Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), the undisputed 'Master of Suspense', worked in silent before becoming a giant of modern film. Almost from the start, this son of a London greengrocer was an amazingly modern film-maker with a singular grasp of the technology and an affinity with the stars. From The Birds to Vertigo, Hitchcock's own psychological, religious and sexual complexities recur as a fascinating subtext to his dazzling film-making. His films were popular favorites, capturing the underlying fears and sexual maelstrom of the era, yet he never an Oscar '„¢ for Best Director, despite a Best Picture for Rebecca--the critical acclaim would come mostly after his death.