Alfred Hitchcock (allthetropes.org) The acknowledged master of cinematic suspense, “Hitch” is one of the most famous directors of all time. Most people have probably seen one of his films at some time. He was “Sir Alfred” for a brief four months before his death in 1980. He also produced and hosted the television anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents from 1955 to 1965, although he only actually directed a handful of the show’s episodes. Many of his films are adaptations of novels or short stories.