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A Century of Hitchcock: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy by Tony Lee Moral

Hardcover – University of Kentucky Press – 304 pages – Jun 2026

Hitchcock’s work received tremendous success and critical acclaim. While he never won the competitive Academy Award for Best Director, he received five Oscar nominations, two Golden Globes, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, a BAFTA Fellowship, multiple lifetime achievement awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the preservation of nine of his films in the United States National Film Registry. His mastery of tension, innovative camera techniques, and psychological depth continue to inspire and influence modern filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele, and Bong Joon Ho.

Drawing on new archival research, previously unpublished interviews, and a rigorous examination of key biographies, A Century of Hitchcock challenges the long-standing narratives that have shaped Hitchcock’s legacy. Author Tony Lee Moral revisits controversial claims regarding Hitchcock’s alleged abuses, scrutinizing biographer Donald Spoto’s interpretations, particularly his portrayal of the director’s relationship with actress Tippi Hedren. With his analysis of a 1980 interview between Spoto and Hedren, Moral reveals for the first time how one key document contradicts decades of exaggeration.

In this comprehensive reappraisal of Hitchcock’s career, Moral encourages readers to explore the complexities of creative collaboration and the risks of relying on a single biographical narrative. Marking one hundred years since Hitchcock’s first film, The Pleasure Garden, and fifty years since his last film, Family Plot, Moral reexamines the director’s cinematic brilliance, storytelling mastery, creative partnerships, and controversies, offering a fresh perspective on Hitchcock’s legacy in the post-#MeToo era.