Halsman Archive File 02 -Alfred Hitchcock

Halsman photographed Hitchcock multiple times over the course of their careers; In 1945 (a playful sequence where he showing an actress how to sit down), two in 1962 (Iconic images for a LIFE magazine cover on the set of The Birds, and an interview with French film director François Truffaut), in 1974 (a story for French Vogue on his LA home), and in 1975 on the set of Hitchcock’s 53rd and final film, Family Plot [originally called Deceit]. Halsman often did advertising work, which included posters for Hollywood films (Clint Eastwood’s 1973 Magnum Force being the most iconic). In this envelope we find a 4x5 mock-up Halsman made as a poster design for Deceit/Family Plot. He is playing with the skull and crossbones symbol, and updating the skull with a one eyed Hitchcock (is he half dead or half alive?), and replacing the crossbones with a gun and syringe. We also found in the envelope a contact sheet where Halsman was photographing the props from different angles and lighting. While this poster was never produced, it’s always exciting to find evidence of the creative process. In versions of the final movie poster we find Halsman’s portrait of Hitchcock’s head floating in a crystal ball. Also in the envelope were photographs (and an 11x14 negative) of Hitchcock standing in a film storage warehouse, with the canisters from his 53 films chronologically laid on the floor (disappearing into the background), with his last film at his feet. This image echoes the self portrait Halsman took standing on his 101 LIFE covers, of which Hitchcock was number 94.