In this enthralling third installment of his Hitchcock trilogy (after The Dark Side of Genius
and The Art of Alfred Hitchcock
), Spoto paints a portrait of a man as talented as he was troubled. Spoto examines each film in terms of its leading lady, but focuses especially on the three cool blondes with whom Hitchcock was famously obsessed: Ingrid Bergman (Spellbound
, Notorious
and Under Capricorn
), Grace Kelly (Dial “M” for Murder
, Rear Window
and To Catch a Thief
) and Tippi Hedren (The Birds
and Marnie
). While Bergman never returned Hitchcock's romantic advances, the pair struck up a lasting friendship. With Kelly, Hitchcock felt he had molded the young actress into his ideal woman with just the right mix of elegance and sexuality. When Kelly left Hollywood, Hitchcock sought a replacement and found newcomer Tippi Hedren, whom he both fawned over and humiliated during their two films together. Relying on hours of personal interviews with both Hitchcock and his various players, Spoto shines an admiring yet unflinching light on one of the most celebrated directors in history. (Nov.)
