FILM 1634: FAMILY PLOT

TRIVIA: This is Alfred Hitchcock's final film and its final shot was of a woman breaking the fourth wall by looking straight into the camera and winking at the audience. This was arguably a fitting coda to his career exemplifying the black humor that was prevalent in his movies.

At one point during filming, Bruce Dern questioned Alfred Hitchcock about why he was cast in the movie. Hitchcock replied, "Because Mr. Packinow wanted a million dollars, and Hitch doesn't pay a million dollars." It took Dern a while to realize that "Mr. Packinow" was Al Pacino.

The final shot in the movie, a wink by the Barbara Harris character was a jokey reference that was not planned but Alfred Hitchcock decided to leave in.

This is the only Alfred Hitchcock film with a score composed by John Williams.

DIRECTOR CAMEO: Alfred Hitchcock: in silhouette 45 minutes into the film behind the door at the registrar of births and deaths.

FILM 1633: SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON

TRIVIA: Bryan Forbes looked for that house with the turret as a film location; when he went to the owner for permission, she asked who was in the film. When told that an American actress named Kim Stanley, the woman blanched, stepped back, and said that Stanley was one of her oldest friends whom she had not seen in 17 years.

During filming, Richard Attenborough developed kidney stones and was unable to work for an entire day. Since filming was on such a tight schedule, director Bryan Forbes got into costume played his role for some shots.

Richard Attenborough wears a prosthetic nose for his role in this movie.

In an early draft of the screenplay, Billy and Myra were both male, with director Bryan Forbes planning to cast Alec Guinness and Tom Courteany as the homosexual couple. Both actors turned the film down, however.