Alfred Hitchcock once remarked that, “in the old days villains had moustaches and kicked the dog.” He resisted such clichés, preferring a different kind of heavy, the sort he called “an ordinary human being with failings.” The director also said, referring to his own work, “the more successful the villain, the more successful the picture,” and though this was not always the case, it held true for some of his best films.
Three villains who reflect his preferences and support his contention come quickly to mind:
- Charles Oakley, the “Merry Widow” killer in Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
- Bruno Antony, the “Criss Cross” strangler of Strangers on a Train (1951)
- Norman Bates, the identity-challenged slayer in Psycho (1960)
 |
| Shadow of a Doubt: Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten |
