January 24

Alfred Hitchcock released his first film, The Pleasure Garden, in England on the 24th in 1927. Alfred Hitchcock went on to an extraordinary career as a director. Most of his movies were designed to frighten people, The Birds and Vertigo being handy examples. When I consider the fact that Hitchcock exhibited such highly polished skill in his work, it is difficult me to imagine fear in any form lurking in his mnemonic circuits. As it turns out, however, Hitchcock had at least two fears, both of them bordering on phobia. He was terrified of policemen, which is why he never learned to drive a car – if he didn’t drive, he could never be stopped by a policeman, ticketed or subjected to who knows how many other indignities. Reasonable? Of course, most people have concerns about encountering the police. The other one, however, just baffles me and I simply can’t understand his dislike for eggs, which was extreme. Excuse me, what was that? Did I hear you ask how extreme? Consider this quote from Hitchcock: “I’m frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes … have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid? Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting. I’ve never tasted it.”