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Alfred Hitchcock preferred his appearances in Alfred Hitchcock Presents to the cameos he made in his own films
The director explained why, at least in this instance, he preferred television to film.
A titan in the film industry, Alfred Hitchcock made an incredibly successful foray into television when he began working on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. While film and television aren't the same, Hitchcock managed to make his mark on both mediums. However, the director wasn't just featured behind the scenes; frequently, Hitchcock would make appearances in both his film and television projects.
As a character in films like The Birds and Dial M for Murder, Hitchcock's cameos were often quick. Viewers could blink and miss seeing Alfred Hitchcock in his own film. Commonly, he played a character walking quickly, or someone featured in a crowd. While the Hitchcock cameo became a defining piece of his work, as time went on, Hitchcock felt that his cameos were distracting from the plot, the true meat of the film.
In contrast, Hitchcock enjoyed being present in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In these episodes, Hitchcock served as a sort of narrator for the episode. During an interview with The Daily Press, Hitchcock revealed that he preferred his television appearances, as opposed to film, as it served more of a purpose to the plot.
"Doing lead-ins and an appearance in a story (on television) would present a conflict," he said. "I would be doing two roles. In movies it's very fleeting — sometimes undignified — as in Strangers on a Train, when I disembarked from the train carrying a bass fiddle."
While Hitchcock enjoyed his appearances throughout his career, fleeting or otherwise, he was quick to cement his love of directing, above all else.
"To me, being on the set doesn't call for temperament, because it's a factory, it's a workplace," he said. "If the director starts to throw his weight around or begins acting on the wrong side of the camera. I have a phrase for it: All the drama is on the set — and none is on the screen."
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