Three reels of Hitchcock’s 1924 film The White Shadow, thought to be his earliest work, have been found in New Zealand. “These first three reels of The White Shadow — more than half the film — offer a priceless opportunity to study (Hitchcock’s) visual and narrative ideas when they were first taking shape,” said David Sterritt, chairman of the National Society of Film Critics and author of The Films of Alfred Hitchcock. For The White Shadow, an atmospheric British melodrama, Hitchcock is credited as assistant director, art director, editor and writer. He was 24 when he worked on the film... his feature directorial debut would come soon afterward on The Pleasure Garden (1925). The White Shadow stars Betty Compson in a double role as twin sisters — one angelic and the other “without a soul”. The first three reels of the six-reel feature were found... no other copy is known to exist. The title will be preserved in New Zealand, and a new exhibition print will be sent to the US.

PSYCHO

The plot: Marion Crane leaves town with a bag full of money to start a new life with her lover. On the way, she checks into The Bates Motel, which is run by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.

The stars: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh.

The genius: The shower murder sequence, of course. Okay it was chocolate sauce as blood but when the knife came down across 50 cuts, some people fainted at theatres and some stopped going to the shower.

The cameo: Hitchcock can be seen early in the film through Janet Leigh’s window as she returns to her office. He is wearing a cowboy hat.

REAR WINDOW

The plot: Confined to his apartment thanks to a broken leg, photographer L.B. Jeffries spends his time looking out of the rear window observing his neighbours. Once he suspects the man across the courtyard of murdering his wife, he gets his girlfriend and nurse to investigate.

The stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter.

The genius: Most of the film is seen through Jeff’s visual point of view and the way his mind is working, leading many critics and film scholars to look at Jeff as the audience and what he sees as the screen.

The cameo: That’s Hitchcock winding the clock in the songwriter’s apartment.

VERTIGO

The plot: Retired police detective John “Scottie” Ferguson suffers from acrophobia and the beautiful Madeleine, the woman he is asked to follow, takes him back to his past and makes him face his greatest fears.

The stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes.

The genius: The climax in the bell tower when Scottie conquers his fear of heights and confronts Judy who has been posing as Madeleine and makes her enact his wife’s supposed suicide scene.

The cameo: One of his late appearances, Hitchcock can be seen in a grey suit walking on the street. He has a trumpet case with him.

THE BIRDS

The plot: Soon after Melanie Daniels arrives at Bodega Bay, the birds in the area begin to act strangely, attacking human beings. It all starts with one seagull and then all the birds start traumatising all the residents in flocks.

The stars: Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy.

The genius: Hitchcock’s legendary musical collaborator Bernard Herrmann, the man behind the iconic scores of Psycho and Vertigo, was used as a “sound consultant” as the master wanted less music and more effects for this one.

The cameo: Hitchcock’s seen leaving the pet shop with two white Sealyham terriers just as Tippi Hedren enters.

NORTH BY NORTH WEST

The plot: Middle-aged advertising man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. Even as he tries to unearth the truth, Thornhill is pursued across the country not only by the spies, but also the government. For help, he has a beautiful blonde by his side.

The stars: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll.

The genius: That brilliant sequence where a biplane chases Grant across empty cropfields. And the bravura climactic action, shot at a studio replica of Mt Rushmore.

The cameo: The most interesting one. Just after his name appears on screen, Hitchcock is seen missing a bus!

ROPE

The plot: Two men strangle their classmate, hide the body in their apartment, and just to prove that they have committed the perfect crime invite friends and family to a dinner party.

The stars: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Joan Chandler.

The genius: Rope was a Hitchcock experiment in long takes. How long? Till he had to change the camera magazine! Even then he cheated with back-to-the-camera black jackets so that it seemed one seamless never-ending shot.

The cameo: Hitchcock makes two appearances actually — first in the opening credits, as a man crossing the street, and then his trademark silhouette can be seen briefly on a flashing neon sign through the window.

NOTORIOUS

The plot: With her German father being convicted for treason against the US, Alicia Huberman is approached by government agent Devlin to spy on a group of her father’s Nazi friends. An intense romance develops between Alicia and Devlin, followed by mistrust.

The stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains.

The genius: Kisses longer than three seconds were not allowed then. So, Hitchcock had his actors break away every three seconds, caress and embrace each other, then get back to business!

The cameo: At the big party in the mansion, Hitchcock can be seen drinking champagne and then quickly leaving the scene.

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

The plot: The only film Hitchcock made twice, has a family vacationing in Morocco that gets to know of an assassination plot. Even as they want to save the target, the conspirators are determined to stop them from interfering.

The stars: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Miles.

The genius: The climax sequence in Albert Hall, where composer Bernard Hermann himself conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, runs 12 minutes without any dialogue!

The cameo: Within the first minute of the movie, Hitchcock can be seen watching acrobats in the Moroccan marketplace.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

The plot: Two guys meet on a train and agree to kill someone the other person wants disposed of. One guy does his job while the other struggles, leading to a series of chilling scenes.

The stars: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman and Robert Walker. Patricia, Hitchcock’s daughter, plays an important character in the film.

The genius: Hitchcock and cinematographer Anthony Burks tried a double-printing technique to create iconic shots that are still studied in film schools.

The cameo: Hitchcock is seen boarding the train with a double bass as Farley Granger gets off in his hometown.

DIAL M FOR MURDER

The plot: Tony Wendice, a former tennis pro plans to have his wife murdered when he learns of her extra-marital affair. The plan goes awry when his wife stabs and kills the hired killer.

The stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.

The genius: The famous murder attempt scene is built up brilliantly as Tony’s watch is stuck at 11 and he realises that he needs to call home immediately as a cue to the killer. Hitchcock at his best!

The cameo: Rare film where he is not seen in flesh and blood but in a frame, in the school reunion photo!