"Hitchcock said he would ruin my career & I told him do what you have to do"-Tippi Hedren

[octoberlib]

Link to tweet

:large

[cwydro]

1. Good for her!

This is just going to get uglier.

Looks like Ben Affleck is getting spattered by all this mud.

[bobbieinok]

4. Pharyngula has many posts about harassment and assault in academia

A recent one was about male geology (?) prof's horrendous mistreatment of females in the field.

He's had many posts about harassment of female grad students in STEM fields. Many internationally prominent men at prestige universities, including Berkeley and Cal Tech.

[diane in sf]

7. Berkeley is a hideous old boys club

[octoberlib]

58. A friend of mine who was majoring in chemical engineering was told

by a professor that she should give up her spot in the engineering program for somebody more deserving(male) because she was just going to graduate, get married , have kids and quit work. She did get married and have kids but she also got a masters and PHD and is still working in the field. Women have to put up with crap like this all the time.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. I support ALL these women coming forward, but, I'm just a TINY BIT uneasy (notice I said "tiny bit")

in a case like this where the accused is long dead and incapable of responding to the accusation.

I hope it's okay to express this slight reservation... I'm a HUGE supporter of women/girl's (and men/boy's) battle against sexual predators and, to do that, we must make it safe for them to come out of the shadows and report offensive conduct.

[obamanut2012]

32. This was not a secret about Hitchcock

This was very out in the open, both his hideous, abusive 6reatment of Hedren on The Birds and Marnie, and his creepy and criminal behavior towards other actresses.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

36. Oh okay, I was unaware of that... that eliminates even my tiny concern.

[dsc]

48. Sadly he is well known for this behavior

He had a type he cast as his leading women and it was because those were the women he liked to harass. He was a great director but a lousy human being.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Amazing, I never heard that til today... that will forever change the way I view Hitchcock & his mov

[DFW]

52. Unfortunately attitudes towrd his behavior were different then

But it was not even a secret in Hollywood--just not considered OK to speak out against it, because stardom trumped indecent behavior, and he WAS the great Hitchcock. No longer. This about Hitchcock is not some new discovery, but rather an unwillingness to continue to trivialize it. To his victims, it was anything but trivial.

[SunSeeker]

2. Ug. Did not know that about Hitchcock.

[Blue_Tires]

3. Oh, yeah... For all his artistic brilliance, Hitchcock was a hardcore pervert

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. Hillary's fault, has to be, somehow.

[SunSeeker]

51. LOL

[maxsolomon]

5. You can't say you're surprised, though

Weinstein is the end of this, not the beginning.

[irisblue]

6. not the end, just the latest creeper to be outed & shamed.

[maxsolomon]

8. I'm choosing optimism here

work with me!

[irisblue]

9. I'd like to think you are right, and I'd like to try to work w/ you

The On Point Podcast with Tom Ashbrook of NPR had a show yesterday (10.11.17) about the topic of sexual harassment. One of the male callers in the last half of the show called and spoke about his wife's harassment in the oil& gas industry. I had never thought of that before, women who work in male dominated or men who work in female dominated professions being at risk of that kind of behavior. The powerful who try to get more power over their less powerful co workers are scum buckets. I think this is going to bubble up alot in society for the next many many years.

[maxsolomon]

10. Well, I was hoping specifically for Hollywood

Oil and Gas might be a bridge too far...

[irisblue]

15. I would like to hope so, but the name&shame of the powerful is going to percolate

Through out society, we all gotta work for long while of our lives.
I just never imagined an oil engineer, lots of tech training & high in demand skills would be harassed. I don't get the need to do power over someone else.
Agree to disagree?

[cilla4progress]

27. I worked on a sexual harassment lawsuit against a gold mine

in about 1989, right when Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas...which didn't prevent his ascension to the SC. Our clients were offered settlements with gag orders, as Rachel Maddow reported is usually the case.

[cwydro]

19. I agree with you.

It's rampant in this world and has been for a long time

[Downtown Hound]

11. There is, unfortunately, a reason why you didn't see much of Tippi after The Birds

And Hitchcock is it.

[edbermac]

18. Actually he had her star in Marnie after The Birds.

Donald Spoto wrote a 1983 bio The Dark Side of Genius where it seems that things reached a breaking point during filming. And the sexual aspects of the film are quite weird to say the least.

[obamanut2012]

33. The morale is: spousal rape helps cure frigidity from childhood sexual abuse

disgusting.

[BeyondGeography]

42. Yup, she had great on-screen presence

You can't take your eyes off her in those films and that was pretty much it career-wise. She definitely paid a price.

[sdfernando]

12. Watch the 2012 movie Hitchcock starting Anthony Hopkins

It touches on this well known aspect of his life. He was definitely a perv!

[obamanut2012]

38. The HBO movie "The Girl," with Sienna Miller & Toby Jones is way better

imo.

Worth the watch.

Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith watched it in a private screening, and afterwards, they both looked at one another, and Griffith said, "Well, I guess we'll be going back to therapy," because it was so true to what happened to her mother.

[LisaM]

14. I did know about Hitchcock/Hedren....

and what's sad is that he could ruin her career and there was no one who would help her continue it.

[True_Blue]

20. HBO has a movie about it called The Girl

He was a real a-hole. He made her do the scene with live birds attacking her 40+ times For rejecting him.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

50. That's beyond sick!

[anneboleyn]

31. The very well-done HBO film "The Girl" is about Hedren and Hitchcock and Sienna Miller is

utterly fantastic in the role as Hedren (and I've never been a big fan of Sienna Miller really). It's about the harassment Hedren endured when filming The Birds and then Marnie(it was endless sexual harassment, even in front of Hitchcock's wife, and straightforward physical abuse as retaliation for her rejection). Hitchcock picked Hedren out after his wife noticed her in a commercial (she was a model), and then he basically acted like god, believing she owed him everything. She was also a divorced single mother (she is the mother of Melanie Griffith) in a time when that was still a bit taboo. He apparently didn't harass Grace Kelly (his beloved leading lady whom he completely idealized) or Ingrid Bergman (his other favorite) but they were established actresses when they worked with him, and I think he was honestly intimidated by them -- or at least by Kelly. He had an extreme Madonna/whore complex.

That's what these abusers often do -- they pick victims they think can't retaliate. Hitchcock had no idea how tough Hedren was -- she stood up for herself. The film is very good.

[Merlot]

56. I had no idea anyone DIDN'T know hitch was a perv.

His behavior towards the women he cast is well documented.

[SunSeeker]

59. Not all of us are up on old Alfred Hitchcock. A bit before my time.

There's been a lot more scumbags to talk about since him.

All I recall about Hitchcock is his silhouette appearing on our old black and white TV when my parents watched "Alfred Hitchcock Presents.." I was around 8. I always left the room.. Never have been a horror flick fan.

[Merlot]

61. He was before my time too, but had heard the stories about him

when there were stories about his directing style. Personally I don't care for his movies, but loved the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

[SunSeeker]

62. I never loved anything about Alfred Hitchcock.

That's why I was not drawn to stories about his directing style.

[stuffmatters]

13. Hitchcock did the same to my beautiful, ingenue friend, coincidentally in two Tippi Hedren movies.

After she turned him down, her professional arc shifted from rising star to tv staple.

[Honeycombe8]

17. Oh, my. Really? I was so disappointed to hear that about Hitchcock.

I heard about Tippi Hedren's experience with him years ago. He even later sent her a gift...a doll that had its head cut off or something bizarre.

[stuffmatters]

25. His young 60's victims were not silent about his abuse.Very brave of them back then to speak out

Problem was everybody adored/worshiped Hitchcock & his films including his powerful Universal Studio . People easily believed the victims . when they heard their stories. Hitchcock's marriage always seemed pretty sexless,repressed, shame based ; the adage back then was he and Alma probably only had sex once & that's when their daughter was conceived. But nobody did anything about it. He was old and in ill health, with only a couple of more films left in him. So his iconic status was only slightly tarnished by this dirty old man layer. Plus the sexual creepiness element in all his movies, an element that made his movies "Hitchcockian", somehow insulated him. Kind of the "that's just Hitch being Hitch" in real life response.
.
Baby boomer women grew up and started their careers in a world where job sexual harassment and discrimination, exploitation was not a prosecuted or even recognized crime. This was pre Anita Hill. Going to the police was not a normal response for us back then. But my friend never hesitated to tell people what Hitchcock did to her, she never stop talking about how, when as a naive and virginal teenager, Hitchcock harrassed and then punished her. I've always admired her a lot for that courage.

[Honeycombe8]

28. Your friend was very brave. I don't know if I could have done that. Women were frequently blamed...

blamed for whatever happened. She's either lying, or she asked for it, or she teased him, or she called him names, or she was behaving inappropriately, or she was dressed too sexy, or you name it. I still read that occasionally, that it's the woman's fault.

[tblue37]

41. Now what we read is that it is somehow Hillary's fault. nt

[Honeycombe8]

16. Yes, she walked away. And yes, Hitchcock ruined her career.

She did the right thing, for her. I applaud her for it. I'd like to think I'd do the same. But that's a to ask someone to do...give up her (or his) career by reporting someone, or being rude so as to tick him off after rejection.

The reality is that these men hold a person's livelihood in their hands. People have put up with more, for less. I can understand not reporting it, and walking backwards but not being outwardly rejecting of the advances. I also understand walking out and reporting it. I'm not willing to criticize anyone for how they handle a difficult and terrible situation.

[justhanginon]

21. It is always good to try and imagine walking in someone elses shoes.

Maybe that would create a little empathy and we never really know for sure how we would react to a given situation. So many variables in every persons life that can have a serious effect on any decision. Sometimes, myself included, we make rather hasty judgements of peoples actions or inactions without really considering the many individual life factors involved.

[spiderpig]

22. While I appreciate high-profile women going public

think of all the women in non-glamourous professions putting up with this shit.

I've been working for 45 years, and from the very first had unwanted hands all over me in the office. My mother's response? "Oh, that's the way men are". We were conditioned to accept it.

I went on to some pretty glam jobs and it was the same damn thing day in and day out. My mother's response? "He's wealthy and a good catch."

This has been going on since before cave paintings.

[SunSeeker]

24. It happens anywhere there is unchecked power. nt

[anneboleyn]

34. Yep, and in jobs like waitressing is absolutely everywhere -- the public and the employer.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. Yup. I can't imagine that there are many women who were in the workforce

in the '60s and '70s who didn't experience some form of sexual harassment. It was rampant and there was nothing you could do about it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

47. Happened at my agency in late 1990s!

But in a way, it was 1950's....small southern town, everyone knows everyone, the agency Dir, was a letch, he targeted the attractive female staff who he knew would be too embarrassed to "make a scene".
and he was right....because these women had been raised to follow the "good girl" code, which is pretty strong to this day down here.
"A southern lady only has her name in the newspaper 3 times: when she is born, when she marries, and when she dies".
These women totally believed that..."what would Momma say" was a strong credo.

I ratted on him, to 2 Board members I knew, they investigated, then confronted him, his embarrassed (and rich) wife moved to the other side of the state, with him!!! yet,
The women did not have to publicly say a word, it was all kept hush hush.

The thing is, this guy was a short, very unattractive man in the first place. Had no idea what dynamics were involved but I knew for a fact there ware 3 women as his victims at the time, and several earlier ones, who had quit their jobs over it.

This was a Mental Health Agency, to boot.

[cwydro]

35. We all experienced it.

It was and is disgusting and indefensible.

[womanofthehills]

43. I don't think I had a job in the 70's or 80's that I wasn't hit on

and the professors were horrible too!

After one job interview at a restaurant, the guy (who was a married ex boss from previous job) walked me out to the parking lot, pulled open his van door and GOSH - his van was a bedroom. He expected me to get in and have sex with him in "the parking lot." Anyway, I was an acquaintance of the woman who got the hard earned job.

At another interview, the guy had a huge 12 ft table and I was literally running around it as he was grabbing for me. This was an interview one of my professors sent me to - his friend, the grabber.

I could go on and on......... Luckily, times are changing.

[cwydro]

45. Yes. We've all got those stories.

Looking back, it horrifies me even more than it did at the time.

Shudder.

[cwydro]

37. My mother said the same. nt

[zentrum]

23. We knew Hitchcock was a creep

....from his films. His obession with the male gaze and voyeurism, for example.

[lindysalsagal]

39. An ex-boss (when I was new) once told me that leaving the job would ruin my career :

I made more money than he did just a few years after leaving the job, and I wasn't even in management....

Idiot. It wasn't about sex: He just knew he'd never be able to replace me, and it would be alot of work.

[PatrickforO]

40. Hitchcock's 'The Birds' is a classic movie. I can remember seeing it and being

scared clear back when I first saw it sometime before I was 10.

Sadly, my wife and I watched it a couple years ago, and as is her habit, she researched each character. When we found out about the nightmare Tippi Hedren had to endure because she wouldn't touch Hitchcock, it made me sick. I'll never think about Hitchcock the same, ever again. Because that was a shitty, shitty thing to do to someone. Destroy her career because she wouldn't put out. That just sucks. And it's happened to so many women. I don't want it to happen to my daughters, or to my precious grand daughters.

So, like Tippi, I say GOOD FOR THEM!

[FakeNoose]

57. I thought Hitchcock was obsessed with Grace Kelly

He always considered Grace Kelly his "girl" and was broken-hearted when she quit the movies to marry Prince Ranier. However I don't remember ever reading if sexual abuse was involved. If anything happened, I'm sure Grace never told anybody.

After Grace retired from the movie business, Hitchcock was forced to find himself another "girl" and that's when Tippi Hedron entered the story. I believe Hitchcock cast Hedron only because she reminded him of Grace Kelly. (Nowhere near as good of an actress though.) One might surmise that the abuse started because he was angry that Grace had "left" him for another man. I guess we'll never know.

I'm putting these words in quotes because Hitchcock was a famously married man and everyone knew it. They also knew about his obsession with young, beautiful, blond women.

[oberliner]

44. Well said Ms. Hedren

Hopefully this will give others the strength to come forward with their stories and more of these creeps will face consequences for their actions.

[Mira]

46. Tippi Hedren suffered greatly

Hitchcock was horrible to her, threats and harassment and retaliation. It has ruined his films for me. He for instance terrified her in the shooting of "The Birds" by lying to her that in the most awful attack scene by the birds he would not have real birds but fake ones, because she was so very scared.
I'm glad she spoke up.

[JI7]

53. none of this is a surprise. why do you think there is so much opposition and hatred of Feminists

one of the important things Ronan Farrow said when talking to RAchel MAddow is this isn't just the entertainment industry. it's everywhere .

look at college campuses, military, private business etc.

[coolsandy]

54. Remember all the complaints about workplace relationships and how some made their way to the top

while others lost jobs or positions or salary? Did you thing the series MAD MEN was all fiction? Political appointees and other government high ranking officials do the same thing. The suits filed are usually swept under the carpet, the complainant's paid off the guilty managers and officials retain their high paying jobs and powerful positions.

I was helping a woman with a case in our government agency and I was told by the female EEO attorney that she should accept the settlement and not go forth to an administrative judge for a hearing BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT FAIRNESS BUT IT WAS ABOUT PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF THE ARBITRATION SYSTEM. Besides, the administrative judges don't have the time it takes for such harassment cases. (that was back in 1996). For a lot of government attorney's it's more about "process" than justice. The same is true in the private sector that is why there are so many out of court settlements. It easier for the guilty to not have to admit guilt and have the organization just pay for damages.

[SunSeeker]

60. Yep, it happens in every industry.

Because every industry exists within our sexist culture.

[Javaman]

55. Here is a little story from my primordial time in Hollywood regarding hitchcock...

Once upon a time, back in 1992, myself and my two writing partners had a "hot property" screenplay.

We were living the dream...for a little while.

As a result, our agent got us a meeting with the then head of the new Sci-fi channel.

The meeting took place in the Hitchcock building on Universal Studios.

While there, we met our liaison, who was pushing our script hard.

While taking us to the famous Hitchcock office, she went on to tell us a little history about it.

Apparently, hitchcock had peep holes all around the office to spy on the various actresses during casting calls.

yeah....creep.