Vertigo Research

Alfred Hitchcock
Began his film career working as a Title Card Designer at Famous Players-Lasky, the production branch of Paramount Pictures.
Moved to a new firm run by Michael Balcon after being noticed for his work on Always Tell Your Wife, the firm eventually became Gainsborough Pictures. He went from a Title Designer to a combination of Screenwriter, Art Director and Assistant Director for 5 pictures. Working on The Blackguard meant he worked in Germany, where he watched production of The Last Laugh by F.W. Murnau. Impressed by this, and his techniques influenced Hitchcock's productions from then.
Started directing in 1922 with Number 13, which was cancelled. His next few films were unsuccessful.
His first thriller, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) was very successful. Was influenced by techniques seen in Germany.
His 10th film, Blackmail (1929) is a landmark film, considered the first 'British Talkie' (uses sound). It began his tradition of using landmarks as iconography in his films - i.e. the British Museum.
Worked again with Balcon in 1933 at Gaumont British, on films such as The Man Who Knew Too Much and The 39 Steps which was well received in the UK and in the US, making him internationally famous.
Next success was The Lady Vanishes (1938), which was the first film that got him a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director. Directed many successful films from there, e.g. Stage Fright (1950), Strangers on a Train (1951), I Confess (1953) etc.
Had his own TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-65), making him even more famous.
1954 - 1960 were the peak of Hitchcock's films. With Rear Window, Vertigo, To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Wrong Man. With Later peak years including North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds. 
Need to know about him an as auteur (French word for author, when someone makes such an impact on their work that its instantly recognizable as theirs, i.e. how they use film form micro-features, aesthetics, repeated use of performers, use of music, could be a common thread of themes and ideas within their films)




James Stewart
Nominated for 5 Academy Awards.
Voted the third greatest male screen legend.
Was initially a stage actor but due to the Great Depression many theatres went bankrupt and most of the plays he was with never made it to release. Moved to LA to work in Hollywood.
His first film Spencer Tracy (1934) was poorly received, but The Murder Man (1935) and Rose Marie (1936) were more popularly received, as was After the Thin Man (1936), his first very dramatic role.
Worked intensively with Margaret Sullivan, who helped him work on his acting and mannerisms and was instrumental in getting him the leading role in Next Time We Love.
Partnered with director Frank Capra many times from 1938 onwards (You Can't Take it With You, It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).
Received his only Academy Award for The Philadelphia Story (1940).
Began his military service in the Air Force.
The first film he made after his military career was It's a Wonderful Life (1946), which was nominated for 5 different Academy Awards but received mixed reviews, as did many of his following films.
Returned to Broadway after his spate of unsuccessful films, appearing in Harvey (1944) which gained him a dedicated stage following.
In the 1950s he went into Western (due to working with Anthony Mann - Bend of the River, The Naked Spur, The Man from Laramie etc)and Suspense films (the latter thanks to work with Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo, Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too much etc)
Continued westerns into the 1960s, working with John Ford on Two Rode Together, The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance.
Looked normal and acted down to earth, which gave him appeal to play those types of roles - exceptionally relatable

Vertigo
Made in 1958
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak
Based in the 1954 novel D'entre les morts (From Among the Dead), which was written for Hitchcock to film as he lost out on a film from the author in 1955
Budget $2.5 million, box office $7.3 million
Themes - 'male aggression and visual control'
Filmed mainly around the San Francisco area in which it was based - although wherever possible studios were used as Hitchcock preferred them as the environment was more controlled
Hitchcock and Costume Designer Edith Head used colour to heighten emotions - grey was used for Madeleine's character because it wasn't typical for blondes (i.e. creating suspicion), while white was used for Novak's as it was more 'natural' for the hair colour
Set the trend to use high-contrast colour, especially in film noir
First film ever to use reverse dolly zoom
Wasn't immediately commercially successful
Starts off with a restricted narrative, but after Novak's reveal scene it's an omniscient narrative
People didn't like that Stewart was older than the love interest
There was an alternative ending where the bad guy was caught, as some countries didn't allow antagonists to get away

Need to know about critical reception