Alfred Hitchcock is considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century and gained recognition for classic films such as The Birds, Psycho, and North by Northwest. Hitchcock became widely known for his artistic use of immense intensity and suspense, which earned him the nickname Master of Suspense. Even though the director is generally remembered for his thrilling and tense films, including Rear Window and Notorious, he’s also known for his signature quality of appearing in almost all of his films in brief cameos.
Almost like a game of I Spy, Hitchcock’s cameos became a secondary game for audiences, and many kept their eyes peeled for the quick or sometimes even apparent appearances of the director. Hitchcock’s cameos essentially became a signature quality of the director’s style as well as his cinematic legacy. With over fifty films, Hitchcock had cameos in forty of them, and out of all these quintessential pictures, these are the best Alfred Hitchcock cameos.
10 ‘To Catch a Thief’ (1955)
Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and Jessica Royce Landis
Image via Paramount Pictures
The dashing Cary Grant stars in Hitchcock’s thrilling mystery, To Catch a Thief, as a certified cat burglar, John Robie, who has put his thieving days behind him and started living a law-abiding life. When someone starts committing robberies similar to Robie’s style, he becomes the local authorities’ prime suspect, and to clear his name, Robie makes a list of individuals currently in the area who own priceless jewels.
Within ten minutes into the movie, Hitchcock makes an obvious, in-your-face cameo as a passenger on a bus and is sitting next to Grant. While Grant and the other passengers are lively and aware of their surroundings, Hitchcock gives a stone look, staring directly in front of him, seemingly lost in thought. This is one of Hitchcock’s more blatant appearances and does not attempt to hide his presence, which is a rare but enjoyable occurrence for the director.
To Catch a Thief
Release Date August 3, 1955
Runtime 106
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9 ‘Notorious’ (1946)
Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains
Image via RKO Radio Pictures
In the iconic espionage film Notorious, U.S. agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) recruits Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), who is the daughter of a convicted war criminal, to go undercover and attempt to infiltrate the inner circle of a wanted former Nazi, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains). As Huberman begins to win over Sebastian’s affection, the stakes become higher as he starts to take their relationship to a serious level that could lead to Huberman’s cover being blown.
Notorious features perhaps one of Hitchcock’s longest-delayed cameos, as he appears well over an hour into the movie as a guest at one of Sebastian’s extravagant parties. As the house is filled with a decent number of invitees dressed to the nines, Hitchcock can be seen as one of several individuals crowded around a table of champagne as Bergman enters the room. To add notoriety to the director’s brief appearance, he is seen from the side, giving his iconic profile, which is a staple in Hitchcock’s style and image.
Notorious (1946)
Release Date September 6, 1946
Cast Cary Grant , Ingrid Bergman , Claude Rains , Leopoldine Konstantin , Louis Calhern
Runtime 123 minutes
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8 ‘Psycho’ (1960)
Starring: Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, and Anthony Perkins
Image via Universal Pictures
Psycho is labeled as a vital thriller that essentially redefined the horror genre. Janet Leigh stars as Marion Crane, who, after stealing a hefty amount of money from her employer, skips town and stops for the night at a seedy motel run by an odd but seemingly harmless young man, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). When Crane’s sister, Lila (Vera Miles), and Crane’s boyfriend (Sam Loomis), become concerned about Crane’s whereabouts, they track her down to the Bates Motel and uncover more than they initially expected.
This is a Hitchcock cameo that requires viewers’ undivided attention, as it is not only played out in the blink of an eye but also features the director in the backdrop of the scene. As Leigh walks through the door of her employer, the audience can see Hitchcock through the double windows with his back to the camera, wearing a cowboy hat. Between the discretion and the misleading, out-of-character choice of a cowboy hat, this is easily one of the most well-hidden Hitchcock cameos made by the Master of Suspense.
Psycho
Release Date June 22, 1960
Cast Anthony Perkins , Vera Miles , John Gavin , Martin Balsam , John McIntire , Simon Oakland
Runtime 109 minutes
7 ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ (1943)
Starring: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, and Macdonald Carey
Image via Universal Pictures
In Hitchcock’s personal favorite film, Shadow of a Doubt, a young, naive woman, Charlie (Teresa Wright), and her family are unexpectedly visited by her elusive uncle and namesake, Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten), who, unbeknownst to anyone, is secretly the infamous Merry Widow killer and is currently on the run from authorities. The more time Uncle Charlie spends with his family and curious niece, the more she starts to unravel her favorite uncle’s true nature and deadly alter ego.
Shadow of a Doubt features another sneaky cameo by Hitchcock, which can be seen about fifteen minutes into the film. Hitchcock is rather meticulous with when and where he makes his appearances, and in Shadow of a Doubt, he picks an unusual spot and time to make his debut to really throw audiences for a loop. As Cotten is riding the train to Santa Rosa, where his family lives, Hitchcock is engaged in a game of cards with another passenger, but with his back to the camera, audiences must pay extra close attention to catch this specific cameo.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Release Date January 15, 1943
Cast Teresa Wright , Joseph Cotten , Macdonald Carey , Henry Travers , Patricia Collinge , Hume Cronyn , Wallace Ford , Edna May Wonacott
Runtime 108 Minutes
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6 ‘The Birds’ (1963)
Starring: Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, and Jessica Tandy
Image via Universal Pictures
Tippi Hedren stars in Hitchcock’s signature film, The Birds, as socialite Melanie Daniels, who, after meeting a handsome gentleman, Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), at a pet store in San Francisco, decides to personally deliver the love birds he had wanted to give his younger sister for her upcoming birthday. As Daniels arrives in Bodega Bay, the birds in the area begin to exhibit strange behavior that eventually turns violent, terrifying everyone in the small harbor town.
While the pet store serves as a key spot where Hedren’s character meets her future love interest, it also features Hitchcock’s rapid cameo with two of his own dogs. As Hedren enters the pet shop, Hitchcock can be seen leaving with his two Sealyham Terriers, Geoffrey and Stanley, in hand, pulling the director in tow out onto the busy sidewalk, making it even more difficult to spot Hitchcock. The cameo is almost immediately at the beginning of the film, which is a frequent time for many of Hitchcock’s cameos, but considering he is joined by his actual furry companions, it makes this one of Hitchcock’s top-notch appearances.
The Birds
Release Date March 28, 1963
Cast Rod Taylor , Jessica Tandy , Suzanne Pleshette , Tippi Hedren
Runtime 119
5 ‘Rear Window’ (1954)
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter
Image via Paramount Pictures
In Hitchcock’s psychological thriller, Rear Window, Jimmy Stewart stars as a professional photographer, Jeff Jeffries, who is bound to a wheelchair after breaking his leg on the job. Bored out of his mind and stuck in his apartment, Jeffries finds entertainment by watching his neighbors go about their daily lives, but when a woman who lives in the unit across the courtyard mysteriously vanishes, he begins to suspect that her husband is responsible for her abrupt disappearance.
Rear Window is known for its clever point-of-view shots and the lively courtyard, which serves as the backdrop for the majority of the film. With very few spots to choose from, Hitchcock discreetly plants himself among the residents and can be seen in one of the apartment units standing by a fireplace mantle, winding a clock. He is joined by another man who is playing the piano and is placed purposely as the main attraction in the specific unit, adding more coverage for this incredibly clever Hitchcock cameo.
Rear Window
Release Date September 1, 1954
Cast James Stewart , Grace Kelly , Wendell Corey , Thelma Ritter , Raymond Burr
Runtime 112 minutes
4 ‘North By Northwest’ (1959)
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason
Image via MGM Studios
Hitchcock’s groundbreaking spy thriller, North By Northwest, reunites the director with Cary Grant, starring as a New York advertising executive, Roger Thornhill, who becomes a victim of mistaken identity and is pursued by a group of unidentified men across the country. While Thornhill is trying to keep a low profile on a train, he meets a beautiful blonde, Eva Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), who joins the wrongfully wanted man on his journey.
If audiences keep a close eye on the screen during the film’s opening credits, Hitchcock is blended into the busy streets of New York and eventually emerges, only to just miss a bus as it closes its doors. Even though it is a rather obvious appearance, it just happens to occur when Hitchcock’s name appears across the screen, almost like a personal but subtle introduction to the Master of Suspense. Despite a lack of hiding his on-screen presence, the timing of Hitchcock’s cameo is what essentially makes it one of his finest and most memorable.
North By Northwest
Release Date December 18, 1959
Cast Cary Grant , Eva Marie Saint , James Mason , Jessie Royce Landis , Leo G. Carroll , Josephine Hutchinson
Runtime 136 minutes
3 ‘Strangers on a Train’ (1951)
Starring: Robert Walker, Farley Granger, and Pat Hitchcock
Image via Warner Bros.
Strangers on a Train is a classic mystery thriller starring Farley Granger as a professional tennis player, Guy Haines, who happens to strike up a conversation with a dapper psychopath and one of Hitchcock’s best villains, Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), about his current trouble getting his unfaithful wife to agree to a divorce. While Granger takes it as simple chit-chat, Anthony interprets the discussion as a cue to murder Haine’s wife in exchange for the tennis pro to murder Anthony’s father, sending Haines into a never-ending nightmare.
Strangers on a Train actually features Hitchcock in two cameo appearances, the first one being incredibly difficult to spot for audiences the first time through. About two minutes into the movie, Granger can be seen with a book, and on the cover is an image of Hitchcock, which is considered to be one of the director’s most clever cameos. It’s understandable for many to miss this subtle cameo, but to make up for it, Hitchcock’s second appearance comes several minutes later. As Granger is exiting the train, audiences can see Hitchcock getting ready to board the train with a large cello case in hand.
Strangers on a Train
Release Date June 27, 1951
Cast Farley Granger , Ruth Roman , Robert Walker , Leo G. Carroll , Patricia Hitchcock , Kasey Rogers
Runtime 101
2 ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (1941)
Starring: Robert Montgomery, Carole Lombard, and Gene Raymond
Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard star in Hitchcock’s only comedy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, as a married couple, David and Ann Smith, who, after getting into a fight over David’s opinion about their marriage, soon learn that their marriage isn’t official in the eyes of the law due to a minor legal issue. This revelation prompts the couple to engage in an array of screwball antics and playful pranks that eventually lead them back to each other.
Hitchcock’s cameo comes and goes early on in Mr. & Mrs. Smith and can be seen walking past Montgomery in front of the character’s apartment building. While the appearance is one of the quickest cameos, the backstory of filming it is what makes it one of the director’s best cameos. Lombard directed Hitchcock in his cameo, and even though it’s pretty straightforward, the actress, who was known for her practical jokes and sense of humor, decided to have some fun at Hitchcock’s expense, having him do several takes.
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1 ‘Dial M for Murder’ (1954)
Starring: Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, and John Williams
In the thrilling crime film Dial M for Murder, Ray Milland stars as former tennis pro and famed athlete Tony Wendice, who secretly learns that his wife, Margot, played by Grace Kelly, has been having an affair and wants a divorce. This leads to Wendice hatching a plot to murder his wife and eventually inherit her large inheritance, and, even though Wendice devises a seemingly bulletproof plan, things take an unexpected turn when Margot survives the attack.
Hitchcock’s cameo in Dial M for Murder is the director’s most ingenious and understandably easy to miss because of its unusual placement. Wendice knows he can’t be the one to murder his wife, so he blackmails an old acquaintance and classmate at Cambridge University to do the job. When the two men meet, Wendice shows him an old photo of them at an event, and if viewers look closely, they can see Hitchcock sitting at the table across from Milland’s character. Even though Hitchcock doesn’t make a physical appearance, it is still the all-time best since it catches audiences off guard who are expecting to physically see the director pass by at some point.
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