To average moviegoers, a storyboard is simply the way filmmakers organize the scenes of a film in preproduction. But for the great Alfred Hitchcock, storyboards were an essential element of his artistry. This fascinating book chronicles the way Hitchcock and his artistic collaborators first created his films on paper, deciding angles, shot depths, and speed of movement, purely through sketches. Covering 11 films, including The 39 Steps, Shadow of a Doubt, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds, this oversized book is filled with beautifully drawn images from some of the best art directors and artists of their time. The key attraction for cinephiles is the attention paid to these artists, including legends such as Dorothea Holt Redmond, Henry Bumstead, Robert Boyle, Saul Bass, and Salvador Dali. Several of these artists were also trained in architecture, which helped them illustrate the depth and scale required to realize Hitchcock's vision. Moral's (The Young Alfred Hitchcock's Moviemaking Master Class) writing is occasionally repetitive, but this is not a major detraction. The artwork is the true attraction.

VERDICT A beautiful, behind-the-scenes collection for all lovers of art, film, and Hitchcock. - Library Journal (starred review).