Question 1

True or false: Hitchcock used a special zoom-dolly shot, later called the 'Hitchcock zoom', to convey vertigo in 'Vertigo'.

Accepted Answer

True. He combined a dolly move with a zoom lens to distort perspective, creating a dizzying effect for the protagonist's fear.

Question 2

True or false: Hitchcock never won an Oscar for Best Director, despite five nominations.

Accepted Answer

True. He was nominated five times for Best Director but never won; he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award instead.

Question 3

True or false: Hitchcock had a cameo in every single one of his films, including early silent movies.

Accepted Answer

False. He appeared in most of his films, but not all—early silent works like 'The Pleasure Garden' (1925) lack his cameo.

Question 4

True or false: Hitchcock directed the famous shower scene in 'Psycho' without any blood or nudity.

Accepted Answer

False. The scene uses chocolate syrup to depict blood swirling down the drain, so it does contain blood. However, it avoids showing nudity.

Question 5

True or false: Hitchcock was terrified of heights and refused to film on high buildings.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually suffered from a fear of heights (acrophobia), but still shot scenes like on Mount Rushmore in 'North by Northwest'.

Question 6

True or false: Hitchcock deliberately cast actors he disliked to heighten tension on set for 'The Birds'.

Accepted Answer

False. Hitchcock discovered Tippi Hedren for the role; there is no evidence he cast her out of dislike. His controversial on-set behavior stemmed from a desire for control, not pre-existing animosity.

Question 7

True or false: Hitchcock was legally blind in one eye, which influenced his precise camera framing.

Accepted Answer

False. He had excellent vision; this myth likely stems from his meticulous storyboarding, not any physical impairment.

Question 8

True or false: Hitchcock's first film as a director was the silent thriller 'The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog'.

Accepted Answer

False. His directorial debut was 'The Pleasure Garden' (1925); 'The Lodger' was his third film and first thriller.

Alfred Hitchcock Trivia Questions