Known as the Master of Suspense,Alfred Hitchcockdirected some amazing movies. His collection includessilent films likeThe RingandDownhillalongside scream-filledhorror flicks such asPsycho. Viewers had plenty of thrills andshocking twiststo look forward to in his movies—including his cameo appearances.
Hitchcock waswell-known for his cameos, which often poked fun at himself, but never detracted from his films. Witharound 40 of these cameosin total, it’s hard to pick which ones are the best. However, a few stand out as especially fun, creative, or unexpected, and we’ve collected our favorites below.
10’Strangers on a Train' (1951)
When Bruno Antony (Robert Walker) and Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meet on a train, it seems like destiny, in the worst of ways. Bruno suggests that they “swap murders,” with Bruno offering to kill Guy’s unfaithful wife, Miriam, in exchange for Guy killing Bruno’s father. When Guy shows reluctance, Bruno kills Miriam, anyway, telling Guy that he now has no choice but to help him. Having no desire to do this, and knowing Bruno is planning to set him up to take the fall, Guy must work with love interest Anne Morton (Ruth Roman) to stop the murderer before it’s too late.
Stranger Off the Train
As Guy leaves the train, a man can be spotted carrying a cello case. The man in question is Hitchcock, who went on to use other instruments in several of his cameos.
9’Rear Window' (1954)
Based on the short story “It Had to Be Murder,“Rear Windowis the tale of a photographer, L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (Jimmy Stewart), who is recovering from a severe leg injury. While passing the time, he begins neighbor-watching. One night, he hears a woman’s scream, and the next day, the wife of his neighbor, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), goes missing. Suspecting foul play, Jeffs works alongside his girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), and nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), to unravel the mystery and prove Lars' guilt.
Another Neighbor
Rear Window
Along with Lars, Jeff watches several other neighbors go about their days. One of these is a songwriter who has been unable to write any songs. About 26 minutes into the movie, Hitchcock can be seen winding a clock in the man’s apartment.
8’North by Northwest' (1959)
When Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for the fake government agent, George Kaplan, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) plots to kill him, thinking he’s trying to thwart his attempts to smuggle microfilm out of the US. After escaping several attempts on his life, Thornhill goes on the run trying to locate the real Kaplan. Along the way, he meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), a secret double agent. Together, they manage to take down Vandamm and find the microfilm before getting their happily ever after.
Can You Spy Him?
North By Northwest
Hitchcock appears in a quick scene when a bus door is slammed in his face. Many viewers thought they spied him a second time on the train about 45 minutes in, but this was actually Jesslyn Fax, an actress who was in several other Hitchcock productions.
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7’Psycho' (1960)
The horror filmPsychostars Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, a deeply troubled motel proprietor and on ofHitchcock’s greatest villains. After stealing from her employer, Marion Crane arrives at the motel, where she hears Norman and his mother arguing. Soon after, she is killed in the shower by a mysterious figure. A private investigator named Arbogast is hired to find her and the stolen money, but he meets a similar fate shortly after speaking with Norman. It’s at this point that Marion’s boyfriend, Sam Loomis, and Marion’s sister, Lila, go looking for her, only to discover the corpse of Norman’s mother instead.
Better Parent-Child Relationship
Hitchcock appears early in the film wearing a Stetson hat. He’s standing outside of Marion’s office and can be viewed through the window. His daughter played one of Marion’s work colleagues, and apparently, he chose this cameo to be in a scene with her.
6’Dial M for Murder' (1954)
The 1954 crime thrillerDial M for Murderstars Ray Milland as Tony Wendice, a retired tennis player whose wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), is cheating on him with writer Mark Halliday, played by Robert Cummings. Tony tricks an old acquaintance, Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson), into agreeing to kill Margot so that Tony can inherit her fortune. However, the night Swann’s supposed to do the job, Margot kills him instead. When Tony learns what has happened, he successfully convinces the police that Margot killed Swann for blackmailing her, and she’s sentenced to death. Fortunately, several twists and turns later, the truth is uncovered, and Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) comes to arrest Tony instead.
Dial C for Cameo
Dial M for Murder
About thirteen minutes into the movie, Wendice shows a photo to Swann of them together at an event. Several other students and faculty members are also in the photo, including Hitchcock. It was rare for his cameos to not be in person, and this would be his final movie in which that happened.
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5’The Birds' (1963)
Based on the 1952 novella of the same name,The Birdsmarked Tippi Hedren’s film debut and also starred Jessica Tandy and Rod Taylor. When Melanie Daniels (Hedren) becomes smitten with lawyer, Mitch Brenner (Taylor), she drops off a pair of lovebirds for his sister, only to be attacked by a seagull as she leaves his house. As Melanie becomes closer to Mitch and his family, the bird attacks continue, escalating with multiple people killed. Eventually, Melanie becomes trapped and injured in Mitch’s attic, and Mitch and his mother, Lydia (Tandy), attempt to take her to a hospital.The movie then ends ambiguouslywith the birds watching as they drive away.
While birds were obviously the stars of this film, another animal played an important role. At the beginning of the movie, Mitch and Melanie meet at a pet store. Hitchcock appears outside walking two dogs, but they’re not just any dogs—they were his own Sealyham Terriers, Geoffrey and Stanley.
4’The Wrong Man' (1956)
Based onthe true story of an innocent manwrongly charged with committing robbery, Christopher “Manny” Balestrero (Henry Fonda) is mistaken for a criminal after visiting a life insurance company. Attorney Frank O’Connor (Anthony Quayle) works to get the charges dismissed, arguing that Manny couldn’t have possibly committed any of the robberies. When it seems like his arguments are set to fail, a juror’s comment fortunately causes a mistrial, and Manny is able to return home to his wife, Rose.
A True Story
The Wrong Man
In the original shoot, Hitchcock was set to appear as a customer in a nightclub where Manny played music. This shot was eventually removed, and instead, Hitchcock’s silhouette can be seen at the beginning of the movie, as the audience is informed that “this is a true story, every word of it.”
3’Frenzy' (1972)
Often consideredHitchcock’s most underrated movie,Frenzywas the director’spenultimate feature film, as well as the only one to be rated R upon its release. Starring Jon Finch as Richard Blaney, the movie concerns two sexual assaults and murders for which Blaney is falsely blamed. His friend Bob Rusk (Barry Foster) is actually responsible, but Blaney doesn’t realize this until after he’s arrested and found guilty. Vowing revenge, Blaney escapes prison and makes his way to Rusk’s home, where he finds another dead body, as well as Inspector Timothy Oxford (Alec McCowen), who believes Blaney is innocent. Rusk then appears with a trunk, and having been caught red-handed, admits defeat.
Not that Frenzied Cameo
While not quite a cameo, in a teaser trailer, a dummy of the director was also seen floating in the river. Just a few minutes into the movie, Hitchcock can also be seen in the crowd wearing a bowler hat. Interestingly, as if the character knows of the murders soon to happen, he is the only one in the crowd not clapping.
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2’Shadow of a Doubt' (1943)
Shadow of a Doubtbegins with Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright) expressing excitement about her Uncle Charles (Joseph Cotten) visiting, until two detectives inform her that he’s under suspicion of being the “Merry Widow” killer. When the other suspect dies, Uncle Charles celebrates his name being cleared, but Charlie only grows more suspicious. In the end, Charles tries to kill Charlie out of worry that she knows his secret, but Charlie emerges victorious and kills him instead. The family then gathers for Uncle Charles' funeral, with the detectives assuring Charlie that they won’t tell the others the truth, as it would break her mother’s heart.
Don’t Doubt It’s Him
Shadow of a Doubt
Alfred Hitchcock consideredShadow of a Doubtto behis best movie, and we think it’s one of his best cameos as well. About 16 minutes in, he appears on the same train as Uncle Charles in the middle of a card game. It might be difficult to spot him at first, as he appears from behind, but there’s no doubt it’s him. He’s holding a straight flush, all Spades, which means he’s very likely to win the game.
1’The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog' (1927)
A new lodger (played by Ivor Novello) moves into a couple’s home. At first, they’re glad to have him, but they grow worried when several local girls start showing up dead. Their daughter, Daisy Bunting (June Tripp), remains unconcerned, while her boyfriend Joe (Malcolm Keen) wants to get to the bottom of who the lodger is and what he truly wants. Filled with twists and turns,The Lodgeris commendable not just for being Hitchcock’s first-ever thriller, but also for marking his first-ever cameo appearance.
The First and the Best
While not as well-known as his later films,The Lodgeris a standout in Hitchcock’s directorial collection. He didn’t originally plan to be in the film, but when an actor failed to show up on set, Hitchcock decided to fill in for him. Just under five minutes into the movie, viewers can see Hitchcock from behind as he operates a telephone in the newsroom. It might not be the most exciting of his cameos, but it’s first on our list because of all the other amazing cameos it inspired.
