6. Alfred Hitchcock Stalked His Actresses
He’s provided many of film’s most iconic moments, from the chilling shower scene in “Psycho” to the final battle on top of Mt. Rushmore in “North By Northwest”.
He singlehandedly laid the groundwork for the modern horror film, spy thriller, and action movie, all with trademark drollness and shameless self-promotion.
He was also a known sexual predator, and there was very little his objects of fascination could do about it at the time.
Hitchcock was notorious for becoming infatuated with his leading ladies, wielding his powerful position in Hollywood to better control them. Kim Novak, Janet Leigh, and Grace Kelly all described improper advances behind the scenes, but his most famous attacks were reserved for Tippi Hedren, star of his film “The Birds”.
Hitchcock became obsessed with her after seeing her in a soft drink commercial and offered to make her a star. As filming for “The Birds” wore on, Hitchcock’s obsession deepened. He began paying crew members to spy on her during breaks and vowed to ruin her career if she didn’t reciprocate his advances.
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She denied him and he followed through. Hitchcock trapped her in a contract, preventing her from working for years after “The Birds” until demand for her had died down. Her career never recovered, and she still denounces Hitchcock to this day.
