Alfred Hitchcock Accepts the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979 

I just adore how he honored his wife, Alma Reville. He honored everything she was... film editor, script writer, mother, chef, and his beloved wife. That's love.

To call Hitchcock a "master of suspense" is to underestimate his legacy. He was a master of the film medium, regardless of the genre.

He still had a sense of humor in his late years.

I cried when he says "I share this award, as I have my life, with her (his wife, Alma)"

He doesn't smile but you can tell he appreciates it on a deeper level than smiling could show.

Hitchcock may have been ignored by those who give awards, but he has the one reward that can't be taken away: A Reputation. Hitchcock has the ultimate reputation as a film director. He was one of the few people who showed the rest how it was done. Hitchcock always made his films "for the audience". He was very careful not to show off or be self-indulgent, the goal was always to be sure the audience was entertained.

Respect and Love from India. The Greatest

His speed of speech is EXACTLY like he talked his whole life - very deliberate and methodical, whether he was reading it or not and I doubt he had to read it but perhaps he opted to to be sure he didn't leave anything out.

Hitchcock might have moved slowly, but his mind was fast as a lightning bolt, What a legend!!!

2:30 Jimmy Stewart! What a lovely man. So glad to see Hitch given his due. He deserved so much appreciation.

This great man will never be matched.

Aww his dear Alma is crying. And I love how they show Hitchcock's most famous megafan, Francois Truffaut, in the audience.

RIP Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville

That very loooooong standing ovation at the end shows the deep love & affection & respect he earned in the film industry. he was a man with a VERY rye wit. and, of course, a genius at his craft. no doubt of it.

One of the 3 greatest directors ever. Psycho and Vertigo are two of the very best films ever made. What a genius... rip and thanks Alfred!

The greatest director of all time. A genius creator with such a lot of unforgettable masterpieces in his amazing filmography. R. I. P. Hitch and thank you for your uncomparable legacy.

So well-spoken. A real pleasure to listen to. And I heard Cary Grant laugh in the background at one point. He had a very unique laugh.

It is one of the most interesting speeches I’ve ever heard from a man of this age. A man like him doesn’t need any award to be recognised. Their work speaks far louder then the awards. His every work is a master piece! May lord bless his soul with peace in heaven!

Great man. A shame that he didn't get any oscars for his wonderful films. And you intelligent people who are only able to talk about his teeth here - achieve something yourself! or just stay in your tiny basement and spare us your thoughts.

What a speech full of wit!

Hitchcock will never be forgotten for his innovative style of suspense movies, as well as alfred hitchcock presents...most episodes are on youtube. Kinda stodgy but lovable! Thank you alfred!! :-)

My brother Michael watched Hitchcock's movies over and over again and whenever I hear the Hitchcock themes I think of my beloved brother Michael.

multiple viewings of his films and you never get tired of them!!!!! absolutely perfect....

I remember watching this when it aired . I’ll always remember him telling us to stay out of jail!

I just love how humble he is.

Alfred is one of my favourite Directors, I’ve seen many of his movies that he’s made and they’ve all been great.

absolute legend. There will never be anyone like him ever again!

Unmistakable presence in film and television. There has never been a character or genius like this.

This was the only time the Hitchcock's got the recognition they deserved

Dear god, that was amazing. I got chills at the end... He wasn't just master of suspense, he was the king of cinema, died a year after. Thank god he got at least a bit of recognition and respect which he definitely deserved, as the greatest director of all time.

A true genius. No wonder I can watch any of his movies and tv shows over and over and never tire of the 'entertainment' What a brilliant man with such a talent and sense of humor.

I love at th end, he goes to stuff the award in his jacket like he was making off with someone elses award..haha

Haha, I love how Cary cracks up at Hitchcock's jokes. :D

I love this man & don't know why. What a gentleman & magnificent artist he was, for me he always is.

i am always get so emotional watching alfred hitchcocks movies 😍😍and this one ,him,accepting the award gave me serious chills

He absolutely deserved this award and many more! It is also clear that many if not most people didn't get his humor and were only there to be "seen". If you actually listen to him, he is very funny!

The class. The cunning wit. The masterful talent in the director's chair. All this and more is what Hitchcock was and always will be to those that feel the palpable power of his legacy. No, he didn't get an Oscar, but let us be frank: I think Hitch would always find it to be a much greater honor to be recognized for a lifetime of work instead of just a singular film, applauded with great adoration by all those that were with him loyally along the way. THAT is the true mark of a legend. RIP Hitch

For those constantly labelling Hitchcock a misogynist, I present to you this footage, in which a dying genius tells the world that it was half Alma's, in a most delicate, beautiful way.

“Here’s what I should tell you...Stay out of Jail!” 😂 R.I.P. Hitchcock

what a DISGRACE that he got never awarded an Oscar SHAME ON THEM This man has laid the groundwork of everything that has been achieved in film, in the register of suspense, thriller, horror etc etc he got copied and is a patent holder RIP, Hitch... you remain a pillar of the 7th art ♡♡♡

He will forever be a legend!... Such a wonderful director! 👏🎥

Hitch knew who to collaborate with, 2 words: Bernard Herrmann! Greatest film composer ever. 👏👌👏

This is so touching. A marvelous man.

affection, appreciation and encouragement and constant collaboration

Seeing this brought me to tears, seeing how weak and fragile he was, he hardly could stand up. But how he talked, that impeccable diction of his, his vocalizacion... Shame on the Academy for never giving him an Oscar, despite of being nominated five times.

Beautiful. Such a big fan! Proudly owning all of his 53 films 😍

He gave me back hope when I was a depressed 25 yo. Now I`m 61 and my life is better than ever. Hitch helpe me back then with "Rear window". When I was totally down it brought a light into my soul. I could sense that there is a world full of Magic... For a few months and even now at times I moved/move in the decent yet powerful way Raymond Burr did ...

I find it very interesting that he has never won an oscar for some of the finest work every created by an artist in my opinion where some of his films get even stronger and more powerful as the decades go by. Yet never recieved an oscar yet some of his peers who have lot of accolades during his time , most of us don't even know of or think that these films are even in the same ilk. Makes you realise that the highest accolade you can ask for as an aritist is those given to you by a worldwide audience, not other directors and ones in the industry who have the power of the vote.

I'm 23yrs old since August, and my all time dream was to ever reach the recognizion of these amazing movie Directors such as Spielberg, Cameron and Hitchcock, but now I have seen how my dream has drifted away of inconvenient decisions on my part....i graduated as a Mechatronic Engineer and now I'm studying a Masters Degree on Strategic Administration......but sadly and unfortunatelly it isn't my passion, and it hurts my inner child who's always admired people like this amazing person.

What an extraordinary person has visited us on Earth, thank so much Mr. Hitchcock

Wow. He was wonderful here. Grateful, sincere, classy and funny!

Oh his sense of humor! Salute to your genius Mr. Hitchcock. My all time favorite :)

love u forever sir Alfred Hitchcock u r the greatest of greats

This was great! I was in 9th grade when this was going on & had never seen it! Thanks for this great video clip! Loved the others as well with Cary Grant & Jimmy Stewart! ♥️

My mom and I love Alfred and his work. His love and dedication to Alma is something we should all strive to do for our loved ones.

For being physically unwell at the time; Hitch's mind is as sharp as ever! We will never to be able to replace or rejuvenate the 'Golden Age' of movies and television. It's also nice to hear humourous speeches rather than having to be so desperate for dialogue as to have to mention another persons' latest 'rehab' stint or worse.. Thanks for uploading all the AFI A award footage. A real treasure to watch & enjoy! Cheers:)

never really knew he was so eloquent. what a legend.

Greatest director ever... the icon of cinema.

MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME! R.I.P., ALFRED HITCHCOCK

I saw North By Northwest the other day. Awesome movie. I started watching and couldn't stop.

Wow, this man inspired me to make films. Legend. What a man.

behind every great man

I will never forget going with my sister to see Frenzy. What a director! The master of suspense! Still

A fantastic wit was Mr. Hitchcock. This is one of the best acceptances speeches ever.

Probably one of the most watched of these AFI tributes. I remember the night it was broadcast and how we all talked about it next day at school. I was already on my way to studying everything Hitchcock and was beaming with info.

for myself being now 60 i grew up watching hitch's films, my personal favorite was the birds, i was still quite young at the time and recall having fears of flocks of birds for ages after seeing it. but it served its purpose that my parents wanted and got me from watching horror movies till i was a lot older. ive seen most if not all hitch's films and loved everyone of them.

He looked so Happy

I love how at the end he seems to hesitate, and then suddenly just jumps up to give a wave to everybody. Almost like he was saying "Well, I am awfully old...Ahh To heck with that" Jumps up and waves. Great director, awesome sense of humor

So many in this clip have passed away - but Olivia de Havilland STILL alive at 101!!! Amazing.

I've been watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents on RU-vid and that brought me here. : ) A brilliant man! thank u for this upload.

Once you understand his sense of humor you get to enjoy all his work, every single one of his movies 🙂

I think that was Cary Grant’s infectious laughter at 2:31

Recommend "The Dark side of Genius" The life of Alfred Hitchcock "as a great biography.He is having trouble getting up and failing health. The American Film Institute had asked him for help and he had resisted for some time before accepting this award of which he was the seventh recipient.he resisted as he was not highly respected in his time within the Industry and out.I think he gave them kindness back for years of being snubbed. Afterwards he sank in health and drank heavy feeling alone.RiP

Thanks for sharing this video!

One of my faves of his is ROPE. I have watched it like 10 times in my life. I JUST love it and PSYCHO of course....well all were great and his tv show I remember watching the reruns as a kid.

Might be a hard concept for you to grasp but used to be you only became a celebrity through achievement rather than looks.

This was a great speech! Sad that he died only a year later, but glad he lived to receive this!! For Everyone saying he Never won an Academy Award (Oscar) for his films, YES he DID! REBECCA won first Best Film, although he didn't win for Best Director. It's ridiculous that None of his other films didn't win..The Birds, Psycho, etc., but he won this AFI Award, which is better than all the rest!

Alma was a friggin SAINT!

Loved it! He was a genius!!!!!!

Greatest director of all time

Oh ur 2 are sooo sweetttt...t.y..for all of ur FILMS 🎥 🎞 🎦 🎬 📽 😏....ALFRED H..

Alfred Hitchcock Howard Hawks John Ford Frank Capra Micheal Curtiz Orson Welles John Huston Billy Wilder Watch their films and you have the Golden Age of Cinema

Great great man I love his films so much, God bless Hitch & Alma in heaven.

How great was Hitchcock? I love him!! He may be unsurpassed in direction. I also thought it was sweet that Alma was crying.

So cool that Truffaut was able to be there

Alfred Hitchcock died one year after this. He was a gifted man rest in peace Alfred you are a legend.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock movies are MUSTS for your video collection!

The funniest thing about this whole speech was when the tv camera turns round and shows Christopher Reeve at 5:28. You can see him looking visibly angry thay the speech is taking so long!

Sir Alfred on this occasion related the incident from childhood which left a lifelong impression--being locked up for no reason. "This is what we do to naughty boys."

Finally, Hitchcock in color.

Absolutely brilliant speech! Very funny and clever

He was so amazing. Never another like him. I thank him for getting me in to suspense/horror genre. Rear Window will always be my favorite.

wow wot an awesome man he was, i will go and see the movie for sure now

Just watched a bunch of DVDs I own of this genius movies 3 days straight!

you could tell his time was almost up when this was made, but even as the end drew near Alfred faced the final curtian with the same with and grace he had his entire life. R.I.P Mr. Hitchcock may your name be remembered with the greats like wes craven, George Romero and stanley kubrick.

The greatest of all the life achievement awards till now and years to come!

passed away 1 year later. you will be missed!

He his so funny, I wish was alive to show horror director what's up!

He was probably thinking "Can't wait to get home and watch 'Smokey and the Bandit' again."

SWEET MEMORIES 😢 ❤ ❤