The manuscript series of the Alfred Hitchcock papers spans the years 1821-1979 (bulk 1943-1979) and encompasses approximately 66 linear feet. The collection consists of production material, television material, subject files, books and periodicals, scrapbooks and oversize material. The production material contains script material and/or production files for 31 of Hitchcock's films, including all of the features released after 1940 except STAGE FRIGHT (1950). The script material consists primarily of the original source material, story notes, synopses, screenplay drafts, shooting scripts, dialogue continuities, and, in some instances, trailer scripts. The production files contain correspondence, memos, casting records, call sheets, financial and legal records, location information, research material, music notes, editing notes, publicity, and reviews. In general, the most extensive coverage is for the years 1957-1976, ranging from THE WRONG MAN (1957) to "FAMILY PLOT" (1976), with the films made at Universal receiving the most representation. Coverage in the 1950s varies from almost no material for DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) to fairly complete files for THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956). There is a small amount of information on his films from the 1940s and almost nothing on his British films, except scrapbooks of reviews and clippings for his films from the 1920s and scripts for THE 39 STEPS (1935) and THE LADY VANISHES (1938).

The collection features a large amount of material on unproduced projects. The most extensive coverage is for NO BAIL FOR THE JUDGE (1958-1959), FRENZY (1967-1968), and THE SHORT NIGHT (1968-1979). Among other noteworthy projects, there is only one script for MARY ROSE and nothing for "R R R R R" except for mentions in scattered correspondence. The television material consists primarily of scripts for the lead-ins done by Hitchcock for ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, two teleplays for episodes of THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR, and three teleplays for episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. The files also contain some correspondence and a list of episodes for each series. Little production information is included on individual shows.

The subject files contain information on organizations, Hitchcock's public life, business correspondence, and a small amount of personal correspondence. Of special interest is correspondence regarding the dismissal of Henri Langlois from the Cinémathèque Française, transcripts of interviews with Hitchcock conducted by Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut, and copies of the many speeches given by Hitchcock. The books are primarily copies of anthologies that went out under Hitchcock's name, though also included are critical studies of his films and books that might have served as research for various projects. The periodicals consist almost entirely of copies of "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine." It is not a complete set of issues, however.

The scrapbooks cover the early British films directed by Hitchcock up through JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (1930), two of the later British films (THE LADY VANISHES and JAMAICA INN (1939)), and most of his early U.S. films through LIFEBOAT (1944). The oversize material contains a small amount of production material, including sketches of hairstyles for VERTIGO (1958) and MARNIE (1964).

The photograph series of the Alfred Hitchcock papers spans the years 1921-1976 and encompasses approximately 6 linear feet. The series consists of 8,796 items, including prints, contact sheets, snapshots, postcards, 35mm motion picture film frames and copy negatives. The photographs are grouped into motion picture production photographs, biography photographs (including portraits), and subject photographs.

The motion picture production photographs span the years 1921-1976 and include photographs from 53 films Hitchcock worked on as a director. (However, for some of the earlier films he worked in other capacities, such as title designer, assistant director, art director, and writer.) The material is arranged alphabetically by film title and consists of the following types of photographs: scene; off-camera; publicity portrait; advertising art; hair, makeup, and wardrobe reference; location research; background projection plate; process; and publicity. The earliest film represented is BESIDE THE BONNIE BRIAR BRUSH (1921), and the final film represented is FAMILY PLOT (1976). Persons depicted include Julie Andrews, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Doris Day, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Tippi Hedren, Grace Kelly, Janet Leigh, Paul Newman, Kim Novak, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Perkins, and James Stewart. The production photographs also include location research shots for a number of unrealized projects, such as DEAD RUN, FLAMINGO FEATHER, and THE SHORT NIGHT. Of special interest are extensive hair and wardrobe reference for MARNIE (1964), NORTH BY NORTHWEST(1959), and TORN CURTAIN (1966); background projection plates for LIFEBOAT (1944) and PSYCHO (1960); process shots for NORTH BY NORTHWEST; and the European publicity tours for THE BIRDS (1963) and PSYCHO. Coverage varies, from a few production photographs each for I CONFESS (1953), JAMAICA INN (1939), THE LADY VANISHES (1938), and REAR WINDOW (1954), to six expandos of material for MARNIE.

The biography photographs cover Hitchcock’s life from 1960 onwards, with a few exceptions, such as some photos of Hitchcock in Europe in the 1920s. Of special interest are photographs of Hitchcock’s personal art collection, extensive photographs of his home, Hitchcock pictured at various parties, Hitchcock abroad in Europe, New Zealand, and Japan, and various shots of Hitchcock on television. Persons depicted include Arlene Dahl, Cary Grant, Alma Hitchcock, Patricia Hitchcock, Joshua Logan, Rouben Mamoulian, Lew Wasserman, and Jane Wyman. The portrait photographs are primarily black-and-white and color studio portraits, and with the exception of one portrait taken in the 1940s, most of them date from the 1950s and 1960s. In addition there is a photograph of Hitchcock’s famous caricature of himself. Of note are portraits of Hitchcock with his dogs, eating an apple, receiving a haircut, mugging, and with a woman’s legs, as well as a series of Hitchcock dining with various body parts.

The subject photographs contain two subseries, awards and miscellaneous. The awards photographs span the years from 1960, when Hitchcock was honored by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, to 1976, when he became a Commandeur de l’Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres. Persons depicted include Henri Langlois, Jeanne Moreau, James Stewart, Dick Van Dyke, and Eva Marie Saint. The miscellaneous photographs include objects owned by Hitchcock, unidentified men in a studio art department, a man sleeping in a car, and a picture of a young girl.

The Graphic Arts series of the Alfred Hitchcock papers spans the years 1944-1976 and includes both production art and posters. Of note are the storyboards for five of Hitchcock's films: "Lifeboat" (1944), "North by Northwest" (1959), "The Birds" (1963), "Marnie" (1964), "Family Plot" (1976). There are also hairstyle drawings for "Vertigo" (1958) and a map of the grounds of the Bates motel in "Psycho" (1960). The collection also includes three posters. Of interest are the two British posters: a double crown for "Family Plot" (1976) and a British quad for Topaz" (1969).

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (1899-1980) was born in the village of Leytonstone (later a borough of London), England, the son of a greengrocer. His family was Roman Catholic and he was educated in Catholic schools, including the Jesuit St. Ignatius College. He then entered the School of Engineering and Navigation, where he studied draftsmanship before getting a job as a clerk at the W. T. Henley Telegraph Company. Hitchcock later developed an interest in drawing while enrolled in art classes at London University. After the end of World War I, his artistic ability helped land him a position as a sketch artist in Henley's advertising department.

In 1919 his interest in film and theater prompted him to apply for a job as a designer of title cards with the newly formed London branch of Famous Players-Lasky. He moonlighted for a short while before he was offered a permanent job by the studio. Hitchcock stayed with the company until 1922, when Famous Players-Lasky ceased production in England. The physical studio was taken over by a new British company, Balcon-Saville-Freedman, which retained Hitchcock's services. He quickly found himself working in many different capacities, including art director and co-screenwriter for WOMAN TO WOMAN (1923) and THE PASSIONATE ADVENTURE (1924). Because of a coproduction deal with UFA, Hitchcock went to Germany in 1924 as art director, assistant director, and writer for THE PRUDE'S FALL (1925) and THE BLACKGUARD (1925). He was then offered a chance to direct his first feature, THE PLEASURE GARDEN (1925), which was shot in Germany and Italy.

Hitchcock made his name with his third film, THE LODGER (1926), which was a critical and commercial success, and he married Alma Reville in December of that year. Reville had worked as an editor, continuity girl, assistant director, and screenwriter and had been working with Hitchcock since 1923. Hitchcock became one of the best-known and innovative of English directors, making such films as BLACKMAIL (1929), THE 39 STEPS (1935), and THE LADY VANISHES (1938). In 1938 he signed a contract with David O. Selznick and moved his family to Hollywood in 1939, where he made his first U.S. film, REBECCA (1940). The film was a smash hit and he was nominated for an Academy Award. He soon became as well known in the United States as he was in Britain.

In the 1940s he made such films as SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) and NOTORIOUS (1946), and in the 1950s directed, among others, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951), REAR WINDOW (1954), VERTIGO (1958), and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959). In 1955 Hitchcock became a naturalized U.S. citizen, five years after Alma had done so. That year he also began hosting the television anthology series ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, which ran for seven years. Hitchcock had his greatest commercial success with PSYCHO (1960) and then moved to Universal for the remainder of his career, helming such films as THE BIRDS (1963) and FRENZY (1972). FAMILY PLOT (1976) was his 53rd and final feature. Hitchcock was nominated by the Academy five times in the directing category. He received the 1967 Irving G. Thalberg Award.