The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director’s Dark Obsession
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Alfred Hitchcock was fixated—not just on the dark, twisty stories that became his hallmark, but also by the blond actresses who starred in many of his iconic movies. The director of North by Northwest, Rear Window, and other classic films didn’t much care if they wore wigs, got their hair coloring out of a bottle, or were the rarest human specimen—a natural blonde—as long as they shone with a golden veneer on camera. The lengths he went to in order to showcase (and often manipulate) these women would become the stuff of movie legend. But the women themselves have rarely been at the center of the story, until now.
In Hitchcock’s Blondes, bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer offers an intimate journey into the lives of eight legendary actresses whose stories helped chart the course of the troubled, talented director’s career—from his early days in the British film industry, to his triumphant American debut, to his Hollywood heyday and beyond. Through the stories of June Howard-Tripp, Madeleine Carroll, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Janet Leigh, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, and Tippi Hedren—who starred in fourteen of Hitchcock’s most notable films and who bore the brunt of his fondness and sometimes fixation—we can finally start to see the enigmatic man himself. After all, “his” blondes (as he thought of them) knew the truths of his art, his obsessions and desires, as well as anyone.
From the acclaimed author of Capote’s Women comes an intimate, revealing, and thoroughly modern look at both the enduring art created by a man obsessed…and the private toll that fixation took on the women in his orbit.
- Publisher : G.P. Putnam’s Sons
- Publication date : October 10, 2023
What’s Being Said
“Leamer excels at dissecting Hitchcock’s filmic genius and odd proclivities.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An important and enthralling story that will change not only the way we experience Hitch’s movies but the way we view ourselves. It is a tale more disturbing than any Hitchcock film. Read it with all the lights on.” —Sam Kashner, author of The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters
Review
I grew up watching Alfred Hitchcock’s movies and TV shows, so I was extremely excited to read Leamer’s new book.
Hitchcock began his career working at a bank before moving to films. His start in film began when he was hired to write captions for silent movies. While in that position, he met and married Alma Reville when he was 27. This relationship remained intact throughout the years, in spite of his obsession with beautiful blondes.
This is a biography that zeroes in, as you might guess, on the blondes that stared in Hitchcock’s pictures. It was an interesting twist on a typical biography. For each actress that Leamer features, he has included a small biography.
My Concerns
I think the book would have been far more meaningful had I refreshed my memory by watching some of his movies.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the way each actress was introduced, and, basically, I liked learning more about Hitchcock. However, the subject felt a bit dark as descriptions were shared regarding what it was like to work with Hitchcock. The more I read, the more I realized it wasn’t a good fit for me.
However, I felt it was thoroughly researched, and Hitchcock fans won’t want to overlook this unique book.
My thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an ARC to review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laurence Leamer is an award-winning journalist and historian who has written eighteen books including five New York Times bestsellers. He has worked in a factory in France, a coal mine in West Virginia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in a remote village in Nepal two days from a road. He has written two novels and an off Broadway play but is primarily known for his nonfiction. His most recent book, Capote’s Women, is being made into an eight-part series starring Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, and Demi Moore.
