Almost 80 percent of adults in Germany have seen at least one film by Alfred Hitchcock and around 70 percent consider him to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. This is the result of a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov. It was carried out on the occasion of the filmmaker’s 125th birthday (August 13). Hitchcock, who was born in England in 1899, died in Los Angeles in 1980.
Few consider Hitchcock to be “overrated”
Two thirds of those surveyed find Alfred Hitchcock’s films “still exciting today”, only 23 percent say they are “too old-fashioned”, and only 16 percent consider Hitchcock’s films to be “overrated”.
The best-known and most popular Hitchcock film in Germany is the thriller “The Birds” with Tippi Hedren. When asked which of the Alfred Hitchcock films they liked, 72 percent said the same about this work, which was released in cinemas in 1963.
The film, based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier, creates an oppressive doomsday atmosphere when birds attack humans against their nature.
“Psycho” before “To Catch a Thief”
Following on the popularity list are “Psycho” and “Rear Window” (63 percent each), as well as “Dial M for Murder” and “To Catch a Thief” (59 percent each).
The Nice film with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the leading roles is originally called “To Catch a Thief” and was shot more in Cannes and Monaco than in Nice.
Grace Kelly also plays a role in the thriller “Dial M for Murder”. Kelly, who later became Princess Grace of Monaco, can also be seen in “Rear Window”. James Stewart plays the lead role.
In “Psycho,” Anthony Perkins plays the mentally ill Norman Bates; the legendary shower scene is one of the most famous scenes in film history in terms of music and editing.
Behind “To Catch a Thief” on the popularity list is “North by Northwest” with 50 percent.
The film with Cary Grant features the famous escape scene at the stone heads of presidents on Mount Rushmore (US state of South Dakota).
“The Man Who Knew Too Much” before “Vertigo”
45 percent like “The Man Who Knew Too Much” with James Stewart and Doris Day and the assassination scene in London’s Royal Albert Hall.
This is followed by “Marnie” with 40 percent and the acrophobia psychological thriller “Vertigo” (39 percent) with James Stewart and Kim Novak. Behind them are “Frenzy” (31 percent) and “Topaz” (27 percent).
The proportion of those who know the films at all varies. While only 16 percent of the classic “The Birds” say they haven’t seen it or can’t remember it, the figure for “Vertigo” is 55 percent.
And this is what the respondents said
The data used is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 2,109 people took part between July 29 and 30. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.
One question was: Alfred Hitchcock directed more than 50 feature films. Have you ever seen an Alfred Hitchcock film?
– No, never: 12%
– Yes, once: 15%
– Yes, some times: 40%
– Yes, many times: 23%
– Not specified: 10%
A list of the most famous Hitchcock films was also presented. The 100 percent missing information at the end is the value for the answer “I don’t like it”.
Please indicate how much you like the following Alfred Hitchcock films.
– “The Birds”: 72%
– „Psycho“: 63 %
– “The Window to the Courtyard”: 63%
– “Dial to Murder”: 59%
– “To Catch a Thief”: 59%
– “The Invisible Third”: 50%
– “The Man Who Knew Too Much”: 45%
– „Marnie“: 40 %
– „Vertigo“: 39 %
– „Frenzy“: 31 %
– “Topaz”: 27%
Sum of those who said “I didn’t watch the film”, “I watched the film but I can’t remember it” and those who didn’t give an answer:
– “The Birds”: 16%
– „Psycho“: 24 %
– “The Window to the Courtyard”: 32%
– “Dial to Murder”: 36%
– “To Catch a Thief”: 37%
– “The invisible third”: 47%
– “The man who knew too much”: 52%
– „Marnie“: 53 %
– „Vertigo“: 55 %
– „Frenzy“: 63 %
– “Topaz”: 68%
