The Tense Scene That Alfred Hitchcock Regretted Filming

Few directors are as lauded or admired as Alfred Hitchcock is. The mind behind some of the greatest suspense, thriller, and horror films of the 20th century, Hitchcock's influence on the art of cinema can hardly be overstated (via Far Out).

The director behind classic movies like "North By Northwest," "Vertigo," "Rear Window," and "Psycho" has a staggering 69 directorial credits to his name as well as 31 writing credits and 29 producing credits (via IMDb). Many of the filmmaker's works are critically lauded and are considered to be movies all film fans need to watch. 

However, Alfred Hitchcock's movie career is not without its fair share of controversy. Tippi Hedren claimed the director sexually assaulted her on the set of "The Birds" and mistreated her after she rebuffed his advances (via The Guardian). Still, when asked about his biggest mistake in making movies, the director had a different answer.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

On "The Dick Cavett Show" in 1972, Alfred Hitchcock spoke to the host about his regrets regarding his past films. The director specifically pointed to the 1936 thriller "Sabotage" as an example of one of his early failings. The film follows Karl Verloc (Oscar Homolka), a cinema owner, who gets pulled into a terrorist ring and begins helping them stage critical attacks around London.

Toward the film's end, Verloc sends his wife's younger brother to deliver a time bomb unknowingly. However, the boy is delayed, and the bomb explodes on a bus, killing him and many others. Hitchcock had one regret about the scene.

"I let the bomb go one minute past, two minutes past, and work the audience up," Hitchcock recalled in the same interview. Still, he disliked the scene's ending even more and wished he hadn't let the bomb explode. "I'd made the mistake of not relieving them of the suspense."

"In other words, if you put an audience through the mill like that, you must relieve it. The bomb must be found," Hitchcock concluded. Of course, the director would master the art of suspense throughout his career, but this early miscalculation still bothered him nearly four decades later.