"There have been many homages to the Master. But it has been almost a decade since the most recent spate of books, and Hitchcock in Hollywood admirably fills a new need." "In this new and original assessment of Hitchcock's American career from his arrival in Hollywood in 1939 up to his last films in the 1970s, Joel Finler shows how Hitchcock succeeded in quickly fitting into the American studio system with its emphasis on stars, technical expertise, and success at the box office to become one of the most influential directors of all time. These years cover Hitchcock's most accomplished period of filmmaking and the author uncovers many links with the best of Hitchcock's earlier British films from the 1930s." "Hitchcock used the thriller as a means of probing deep into our fears and neuroses. His films work on many levels: his mastery of the cinematic medium is demonstrated not only through the movies, plot lines, characters, and relationships within his films, but also in his use of the camera, editing, color, and widescreen techniques." "As well as the films themselves, Joel Finler discusses the director's working methods - his relations with producers and production companies, Hollywood stars, writers, and other collaborators - with reference to budgets, boxoffice receipts, and Hitchcock's involvement in virtually every aspect of each production from script and design to editing and scoring." "A detailed filmography with plot synopses completes the text, which is illustrated throughout with production shots and film stills."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved