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Alma Reville

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Alma Lucy Reville

Alma Lucy Reville (1899–1982) was an English film director, screenwriter and editor.

Biography

Alma Lucy Reville — named after her aunt Alma and her mother Lucy — was born in Nottingham on August 14th, 1899, just one day after her future husband, Alfred Hitchcock. Both of her parents worked in lace manufacturing in Nottingham.

Whilst Alma was still an infant, the family moved to south London and then to Twickenham, where her father Matthew found employment in the costume department of the nearby Twickenham Film Studios.

Growing up, she missed out on two years of schooling after being diagnosed with Sydenham's Chorea (commonly known as St. Vitus Dance).[1]

Whilst still a teenager, Alma began working as a film cutter at Twickenham Film Studios before progressing to continuity. During this period she occasionally acted in small roles, including playing Megan Lloyd George in Maurice Elvey's The Life Story of David Lloyd George (1918).

By the early 1920s, Alma had started work at the newly opened Islington Studios, shortly before Alfred Hitchcock joined as an part-time intertitle designer. After working together on several films, they married in December 1926. As she had already established herself in the British film industry, she continued to use her maiden name. Their only daughter Patricia was born 2 years later.

The family moved to California in 1939 and Alma continued to take a background — but still highly influential — role in her husband's American film career, with her final formal screen credit appearing as a writer on Stage Fright (1950).

After the outbreak of the Second World War, she returned to England by herself in early 1940 and persuaded her mother and sister to move to Los Angeles. She returned to America in May 1940 and was joined by Lucy and Eveline in September.

She became an American citizen in August 1950.

Alma in 1968

Alma's health began to decline in the 1970s and a series of strokes reduced her mobility.

During his acceptance speech for the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in March 1979, her husband spoke movingly of their partnership:

I beg to mention by name only four people who have given me the most affection, appreciation and encouragement... and constant collaboration. The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter, the third is the mother of my daughter Pat, and the fourth is as fine a cook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen — and their names are Alma Reville.

Had the beautiful Miss Reville not accepted a lifetime contract, without options, as "Mrs Alfred Hitchcock" some 53 years ago, Mr Alfred Hitchcock might be in this room tonight — not at this table, but as one of the slower waiters on the floor.

I share my award, as I have my life, with her.

Alma Lucy Reville died on July 6th, 1982, aged 82.

In their obituary, The Times paid tribute to Alma stating, "she was somehow never overshadowed by her husband; theirs was an equal partnership, sometimes more bracing than restful, out of which came an unrivalled number of extraordinary films."[2] Writing the Los Angeles Times, film critic Charles Champlin famously noted, "The Hitchcock touch had four hands and two of them were Alma's."[3]

In 2003, her daughter Patricia published Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man, co-authored with Laurent Bouzereau.

Filmography

With Hitchcock...

Documentaries

She has appeared in the following Hitchcockian documentaries...

See also documentaries about Alma Reville

See Also

Image Gallery

Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...

Genealogy

Birth

  • born 14/Aug/1899 at 69 Caroline Street, Street, Nottingham[4]

Siblings

Marriages

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (b. 1899)

  • married in 02/Dec/1926 to Alfred Joseph Hitchcock[5]

Children

Patricia Alma Hitchcock (b. 1928)

  • born 07/Jul/1928[6]
  • moved to America with her parents in 1939

Death

  • died 06/Jul/1982 aged 82

Family Tree

7

Census Data

1901

  • address: 125 Crofton Park Road, Brockley, London
  • Edward Reville (aged 37) — head, occupation: lace warehouseman
  • Lucy Reville (aged 34) — wife
  • Eveline Reville (aged 8) — daughter
  • Alma Reville (aged 1) — daughter

1911

  • address: 10 Avenue Gardens, St Margaret's Road, Isleworth, Middlesex
  • Edward Reville (aged 47) — head, occupation: lace salesman
  • Lucy Reville (aged 44) — wife
  • Eveline Reville (aged 18) — daughter, occupation: junior clerk at a drapery establishment
  • Alma Reville (aged 11) — daughter

Other Documents

Marriage Certificate

Birth Certificates of Children

Patricia Alma Hitchcock (1928)

Electoral Registers: Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington

Address: 153 Cromwell Road, Kensington, London

1929–1938

Electoral Registers: Guildford

Address: Shamley Green, Surrey

1930–1938

U.S Citizenship Papers

Passenger Lists

1932 — Atlantis

Page from the passenger list of the Atlantis, which sailed from Southampton on February 2nd, 1932, destined for Africa, South America and Mexico. Alfred, Alma and Patricia Hitchcock are listed.

1937 — Georgic

Page from the passenger list of the MV Georgic, which sailed from New York to Southampton and arrived on Septmeber 12th, 1937. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed as passengers, along with Patricia Hitchcock and Joan Harrison.

1937 — Queen Mary

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Mary, which departed from Southampton on 18th August bound for New York. Alfred, Alma and Patricia Hitchcock are listed, as is a "Joan Hitchcock" (Joan Harrison).

1938 — Queen Mary

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Mary, which departed from Southampton on June 1st, bound for New York. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed as passengers.

1938 — Normandie

Page from the passenger list of the SS Normandie, which sailed from New York to La Harve and arrived on July 18th, 1938. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed.

1939 — Queen Mary

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Mary, which departed from Southampton on March 4th bound for New York. Alfred, Alma and Patricia Hitchcock are listed.

1940 — Samaria

Page from the passenger list of the Samaria, which sailed from Liverpool on September 23rd to New York. Aboard were Alma Reville's sister Eveline (aged 47) and their mother Lucy (aged 78).

1949 — Queen Elizabeth

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which sailed from New York to Southampton and arrived on May 3rd, 1949. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed as first class passengers and they are intending to stay at the Savoy Hotel in London.

1954 — Queen Elizabeth

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which sailed from New York to Southampton and arrived on May 10th, 1954. Alfred and Hitchcock are listed and they are staying at Claridge's in London.

1955 — Liberte

Page from the passenger list of the Liberte, which sailed from Southampton on January 11th to New York. Alfred and Alma are listed as passengers and had stayed at Claridge's in London. They had been working with Angus McPhail to complete the screenplay for The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).

1955 — Queen Mary

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Mary, which sailed from New York to Southampton and arrived on October 24th, 1955. Alfred and Hitchcock are listed and they are staying at Claridge's in London.

1956 — Queen Elizabeth

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which sailed from New York to Southampton and arrived on June 18th, 1956. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed and they are intending to stay at Claridge's in London.

1956 — Queen Elizabeth

Page from the passenger list of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which sailed from Southampton to New York and departed on July 26th. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock are listed and had been staying at Claridge's in London.

Research Notes

Addresses

  • by the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 125 Crofton Park Road, Brockley, London
  • the 1905 Electoral Register gives Edward Reville living at 109 Crofton Park Road, Brockley, London, implying they had a few doors down the street
  • by the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 10 Avenue Gardens, St Margaret's Road, Isleworth, Middlesex
  • Matthew Edward Reville wrote his last will & testament on 06/Jan/1912 and it noted that his spinster sister-in-law, Clara Owen, was living with them at 10 Avenue Gardens
  • the 1918 Electoral Register shows the family had moved 19 Sandycombe Road, Twickenham, London

Links

Notes & References

  1. ↑ "Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man" - by Pat Hitchcock O'Connell and Laurent Bouzereau (2004), pages 16-19. See also, Wikipedia: Sydenham's Chorea.
  2. ↑ The Times (15/Jul/1982) - Obituary: Mrs Alma Hitchcock
  3. ↑ Los Angeles Times (29/Jul/1982) - Alma Reville Hitchcock, The Unsung Partner
  4. ↑ Birth registered Q3 1899 Nottingham. Birth registry index.
  5. ↑ Marriage registered Q4 1926 Kensington.
  6. ↑ Birth registered Q3 1928 Kensington.
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