Hitchcock’s Villains

The Master of Suspense was known for his lovely blonde heroines, but his films’ real thrills were provided by his surprising villains — amusing, elegantly dressed gentleman who could charm you to death. Literally. Sometimes it seemed the director even preferred him to his heroes — a favoritism which fueled some of his darkest themes. We’ll explore those, and some of Hitch’s best bad guys, including Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt, Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train and, the ultimate mama’s boy, Anthony Perkins in Psycho.
STEPHEN WHITTY is a writer and critic for the Star-Ledger, the New York Daily News, nj.com and Fortune.com, as well as a college lecturer, film festival host, interviewer and juror.