Alfred Hitchcock became a United States citizen in 1955.
Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, England, in 1899 and began his filmmaking career in Britain. He moved to the United States in 1939, where he directed major Hollywood productions including “Rebecca,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” and “Psycho.”
Naturalization made him a dual British and American citizen rather than erasing his British identity. His cultivated English manner, distinctive accent, and public persona remained central to his image even after he became an American citizen.
The timing is easy to confuse because 1955 was also a major year in Hitchcock’s career. “To Catch a Thief” was released that year, and the television series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” began airing. Hitchcock was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980, shortly before his death, adding another British honor to the story of his transatlantic career.