walking on the platform of London's Victoria Station (as Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave) and Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) return to the city), wearing a black coat and puffing on a cigarette. 90 minutes
  32. Young and Innocent (1937) Outside the courthouse just after Robert Tisdall (Derrick De Marney) has managed to make an escape from incompetent police, posing as a photographer (director!) and holding a camera at waist-level. 15 minutes
  33. The 39 Steps (1935) As a passerby, tossing some litter away in front of a bus at a bus stop, while Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) and Miss Smith/Annabella (Lucie Mannheim) escape from the music theater commotion. 6 minutes
  34. Murder! (1930) Walking with a female companion past the boarding house - the scene of the murder crime - in front of a few other people (including Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall) who is leaving with Dulcie (Phyllis Konstam) and Ted Markham (Edward Chapman)). 60 minutes
  35. Blackmail (1929) After girlfriend Alice White (Anny Ondra) and Detective Frank Webber (John Longden) leave the police station, they board a London Underground train. Hitchcock is seated to the left of the frame in the subway carriage behind them, as he is bothered, irritated and angered by a small boy (who pulls his hat over his face) as he reads a book; he engages in a stare-down with the lad. 11 minutes
  36. Easy Virtue (1927) During a tennis court sequence, he leaves through a side gate where Larita Filton (Isabel Jeans) is seated, carrying a walking stick or cane. 15 minutes
  37. The Lodger (1926) Two appearances: (a) At a desk in a newsroom (with back to camera). 3 minutes (b) As a bystander/spectator in the crowd behind an upper railing, wearing a flat gray cap, watching an arrest taking place below, as an angry crowd tries to beat up the unpopular lodger. 92 minutes
Author Comments: 

Alfred Hitchcock made a total of 37 self-referential cameos in his films over a 50 year period (from 1926-1976), if one counts his narration at the start of The Wrong Man (1956). Hitchcock's first appearance was in his third film, The Lodger (1926), and then in just six more of his British films. Two war-time shorts after 1940, Bon Voyage (1944) and Aventure Malgache (1944), did not contain cameos either. The most ingenious cameo appearances were in films with limited sets, as in Lifeboat (1944), Rope (1948), and Dial M for Murder (1954). One recurring theme was that Hitchcock carried a stringed instrument in some of the cameos. Note: Only once did he appear in an installment of his Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1966) TV show - besides his personal introductions - in the episode titled Dip in the Pool, he showed up on the cover of a magazine.