Alfred Hitchcock works in the film industry.
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 had a successful career in British cinema with both silent films and early talkies and became renowned as England 's best director . Hitchcock became a highly visible public figure through interviews , movie trailers , cameo appearances in his own films , and the ten years in which he hosted the television programme Alfred Hitchcock Presents ( 1955 -- 1965 ) . 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 . His 1929 film , Blackmail , is often cited as the first British sound feature film , while Rear Window ( 1954 ) , Vertigo ( 1958 ) , North by Northwest ( 1959 ) , and Psycho ( 1960 ) are regularly ranked among the greatest films of all time .