The Best of Hitchcock's Blondes
Celebrating the Master of Suspense and His Flair with Fair Hair
Alfred Hitchcock had many obsessions throughout his life (the police, mothers, trains), but nothing could top his fetishistic fascination with blonde-haired beauties.
Looking at Alfred Hitchcock's career, it is quite obvious that he was one gentleman who definitely preferred blondes. These beautiful women feature so prominently in his films that they have even earned their own affectionate title - the Hitchcock blonde.
Blonde, Bold, and Brilliant
No blonde jokes can be based off of these women, though. Hitchcock's icy, sexy heroines boast beauty, brains, and bravery. They aren't afraid to mix it up with the men when times get rough and the bullets start flying. Often, they're the ones risking their lives to save the men. And through it all, they manage to stay perfectly coiffed and radiant. There's nothing wrong with that.
Leading Ladies with Luscious Locks
Here are the five best and most memorable golden goddesses of Hitchcock's silver screen:
1. Ingrid Bergman: While not as platinum as the others, Bergman still qualifies as a Hitchcock blonde. The Swedish bombshell is the most talented of the group and one of Hitchcock's most frequent collaborators, starring in three films during the 1940s. He was devastated when she moved Italy to marry Roberto Rossellini.
Must-see blonde role: Alicia Huberman, secret agent, in Notorious (1946). She's opposite Cary Grant, and both achieve career milestones. It's one of Hitchcock's best films.
2. Tippi Hedren: This blonde had the most contentious off-screen relationship with Hitchcock. Her characters also (coincidentally?) took the most abuse of the Hitchcock blondes (barraged by birds in The Birds and psychologically-imbalanced, to put it delicately, in 1964's Marnie). Still, Hedren proved her worth as an actress, and her blonde characters are some of the strongest because they have the most to overcome.
Must-see blonde role: Melanie Daniels, who almost single-handedly fends off the apocalypse, in The Birds (1963).
3. Grace Kelly: The fairest and the loveliest of all his blondes, Kelly was the epitome of elegance, and the most beloved by audiences and the director. She starred in three Hitchcock films within two years during the 1950s. Kelly is another actress he lost to Europe when she became Princess Grace of Monaco.
Must-see blonde role: Without question, Lisa Carol Fremont in Rear Window (1954). She's a fearless sleuth in fabulous designer dresses.
4. Madeleine Carroll: One of his lesser-known and most underrated blondes, Carroll worked with Hitchcock in the 1930s while he was still in England. She had infinite class, wit, and charm.
Must-see blonde role: Plucky Pamela in The 39 Steps (1935), Hitchcock's best British film after The Lady Vanishes (1938). The 39 Steps also contains probably the only meet-cute in cinematic history to involve handcuffs.
So Many Blondes, Just One Spot Left...
5. Eva Marie Saint: It's a tough call, but Saint makes the list for her unique blend of innocence, talent, and no-nonsense attitude. Unlike the other four actresses, she only has one Hitchcock film to her credit, but it's a great one, and she's excellent in it.
Must-see blonde role: The one and only North by Northwest (1959), in which she plays sassy Eve Kendall, a woman who holds her own and looks great even while running across Mount Rushmore.
And...Cut!
Hitchcock has notoriously been quoted as saying, "Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints." This macho posturing doesn't coincide with the blonde characters and actresses he favored. Alfred Hitchcock was a feminist at heart. His films are the glossy blonde evidence.
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