Alfred Hitchcock: Behind the Curtain of Suspense
Schedule
Mon, 13 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039 | Livingston, NJ
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Legendary master of screen tension Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), shocked, thrilled, amused, and delighted moviegoers and TV viewers throughout his half-century directing career. The meticulous planning that went into Hitch’s productions resulted in tension-filled films – among them Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, and Psycho – which continue to grip audiences in the 21st century.In this multimedia lecture, film historian Max Alvarez will share archival materials and memorable film clips from key Hitchcock productions. Among the treats in store for attendees: highlights of the director’s on-screen cameo appearances; Hitchcock’s genius for self-promotion; the development of Hitchcockian screenplays from page to screen; the early history of Hitchcock in the British film industry during the 1920s silent era; and the uses of “in-camera” effects for several key moments of Hitchcockian suspense.
In addition to being a lifelong Hitchcock admirer, Alvarez contributed an essay in Thornton Wilder/New Perspectives (Northwestern University Press 2014) on the writing of the classic 1943 Hitchcock thriller, Shadow of a Doubt.
Max Alvarez is an author, film historian, and public speaker, who produces multimedia programs on world cinema culture. A visiting scholar and guest lecturer for The Smithsonian Associates, Alvarez is the former film curator at National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. His presentation partnerships to broaden understanding of the cultural impact of film have included New Plaza Cinema in Manhattan, Museum of the Moving Image, The New York Public Library System; University of California, Los Angeles and Berkeley; the American Film Institute, The Library of Congress, the U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Scholars Program, the National Gallery of Art in D.C., and numerous embassies and cultural offices. He is author of The Crime Films of Anthony Mann (University Press of Mississippi 2013) and was a major contributor to Thornton Wilder/New Perspectives (Northwestern University Press 2014). For more information, go to www.maxjalvarez.com
This program is made possible with the support of The Friends of the Livingston Public Library.
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Where is it happening?
10 Robert Harp Dr, Livingston, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07039Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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