Eine unterhaltsame und kurzweilige Biografie. Charlotte Chandler war mit Hitchcock befreundet, und sie zeigt uns den Menschen hinter den Filmen. Die dunklen Seiten seiner Persönlichkeit werden hier zwar ausgespart, seine (angeblichen) Konflikte mit Stars wie Kim Novak oder Tippi Hedren werden gar nicht erwähnt, aber die Autorin schreibt so humorvoll und charmant, das das nicht weiter ins Gewicht fällt.
Sie zeichnet ein liebevolles Porträt des großen Regisseurs, der hier einfach als netter und bescheidener Mensch herüberkommt.
Für Hitcock-Fans ein Muss, für alle anderen ein guter Überblick über sein Schaffen. ( )

It’s Only a Movie is a very comprehensive biography, covering Hitchcock’s career from his beginnings as a title designer through the final movie he was never able to complete. Even the plots of his movies are included. Mostly though, this was an intimate portrait of the man, told through quotes from him and those who knew him.

At first I was afraid the prevalence of quotes in this book would mean an absence of facts. Instead, there were enough facts and stories outside the quotes that I felt like I got a full picture of the Hitchcocks’ lives. The quotes also provided a broad, unbiased view of a man whose character seems to be somewhat controversial. The movie descriptions, on the other hand, should either have been done better or left out. They often sounded silly and I felt that crucial plot points were missing from many.

Fortunately, the many quotes were well-integrated into the rest of the book (or it might be more accurate to say that the rest of the book was well-integrated into the quotes!). I can’t know if it captured Hitchcock’s character accurately, but he certainly came across as an interesting and eccentric person. Although I can’t point to what might be missing, this felt like a lighter read than what I was looking for. It was, however, very enjoyable and I liked how much the book conveyed Hitchcock’s unique personality.

This review first published on Doing Dewey. ( )

I am not really a major non-fiction reader. People may actually be shocked at the lack of non-fiction titles in my library. I don’t know why that is because I actually have enjoyed my little forays into the realm of non-fiction. It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock is no exception.

As an avid 'movielover', I have seen many of Alfred Hitchcock’s works. I must admit his movies make me feel uneasy (i.e. Rope. The movie starts with a scene that no one warned me about.) and at times plain revolted (i.e. Frenzy. Grisly to say the least.). But nevertheless, I find his movies interesting to watch and was eager to learn more about them.

It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock - A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler was published in 2005. The book gives a chronological account of Hitchcock’s life right from his childhood, his beginning in the nascent British film industry, his meeting and marriage with Alma, his rising fame, migration to America and finally his declining years. All of this in interjected with a lot of gossipy anecdotes from well known personalities.

I don’t really care about the personal aspects of the lives of the people involved in the movie business. They are, after all, mere human beings like the rest of us. So, although I doubt the accuracy of some of the personal bits of the book, it didn’t mar my enjoyment of the book.

What really interests me are movie plot summaries and little snippets of the shooting of the movie. The book has enough of those to keep me satisfied for a long time.

I like the cover of the book. It is striking. As I read this book en route to my workplace many people asked me what book I was reading and they seemed genuinely interested in it.

A rather sanitized image of Alfred Hitchcock is presented here. There are hints of a darker side but they are few and far between. His alleged treatment of Tippi Hedren (seriously, what a name!) is mentioned and discussed and that’s about it. Overall, the book presents Hitchcock as a slightly odd but immensely talented man who really meant no harm.

This a very, very easy book to read. I moved quite fast through it. The prose was comfortable to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock - A Personal Biography. Recommended. ( )

The life of one of the greatest director through stories about his films. Interesting but could be more deeper and detailed. The hungarian translation is disastrous.... ( )

This biography is a great look into the life of genius director Alfred Hitchcock. I have recently become a fan of the series Alfred Hitchcock Presents on DVD and am hooked on them. I also count his movies Shadow of a Doubt, Notorius and Psycho as some of my favorites.

Some of the actors Mr. Hitchcock worked with accused him of being aloof and not giving direction, but he countered with
saying that the actor was chosen because they supposedly knew what to do. He was fond of practical jokes and appreciated a good laugh. The title of this book says it all:

It's Only a Movie- don't sweat the small stuff! A very good book, although I would have loved to have read more about his life with his beloved and respected collaborator, his wife Alma. ( )