Hitchcock maintained his particular vision for horror throughout his life. He based this vision on a simple idea- “I am out to give the public good, healthy, mental shake-ups.” The quote is from Hitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings and Interviews edited by Sidney Gottlieb. Hitch, as he was commonly known, espoused this simplistic goal in 1936 and let it guide him for the duration of his life. A life that would see him becomes one of the most accomplished and highly influential directors of thrillers, this even among his most bitter of critics. Long after his death in 1980 he is still recognized by old and young alike for such films as The Birds, Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and many, many others. In addition, he was also known as a scriptwriter, especially early in his career, penning films like Number Seventeen and The Skin Game. His contributions to the genre of horror are not only significant, but are arguably unparalleled (Contemporary Authors, 2003).
