So this week I thought I would talk a little bit about my love for cameo appearance, specifically the use of this technique in films directed by Hitchcock. This technique is truly a trademark for an iconic director. Hitchcock began appearing in his films at an early stage in his directing career due to a lack of extras for crowd scenes but since then it has become a medium within a medium while watching a Hitchcock film. Of course when I say it has become its own medium I mean that its like a game trying to find Hitchcock similar to finding an item, object or person in a classic I spy book. Additionally the incorporation of Hitchcock in his films sometimes foreshadows an upcoming event in the plot. The cameo appearances I am highlighting in this section of the post is how Hitchcock acts as a sort of omen. The use of cameo appearance creates a multi-puporse effect for the audience which not only can be an omen or a trademark but even a means of self promotion. Hitchcock was really the first director to capture the attention of the audience and establish a relationship by creating a persona within his films. More importantly I feel that Hitchcock makes the audience aware of the director which many other films fail to do. Here is a few examples of how the cameo appearance technique shapes the way in which we the audience perceive the film:
A quick video of Hitchcock's cameo appearance in Psycho (1960) one of my all time favorite films by him.
Another classic Alfred Hitchcock cameo in The Lodger (1927)
Lastly I will leave you with a compilation of Hitchcock cameo appearances, Enjoy!
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