My Year With Hitchcock: October

This year (2026), from January until December, I'll be watching every Alfred Hitchcock film I can find. This is similar to the viewing projects I did for Woody Allen in 2016 and Disney Animation in 2022. I'll be watching a different movie each week, in chronological order and reviewing them as I go. The rule for the reviews is that I cannot reference any movie I have not yet watched. They don't exist yet. Each film is reviewed as if it were brand new (sort of). The only difference this time is that I have to watch two movies a week in January and February, since there are more than 52 movies to watch (plus TV stuff later on). Reviews will also be posted on my Letterbox'd page. 

WEEK 40

To Catch A Thief (1955) - 106 min.

Watched on 10/4/2026

Availability: Paramount blu-ray

Cary Grant and Grace Kelly looking gorgeous and oozing chemistry while frolicking in the French Riviera and wearing costumes by Edith Head, all at the hands of Alfred Hitchcock, whose cinematographer, Robert Burks, is shooting it all in glorious Academy-Award-winning VistaVision Technicolor… Can it get more classic Hollywood than that? While “To Catch A Thief” might not be as strong or as studied as Hitchcock’s film that preceded it, it does feel like Hitchcock treating himself to a nice holiday with his favorite people to celebrate his most recent success and making a movie along the way. 

Like the original “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “To Catch A Thief” opens with a shot of potential travel destinations, in this case a travel agent’s storefront window. Hitchcock decides, “hey, let’s go to France. Bring the helicopter.” After all, “if you love life, you’ll love France.” Hitchcock’s love of the French landscape is evident in every frame of this film, as well as his love for this cast. Unlike James Stewart, Cary Grant gets to express his romantic side almost instantaneously with his co-star, setting up some romantic tension that eventually explodes in a crescendo of actual fireworks, just as the movie’s leads are oozing sex appeal and passion. This is as horny as films could get in 1955. 

While the story centers on a cat burglar (Grant) who may or may not be responsible for a series of jewel robberies (a story that occasionally loses momentum as it goes along), the film could be about yet another man falsely accused of a crime (oh wait, it is!) and on the run from the law and it would still be a pleasure to just look at. The color green is a co-star here with every exterior being filtered through the color of money. Or is it emeralds? Whatever the symbolism (or not), this is Hitchcock and Burks’ most arresting color palette so far up to this point and the perfect format to show off Edith Head’s marvelous costumes, particularly in the back half of the film. 

“To Catch A Thief” is fun. Not brilliant, not the other half of a one-two punch, just fun. It’s the right amount of everything that makes for a classic piece of Hollywood entertainment.

WEEK 41

The Trouble With Harry (1955) - 99 min.

Three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 1 (1955)

Watched on 10/11/2026

Availability: Universal blu-ray box set

Last week when I wrote about “To Catch A Thief,” I wrote that it had the most eye-catching color palette of any Hitchcock movie up to that point. I suppose that holds true in that specific context, but then you see the luscious fall colors of “The Trouble With Harry" and, within minutes, you completely forget all about the French Riviera and Edith Head’s dazzling costumes, because every exterior backdrop of this film (even when artificial) represents another step forward for VistaVision, Technicolor. And Hitchcock. Fall has never looked so sumptuous on the silver screen (or, let’s be honest, the blu-ray transfer).

The reason for having it take place in the fall is obvious. The film is about death and Harry must die alongside the leaves. It just wouldn’t carry the same visual poetry if he had died in the summer or even winter. Fall is when we celebrate death and “The Trouble With Harry” is about looking at death through a humorous lens and a detached disposition. Everyone who comes across Harry’s body has an opinion for what to do with him and a story about why they feel that way. Much like “Rear Window,” life is going on while there’s a dead body somewhere in the distance that should be our main focal point of the story, but how can this small enclave of citizens concentrate on that when there are paintings to sell or dates to go on?

Even the child is nonchalant about death as he walks around with a dead rabbit to use as currency for a good trade (he ends up with two delicately made blueberry muffins, which is certainly an upgrade). The reason we don’t feel a sense of urgency for the characters to figure this all out quickly is because we never see Harry’s face, a brilliant move on Hitchcock to keep us at a distance along with the happy-go-lucky characters we meet. The only time we see Harry’s face is through the artist’s rendering of the face, itself a form of unreliable narration, something this movie specializes in. At some point, everyone is wrong about Harry. 

Of course, the cast helps as well. Everyone has been well-cast in this, especially MacLaine in her film debut. It’s such a warm and giving performance. Forsythe, while not the most interesting character in the bunch, is eventually able to match his wits with MacLaine’s and earn our interest as a man she can end up with. He may be an artist, but she seems to also have the worldview of an artist, someone who can see through the tragedies of her past and make it useful to her pragmatism, which could well be a coping mechanism. The opening scene with her and her son says everything. It’s a dead body, but nothing to be afraid of. In fact, it might be a reason to quietly celebrate.

Hitchcock continued to be fearless in trying to get away with breaking through the standards of the Code. The most obvious example comes when Forsyth talks to the Captain (Edmund Gwenn) about his date with a woman whose name is an eye-rolling pun, Miss Ivy Gravely (Mildred Natwick). They talk about the possibility of her still being a virgin, or “well preserved.” “Like a jar of preserves, she has to be opened eventually,” the Captain says. I’m excited to learn what else the Hayes Code objected to with this film, a black comedy about a male corpse and the woman in his life who couldn’t care less.

I like “The Trouble With Harry” a little more with each viewing, which has only been a handful of times in my life. I’m such a sucker for so many things in it. The fall colors, of course, as well as Bernard Herrmann’s playful score leap to mind, but also the unexpected sweetness of it all. Is this Hitchcock’s sweetest film? Is there anything in it that’s not kind of adorable? The corpse, of course, but even that is mostly seen as a foil for everything else. The town doctor keeps tripping over it while having his nose buried in a book. Life goes on and it’s never more beautiful when the leaves change colors and die.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 1, Episode 1 - “Revenge” Ralph Meeker & Vera Miles. HItchcock sets the table for this anthology series which tells the simple story of a newlywed couple and the violent attack that almost ends them. The ironic ending works well for the short form format. The confined black-and-white visual aspect contrasts heavily with the other films made during this year, which just goes to show how Hitchcock could easily move between mediums with equal interest. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 1, Episode 7 - “Breakdown” - Joseph Cotton has to spend the majority of this episode in a paralyzed, catatonic state as he tries to get everyone around him to notice he’s not actually dead. Hitchcock’s use of the subjective lens is put to nerve-wracking effect here as we agonize over how much longer we have to wait to see if he gets rescued. A cool little experiment that works well for the format. A feature would be too much for this material and Hitchcock’s outro is a hoot.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 1, Episode 10 - “The Case of Mr. Pelham” - Tom Ewell plays a man who feels another man is impersonating him and taking over his life. All his colleagues and friends are confused every time he enters the room. Nominated for an Emmy, this episode remains compelling as we anticipate a twist of some kind, which modern day audiences might see coming a mile away, but Hitchcock manages to keep us in suspense regardless. 

WEEK 42

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - 121 min.

Three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 1 & 2 (1956)

Watched on 10/20/2026 

Availability: Universal blu-ray box set

Hitchcock’s original “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934) arrived like a jolt of adrenaline in his filmography after a string of duds (or at the very least, mediocre films that had one or two memorable sequences). He seemed rejuvenated for the first time since “Blackmail” and delivered an airtight 76-minute thriller that had laughs, suspense and a centerpiece performance from newcomer Peter Lorre. Watching that earlier in the year in My Year With Hitchcock made me want to keep going with this project and knowing that a remake was in my not-so-distant future made me skeptical of its value all these months.

The 1956 version had been a blind spot for me and its two-hour length did not convince me to be excited for what I felt would likely be an overly padded out film. The last time he remade one of his own films was the German version of “Murder!” (called “Mary”) and that was dreadful. I put up my defenses and pressed on. As Stewart and Day charmed me more and more, though, I could feel myself being completely disarmed. Yes, I had seen this movie before, a much tighter version, but Hitchcock seemed no less engaged here. The film plays more to the thriller aspect than the original, leaving much of the humor aside, except where necessary. This approach does not do the film any harm. The original was a Hitchcock film where Hitchcock’s choices made him the star. The remake is more of an actor’s film.

This is not to suggest that Hitchcock worked on autopilot here, though we never escape the fact that we’ve seen this film before. It pretty much follows the same trajectory, with genders and settings being switched out. Still, Hitchcock makes the most of his Technicolor toys and fills the screen with eye-catching pageantry and grandeur in that climax at the Royal Albert Hall, with his own composer Bernard Hermann taking center stage. We know what happens, but it works just as well here and a big reason for that is Doris Day, who all but steals the movie with a highly emotional performance that, miraculously, allows her to sing in order to save the, um, day. 

All the big movies at this time had to compete against television, so they had to be bigger than life, or else the medium would vanish (according to the conventional wisdom at the time). Yet, during this same year, Hitchcock had his own TV show, in which he directed a few episodes. Looking at those episodes in the same week I watched this film, it struck me how much they borrowed from his other films. Stories of dead bodies that caused a nuisance, nosy neighbors and spouses murdering their spouses somehow attracted Hitchcock to sit in the director’s chair and tell these tales once again for a much smaller screen. And here he was, the same year, remaking one of his own films. The TV episodes show little signs of brilliance, but “The Man Who Knew Too Much” reveals the real showman. 

So, which one do I prefer? That’s a tough one. There’s room for both. They both have different strengths and ultimately satisfy whatever version of Alfred Hitchcock you happen to be in the mood for. The original has more humor and gets the job done fast, but the remake has stronger leads. Peter Lorre is unforgettable, but so is Day. The original has that great chair fight, but the remake has a very funny closing punchline. When and how you watch these films can easily influence what you think of them. Do I have to choose? Actually, no. That’s why they’re great.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 1, Episode 23 - “Back For Christmas” - Hitchcock is still fascinated with the idea of killing off a spouse and figuring out what to do with the body. They’ve done dismembering and leaving it out to pasture. How about burning it in what will eventually be the wine cellar? A trifle, of course, but entertaining enough. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 2, Episode 1 - “Wet Saturday” - Another tale of a dead body and what to do with it. A father tries to protect his daughter from being caught for a murder she committed. There must be someone around here we can frame for it! Poor John Wiliams is that man. Will the plan work? We hope not, and therein lies the suspense, but it might’ve been a fun feature if Hitchcock actually shot the story he tells in the episode’s postscript. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 2, Episode 13 - “Mr. Blanchard’s Secret” - Hitchcock borrows a page from “Rear Window” and casts a Shirly MacLaine look-alike to play a mystery novel author  who becomes obsessed with her next door neighbor’s suspicious behavior, much to the detriment of her husband, who can't get a wink of sleep. Like most of these episodes, it’s pretty slight, but it’s kinda fun to see elements of previous Hitchcock movies coming together for, well, not much. 

WEEK 43

The Wrong Man (1956) - 105 min.

TV episode of Suspicion

4 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Watched on 10/25/2026

Availability: Warner Archive 4-disc set

Hitchcock went back to black-and-white to tell another tale of a man wrongfully accused of a crime. This time, though, the film does not become a big chase where the man meets a woman who helps him along on an adventure to prove his innocence. Instead, this film tells a more serious true-life story that feels pretty believable in most stretches. It’s a good thing, though, that “The Wrong Man” has elements of truth on its side, or else we would be forced to question some of the story beats as well as Vera Miles’ turn during the second act that takes her out of the picture. 

After the breathtaking technicolor flourishes of “To Catch A Thief” and the remake of “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” seeing Hitchcock return to this format feels more like a contractual obligation than a passion project, or even a fun vacation. Hitchcock was also directing television during this time, both for his own series, as well as a pilot for a TV show called “Suspicion” (nothing to do with his film of the same name). He was clearly comfortable in both mediums, but the TV episodes feel more like Hitchcock by rote, much like this film does at times. 

Still, “The Wrong Man” remains worthwhile. Fonda wears the part well as a man who is at the mercy of a system where he knows nothing about the rules or procedures and the audience learns along with him. Miles is very good, especially in the latter half when Rose begins to collapse mentally. Even if the script can’t quite deliver a fully satisfactory arch for how she got that way, or even how she got out of it (the coda at the and feels cheap), Miles does what she can to convince us that Rose has an inner life that feels more worthy of its own film than to be put in the background. If it weren’t part of the true story, you’d swear screenwriter McPhail was just trying to get her out of the picture so we can focus on Fonda.

Hitchcock appears right at the beginning of the film to introduce us to this story, much like he did with his TV show, though he remains in shadow in a wide shot. It is the only time he ever did such a thing for one of his feature films. “The Wrong Man” has many earmarks of his earlier works: his usual distrust of authority, a trial, a cool stairway shot or two and two good lead performances. It also has an ending that feels a bit limp and one “spinning” camera shot of Fonda in the jail cell that simply does not work. “The Wrong Man” is a worthwhile Hitchcock film. Not disposable, not a masterpiece and certainly worth looking into as a continuation of Hitchcock’s themes (forgot to mention Catholic guilt). It’s just a more serious version of films he made before with nary a joke to be heard in the whole thing, which is why it might feel a bit off, especially during this period.

Pilot episode of “Suspicion” “Four O’Clock” - E.G. Marshall plays a watch repairman who suspects his wife is cheating on him. He creates a time bomb that will go off at 4:00pm, when her lover is scheduled to arrive at their house. The plan is foiled, of course, when he comes home to find two robbers, who tie him up and leave him trapped as the clock ticks away. This is another classic example of Hitchcock’s timebomb theory of suspense and it works well. He seems freer with the longer running time of this television endeavor than the series that bears his name. Maybe the best thing he did for TV (so far).

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 2, Episode 28 - “One More Mile To Go” -  The opening has strong echoes of “Rear Window” as we watch through a window a couple arguing furiously until the man kills his wife. We only hear music. The rest is pretty standard stuff about him driving around with a corpse in his trunk and getting stopped by the police for a bad tail light. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 3, Episode 3 - “The Perfect Crime” - The title is way too on-point. How many Hitchcock films have  had characters talking about the perfect murder or perfect crime? This features Vincent Price (with no facial hair, which threw me at first) as a famed detective who may have helped convict a wrong man recently executed. More chatty than suspenseful, but it does have one of my favorite intros, with Mr. Hitchcock blowing bubbles with a little pipe.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 3, Episode 28 - “Lamb To the Slaughter” - A woman beats her husband over the head with a frozen leg of lamb after he coldly informs her he wants a divorce. How to make this look like an accident? Unexpectedly funny as it approaches the final moment and anchored by a very good performance from Barbara Bel Geddes. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season 3, Episode 35 - “Dip In the Pool” – Keenan Wynn plays a rich person wannabe on a cruise with his wife and makes an expensive bet against the odds of the cruise arriving at a certain time. He takes drastic measures to ensure his bet pays off. The results are darkly comical in this refreshing change of pace from the usual episodes he directed.