Directing is a profession of Alfred Hitchcock's.
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock ( 13 August 1899 -- 29 April 1980 ) was an English film director and producer , at times referred to as `` The Master of Suspense '' . He also fashioned for himself a recognisable directorial style . Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades and is often regarded as one of the most influential directors in cinematic history . Following a 2007 critics ' poll by Britain 's Daily Telegraph in which he was ranked Britain 's greatest filmmaker , one scholar wrote : `` Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema , which would be utterly different without him .