St. Moritz, Switzerland
St. Moritz is a Swiss resort town in the Engadine valley. The highest summit in the Eastern Alps, the Piz Bernina, lies a few miles south of the town. The town is a popular destination of the upper class and international jet set, as well as being one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world.
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock first visited St. Moritz during the filming of The Prude's Fall (1924) and returned there with Alma Reville on their honeymoon in December 1926, where they stayed at the Palace Hotel. From then onwards, they often returned to spend their Christmas vacation at the the hotel and to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
The opening section of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) — which was actually filmed at Gaumont's Lime Grove Studios in Shepherds Bush — was set in St. Moritz.
Hitchcock was often asked by the press if he intended to ski whilst on holiday. In December 1954 he responded, "I hope not. No, definitely no. I'll watch some skiing but I just like sitting in my room at the hotel and looking at the snow."[1] During their Christmas 1966 holiday, he replied, "I am a devotee of winter sports from a distance."[2]
When John Russell Taylor visited Hitchcock following the publication of Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock in 1978, he asked the director about his future plans and the possibility of enjoying a retirement:
As Hitch said, “What would I do, sit at home in a corner and read?” But he had begun to cut down on all activities outside the preparation of the next film. Virtually ever since their marriage, Hitch and Alma had gone back for their wedding anniversary to their honeymoon hotel in St. Moritz. But now there was Alma's health and the cessation of direct flights, which entailed a tiresome and expensive stopover in Paris, to consider. And, as Hitch pointed out, these days he did nothing in St. Moritz but sit by a window and observe the snowy scene outside. “So, I thought I might just as well get the scene painters at Universal to paint a large snowy backdrop to hang outside my window in Bel Air."[3]
Known Trips to St. Moritz
- 1924, during the filming of The Prude's Fall
- December 1926, on their honeymoon[4]
- December 1934, with Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison[5]
- December 1936, with Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison[6]
- December 1950, with Whitfield Cook[7]
- December 1952[8]
- December 1954[9][10][11][12]
- December 1958, with Samuel Taylor and his wife Suzanne[13]
- December 1961, where they help Marlene Dietrich celebrate her birthday[14][15]
- December 1962[16]
- December 1966, with Samuel Taylor and his wife Suzanne[17][18]
- December 1975, during their final trip to Europe[19]
Image Gallery
Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...
See Also...
Google Maps
The Palace Hotel:
Nearest Locations
loading...Links
Notes & References
- ↑ Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury (14/Dec/1954)
- ↑ Daily Mail (02/Jan/1967) - Above the snowline with the stars
- ↑ Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock (1978) by John Russell Taylor, introduction in the 2013 edition.
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 89
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 168
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 193
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 453
- ↑ The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983) by Donald Spoto, pages 341
- ↑ "Hunnicutt to Become Ma Kettle's Partner" in Los Angeles Times (01/Feb/1955). This article claimed it was the Hitchcocks 28th visit to St. Moritz, but this cannot be true.
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 122
- ↑ The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock (1983) by Donald Spoto, pages 356
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 506
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 576
- ↑ The Making of Hitchcock's The Birds (2013) by Tony Lee Moral, page 48
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 619
- ↑ The Making of Hitchcock's The Birds (2013) by Tony Lee Moral, page 166
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 676
- ↑ Daily Mail (02/Jan/1967) - Above the snowline with the stars
- ↑ Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light (2003) by Patrick McGilligan, page 729
