Tippi Hedren recalls the events that curdled her opinion of Alfred Hitchcock

After being subjected to some terrible treatment from Alfred Hitchcock, actress Tippi Hedren is much happier looking after her tigers and other big cats, writes Lorraine Wylie

FOR many, Alfred Hitchcock will always be the master of suspense. Actress Tippi Hedren agrees he was “a man of unusual genius”, but among the chorus of accolades some of her descriptions, including “evil and deviant” strike a darker note.

According to Hedren, the events that curdled her opinion of Hitchcock occurred during production of The Birds. It was her first major role and Hitchcock’s 49th movie. Now, over half a century later Hedren recalls how the psychological dramas on set spilled over into real life.