Hitchcock’s Blondes: Tippi Hedren and the Dark Side of the Master Director

In January 1964, a memorable confrontation took place on the sound stage at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

The corpulent figure of Alfred Hitchcock, renowned for his mastery of murder and suspense, stood behind the camera.

In front of him, poised and elegant, was Tippi Hedren, his latest star and the object of his dangerous obsession.

Hedren, an exquisitely beautiful former model, was 34 at the time, more than 30 years younger than Hitchcock.

Despite her impending marriage and young daughter, Hitchcock relentlessly pursued her with crude s**ual advances and sought to control every aspect of her life.

The breaking point occurred after their second film together, when Hedren requested permission to go to New York to receive an award.

Hitchcock, unable to bear her absence even for two days, refused and telephoned the network to reject the award on her behalf.

After years of enduring Hitchcock's advances, Hedren finally exploded, screaming at him and calling him a “fat pig” in front of the crew.

This outburst led to her demanding release from her exclusive contract with Hitchcock.

From that moment on, Hitchcock severed all ties with Hedren, threatening to ruin her career and refusing to address her personally.

He never spoke her name again, referring to her only as “that girl”.

This shocking story is now the subject of a 90-minute BBC2 television drama titled “The Girl”, starring Sienna Miller as Hedren and Toby Jones as Hitchcock.

Hedren, now 82, serves as the artistic adviser for the film and hopes it accurately portrays her strength in fighting off Hitchcock's advances.

Alfred Hitchcock, born in 1899, had a strict Catholic upbringing in the East End of London.

His father was a disciplinarian who would send his son to the local police station as punishment.

This experience instilled a fear of arrest and law enforcement in Hitchcock, which later influenced his love for drama.

Hitchcock's mother was equally demanding, making him recite his daily activities at the foot of her bed.

The resentment he felt towards his mother manifested in his films, often featuring murdered or violated heroines.

His marriage to Alma Reville in 1926 proved sexless, with the exception of one isolated incident resulting in the conception of their daughter.

Hitchcock claimed to be s**ually impotent and channeled his desires through his blonde heroines on screen.

Blonde women became Hitchcock's principal obsession, symbolizing his lust and fear.

He insisted that his leading ladies be blonde and would go as far as making them wear wigs.

His fascination with bondage also played out in his films, as seen with Madeleine Carroll in “The 39 Steps”.

Hitchcock's dark fantasies and perverse desires made him a voyeur at heart.

His treatment of his blondes, including Tippi Hedren, reveals the disturbing truth behind the master director.