The Mercury News (11/Oct/2008) - Hitchcock's granddaughter recalls his love of Bay Area and Santa Cruz
(c) The Mercury News (11/Oct/2008)
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- keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Family Plot (1976), Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Kim Novak, Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California, Patricia Hitchcock, Psycho (1960), Rebecca (1940), San Francisco, California, Scotts Valley, California, Tere Carrubba, The Birds (1963), Tippi Hedren, Vertigo (1958)
Hitchcock's granddaughter recalls his love of Bay Area and Santa Cruz
At their Scotts Valley ranch, the filmmaker and his wife could be themselves
Tere O'Connell Carrubba is Alfred Hitchcock's granddaughter. Her spacious house, overlooking the ocean in Aptos, south of Santa Cruz, is filled with pictures of Hitch. In one set of framed photos, the director hoists Tere (pronounced "Terry") and her older sister, Mary, into the air. In their gingham dresses, they're cute as buttons. And the master of suspense looks like a regular grandfather.
Carrubba, daughter of Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell (the director's only child), grew up near Hitchcock in Los Angeles. But she also spent a lot of time with Hitchcock and his wife, Alma, at their Scotts Valley ranch, in the hills just outside Santa Cruz, with a spectacular view of Monterey Bay. The Hitchcocks purchased it in 1940, and it remained their getaway for about three decades.
I asked Carrubba, 54, to explain her grandfather's fascination with the Bay Area and Northern California. After all, many of Hitchcock's films — from "Rebecca" (1940) to "Family Plot" (1976) — were filmed in this region, which he described as having a magical quality. He particularly loved San Francisco, calling it a great place to set a murder mystery namely "Vertigo," released 50 years ago.
Q Can you explain your grandfather's connection to the Bay Area?
A He always liked it, especially San Francisco. It kind of reminded him of European cities, I think; it had that kind of flavor. And Scotts Valley, that's where he and my grandmother went to relax. They weren't a typical Hollywood couple. They didn't go to parties. Some of the people they made movies with would become friends, so Grace Kelly and her husband would come visit them in Scotts Valley. Ingrid Bergman, too.
Q How often were you in Scotts Valley as a child?
A We used to come up here all the time for holidays and summers. My grandparents were really good at bringing their granddaughters up for visits.
Q What would you do during your visits?
A Kid stuff. We'd play games — a few badminton games with our grandfather, which was interesting.
Q He didn't have an athlete's physique.
A No. He fell only once.
Q At badminton?
A Yes.
Q What else did he enjoy about life in Scotts Valley?
A He could be himself. He was an avid reader, so he would do a lot of reading while he was here. And he loved classical music, and he played his music really loud.
Q Can you describe the property?
A Large. There was a porch where he liked to sit, surrounded by redwoods. And there was a winery. And my grandmother had a horse, a palomino, named "Rhythm." And do you know how my grandparents got here? Often they would drive, a 7 1/2-hour trip in those days. My grandmother would drive. They'd pack a picnic, and they'd actually pull over to the side of the road to have their sandwiches.
Q Your grandfather didn't drive?
A Never.
Q Why?
A He was afraid of the police.
Q How do people react when they find out Alfred Hitchcock was your grandfather?
A Most people say, "Oh, he must have been scary." But he actually had a really great sense of humor. You know, as I got older, after "The Birds" and "Psycho," his popularity really sky-rocketed. One time he came up to my high school (in Los Angeles) for an event, and everyone was asking him for autographs; he never turned down an autograph, unless he was eating a meal. Anyway, I remember saying to him, "God, grandpa, doesn't that drive you nuts?" And he said, "I would be nothing without these people."
Q How often did you see him?
A We saw him at least once a week and on holidays. All the time when I was growing up.
Q What were family meals like in Scotts Valley?
A Usually we'd eat at the house. Sometimes we'd go to Stagnaro's — he loved fresh fish. So we'd go down to the Santa Cruz wharf, and they would take us somewhere for ice cream, too.
Q And in San Francisco?
A He loved Ernie's Restaurant (which Hitchcock included in "Vertigo"). It was one of those old-time, elegant restaurants with the red velvet walls. He kept his own wines in the cellar.
Q Is "Vertigo" one of your favorite Hitchcock films?
A I've seen it a lot.
Q Well?
A I like "Vertigo." After they re-mastered it a few years ago, I went with my mother; we did the film's European tour with Kim Novak.
Q What was that like?
A Oh, my God. They loved her. She was revered wherever she went. She's still very pretty and a nice woman. She was traveling, I think, with her granddaughter.
Q So what are your favorite Hitchcock movies?
A I like "The Birds." I remember being on the set (in Sonoma County). We got to be fairly good friends with Tippi Hedren.
Q Is anyone in your family in the movie business?
A My younger sister's a lawyer for DreamWorks. That's about as close as any of us got to the movies.
