Alfred Hitchcock’s creepy explanation for his blonde obsession: “These lovely creatures”
Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most infamous directors of all time. He is known as the ‘master of suspense’ due to his terrifying manipulation of tension, which has left decades of film lovers on the edge of their seats. After carefully honing his creative legacy both in Britain and in the States, Hitchcock directed a slate of films with global acclaim and appeal, helming horrifying classics such as Psycho, Vertigo and Rear Window, as well as detective thrillers that were said to be the inspiration behind the infamous James Bond series.
However, Hitchcock’s films share a fair amount with the suave secret agent franchise, with both depicting their female characters in a questionable way.
Hitchcock has worked with some of the most prolific actors of all time, frequently collaborating with the likes of James Stewart, Ray Milland and Cary Grant while making stars out of his leading ladies. Tippi Hedren, Janet Leigh and Ingrid Bergman became Hollywood legends after their work with the director. However, there was one woman in particular for whom Hitchcock had a unique soft spot, discussing his fascination with her in a very peculiar way.
Grace Kelly has a truly captivating screen presence, and something that Hitchcock utilised to his full ability after casting her in Rear Window, Dial M For Murder and To Catch a Thief before she disappeared into a life of royalty after marrying a prince. While some people fantasise about this life, who knew it could actually become a reality for anyone.
However, alongside her exceptional talent and natural star quality, Hitchcock had other reasons for frequently casting her, describing his less-than-pure motivations when selecting the women in his films. When explaining his reasoning, the director said, “I’ve been accused of always choosing this same cool blonde type as the heroine of my movies, and perhaps that’s true. My taste is based on English women, outwardly cold, inwardly passionate — probably the most promiscuous of all. The trouble is, most Englishmen don’t appreciate them. These lovely creatures are the product of their climate; Scandinavian women, from a similar climate, are similar emotionally — Bergman the apple-cheeked, but what seeds inside the apple!”
The way Hitchcock describes these women is extremely insulting and limiting, viewing them as objects or less-than people due to the use of the word ‘creature’. He talks about women as though they are decorations for this world, not real people with an interior world or feelings. He expanded on this, saying, “The type is most photogenic, most intriguing, and gives me the opportunity of presenting a woman subtly and slowly to the public — not just putting it all on a platter. Look at the charm of the Victorian woman — buttoned up to the neck, the corseted torso — yet all that barricade had to come off sometime, you know. Consider the size of the Victorian family!”
His view of women is more obvious off-screen than on-screen, with many of these women becoming trailblazers in the industry due to their complex and multi-faceted performances as villains, detectives, investigators, and generally fierce pursuits of truth. However, his perception of them in real life is more than troubling, revealing an ulterior motive behind his casting choices.
