Alfred Hitchcock trivia is something that is surely of interest to anyone with an interest in the history of the cinema, as he is one of those iconic filmmakers whose work has helped shape the entire direction of the industry since his time. Did you know that his full name was Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, or that he was born on the 13th of August 1899? He made over fifty films throughout his career, many of which are considered to be among the masterpieces of cinema which all film students study and debate even to this day.

 

            Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock was a dual citizen of both England and the United States? Any Alfred Hitchcock quiz might contain a question about this subject, as it was his passion for moviemaking and for Hollywood which would lead him away from England where he started his careers to the United States and Hollywood, even then the center of the movie making world.

 

            Did you know that Hitchcock had connection to Germany as well? He made a film with Graham Cutts in 1924 which they produced in Babelsberg Studios in Berlin. He also was influenced by early German filmmakers such as Fritz Lang. His first directing credit would be for Gainsborough Pictures, the film was “The Pleasure Garden” and it was made in UFA studios in Germany. His first thriller, something he would of course become very well known for, came out in 1927 and was a large success back at home in the UK. That film would be called “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog”.

 

            Did you know that one of films most famous terms comes from something done by Alfred Hitchcock? This is an important piece of Alfred Hitchcock trivia sure to come up in any film class. The term is “Macguffin” and it is a device used by many filmmakers. Essentially, the Macguffin is the item which drives the story, but ultimately has very little to do with the ultimate point of the movie. Hitchcock’s first use of this, and the one that would most commonly be modeled was in the movie “39 Steps”.

 

            Some of his other most famous films include “Dial M for Murder”, “Vertigo”, and “Rear Window” and perhaps his most well known film “Psycho.” Many of the elements in that film have been copied by horror films in the decade since its release, and it is often considered one of the most perfect examples of the genre.

           

 

It is former superstar singer and actress Judy Garland’s birthday today!

Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her work in films, as well as Grammy Awards and a Tony Award. She had a contralto singing range.

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm, June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was a truly amazing talent.  But Despite her professional triumphs, Garland battled personal problems throughout her life. Insecure about her appearance, her
feelings were compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and overweight. Plied with drugs to control her weight and increase her productivity, Garland endured a decades-long struggle with addiction. Garland
was plagued by financial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, and her first four of five marriages ended in divorce. She attempted suicide on a number of occasions. Garland died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of forty-seven, leaving children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft.

In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten greatest female stars in the history of American cinema.

Garland landed the lead role of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939) at the age of sixteen, in which she introduced the song with which she would forever be identified, “Over the Rainbow”. Although producers Arthur Freed and Mervyn LeRoy had wanted Garland from the start, studio chief Mayer tried first to borrow Shirley Temple from 20th Century Fox. Temple’s services were denied and Garland was cast.

Judy Garland’s legacy as a performer and a personality has endured long after her death. The American Film Institute named Garland eighth among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

Of particular note is Garland’s status as a gay icon. She always had a large base of fans in the gay community. Reasons often given for her standing, especially  amongst gay men, are admiration of her ability as a performer, the
way her personal struggles supposedly mirrored those of gay men in America during the height of her fame and her value as a camp figure.

To find out more about Wizard of Oz Judy Garland, Judy Garland a or Judy Garland video, visit MastersOfTrivia.com.