4. Hitch's Dad Had Police Lock Him Up When He Was Five For Acting Out
Verdict: Allegedly true As a natural storyteller, Hitchcock was prone to self-mythologising. So it should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt that Hitchcock himself claimed he was locked away in a prison cell around the age of five, on his father's orders. The story, as told by Hitchcock, is that he was sent as a small boy to Leytonstone police station, having acted out in front of his parents. With him was a note written by his father, which asked that the police lock little toddler Alfred away for a few minutes as punishment; naturally, they obliged, because it's not like the space was needed for criminals. What truth there is to this one depends on your ability both to believe Hitch, and on your knowledge of local police protocol in Edwardian London. Hitchcock himself gave this incident as explanation for why he distrusted authority figures and had a phobia of claustrophobic spaces, fears reflected in his films.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
