Early Hitchcock film found in New Zealand

ONE of the earliest films made by British master director Alfred Hitchcock has been found in New Zealand, researchers said.

The New Zealand Film Archive said the first three reels of the six-reel feature “The White Shadow” were found in a cache of ageing nitrate prints given to the archive in the 1990s.

It said the silent-era film, made in 1923, was believed to be the oldest surviving feature by Hitchcock, who went on to conquer Hollywood with classic thrillers such as Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds.