Hitchcock’s Pranks

My memory of Hitchcock dates back to the 60s, when I was a schoolboy in Lagos. We had taken possession of our first TV, a Sanyo, in a mahogany box. Everyone else that we knew had a Grundig TV, a box with a walnut finish. That was a time when American series were taking over from British fare on Nigerian TV. We watched the likes of Hitchcock Hour, The Twilight Zone, and incomprehensible comedies such as Sergeant Bilko, Lucille Ball Show and so on. The American accents seemed more normal, somehow more euphonious compared to what we heard on Z cars, and Steptoe & Son.

Alfred Hitchcock was justly famous for his suspense thrillers. His lifelong passion for film started early and he explored unconventional ways of storytelling. Hitchcock’s films were richly layered with complex characters, subtle symbolism, and a seamless blend of suspense and psychological tension. Throughout his career, Hitchcock pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling, challenging societal norms and conventions. He explored themes of voyeurism, identity, and the duality of human nature, elevating the thriller genre to new heights. His films often delved deep into the nature and extent of mental disturbances, exposing the darkest recesses of the mind, particularly in the context of crime and of murder specifically. These films resonated with audiences on a profound level, telling us of some of the visceral fears that we harbour and how storytelling both accentuates these as well as ameliorating them.

One of Hitchcock’s most distinctive trademarks was his cameo appearances in his own films. These brief yet memorable on-screen moments became a beloved tradition, allowing Hitchcock to playfully insert himself into his narratives and engage with his audience directly. This was not unique to Hitchcock, many of the great Masters of the Renaissance, painted themselves into their works. This interaction further enhanced the sense of intrigue and immersion that permeated his works.

Hitchcock’s filmography is a testament to his mastery of suspense. From the iconic Psycho to the ground-breaking Vertigo, his films set a standard that has been emulated and admired by countless filmmakers. His meticulous attention to detail, along with his innovative use of camera angles and inventive editing techniques, created a visual language that defined his storytelling. While Hitchcock’s films were often filled with tension and darkness, they also showcased his keen sense of humour. His wry wit and subversive humour became an integral part of his directorial style, providing audiences with moments of levity amidst the darkness. This balance of light and shadow contributed to the depth and complexity of his narratives.

Alfred Hitchcock’s remarkable career spanned over six decades, during which he directed more than fifty feature films. His contributions to cinema and his innovative approach to storytelling continue to inspire and shape the world of filmmaking. Hitchcock’s work remains timeless, captivating audiences with its psychological depth and unrelenting suspense. He is undeniably one of the true masters of cinema.

But my interest in this blog is on his pranks, his practical jokes. I am not sure that I know or understand the full purpose of practical jokes. Some of his practical jokes seem banal and straightforward. Here are five well-known practical jokes associated with Hitchcock:
The Exploding Wine: Hitchcock once pretended to open a bottle of wine that exploded, spraying wine all over the guests. It turned out to be a cleverly rigged bottle with a hidden mechanism, causing quite a surprise.
The Surprise Cake: During the filming of The Birds, Hitchcock gave actress Tippi Hedren a beautiful cake. However, when she cut into it, a live seagull emerged, causing quite a shock and laughter on set.

Invisible Rope: Hitchcock was known to play pranks on unsuspecting passers-by. He would gather a group of people and pretend to tug on an invisible rope, tricking others into thinking there was something blocking their path.

Suspenseful Alarm: Hitchcock once hid a screaming alarm clock in the bed of his friend, the actor James Stewart. The alarm went off in the middle of the night, startling Stewart and leading to a good laugh afterwards.

These jokes seem much like innocent fun but there are others which seem to be vindictive, cruel even. He sent a lorry-full of coal to the home of an assistant who had boasted endlessly of his new central heating system and to another he had tons of fish delivered. On another occasion, he invited his team to an after-filming dinner to a smallish restaurant and had asked the waiters to be as rude as possible to the invitees. At another dinner party, he had his invitees served meals that were all coloured blue, blue soup, blue potatoes, blue fish and so on. There was the occasion when he had a horse delivered to the dressing room of Sir Du Maurier on the opening night and during the filming of Strangers on a Train, he had his daughter, Patricia, stuck at the very top on the big wheel.

It is difficult to guess at the prompting spirit, the underlying impetus to play these pranks. I suspect that the surprise element was part of the driver for his suspense thrillers. A kind of delight in the change of countenance of another person. Perhaps too, there was the bully, the need to unmask vulnerability in others as a means of covering his own fears, a perverse desire to unsettle or even disquiet others.

Whatever the case, I don’t believe that the mastery of the cinema can be entirely divorced from the practical jokes, the endless needling of others and the causing of surprise and fear.

Photos by Jan Oyebode