On August 19, 1899 in Leytonstone, England--in London's East End--Alfred Hitchcock was born. His parents, William and Emma Hitchcock, owned a small grocery store. Older brother William, older sister Ellen Kathleen, and Alfred were all expected to help out at the store as well. He was raised a strict Catholic and went to Catholic schools until he was 14. As a kid, his sense of humor was already apparent, for he loved a good joke despite being a very shy and quiet boy. One of his favorite activities as a kid was to go with his grandfather, who was a policeman, and watch the trials at the local courthouse--despite his fear of the police, which he gained after his father sent him to the local police station, one day, with a letter for the chief. After reading the letter, the chief locked Hitchcock in a cell for ten minutes. When he was released, the chief told him that is what happens to boys who do bad things. It so scared Hitchcock that he had a fear of the police from that day on. He also liked to read and he loved the movies. He would read all the movie trade journals he could get his hands on.
When Hitchcock was 15, his father died and his mother took over the responsibility of raising three children and running the store on her own. Many critics believe the strong female characters that would later populate Hitchcock's movies are a direct tribute to his mother. He attended St. Ignatius College when he was 15. He wanted to become a ship's navigator and took classes in mechanics and electro-technology. He eventually changed his mind and left technical school for the University of London, where he studied art.
Hitchcock's first job, outside the family store, was with the Henley Telegraph and Cable Company where he started as an estimator and later worked in the publicity department and on the company newsletter. When he was 20, an American film production company opened a London office and Alfred got himself a job. Still in the silent movie days, Hitchcock's first job for the Players-Lansky Studio was to design the title cards for the silent films. Because the film industry was still very new, Alfred was able to experience a lot of different aspects of filmmaking. He would eventually be a props keeper, write scripts, handle casting, and eventually work as an assistant director. He also learned about art direction and editing.
