Transatlantic Pictures
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Bernstein |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom |
Key people | Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Bernstein |
| Products | Feature films, documentaries |
Transatlantic Pictures was established in 1945 by Alfred Hitchcock alongside his longtime collaborator Sidney Bernstein, in anticipation of the conclusion of Hitchcock's contract with David O. Selznick scheduled for 1947.
Overview
In 1945, Hitchcock and Bernstein collaborated on an 80-minute documentary focused on Nazi concentration camps, which was eventually broadcast as Memory of the Camps in 1985. Their goal was to produce feature films in both Hollywood and London.
The initial two films under Transatlantic, Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) and Under Capricorn (1949), were distributed in the United States by Warner Bros. but failed to achieve commercial success. Rope encountered censorship in multiple U.S. cities due to its portrayal of homosexuality, while Under Capricorn suffered from negative attention linked to Ingrid Bergman’s publicized relationship with director Roberto Rossellini.
Later Hitchcock projects produced by Transatlantic included Stage Fright (1950), filmed in London, with legal rights registered through Warner Bros. as part of their financing and distribution agreement. This framework also covered Strangers on a Train (1951) and I Confess (1953).
At the start of 1953, Hitchcock and Bernstein intended to adapt David Duncan’s novel The Bramble Bush for release via Transatlantic. Initially, To Catch a Thief was planned as a collaboration between Transatlantic and Warner Bros., but the project shifted to Paramount Pictures, where Hitchcock founded Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions.
Due to production difficulties, Hitchcock and Bernstein decided to disband Transatlantic. Warner Bros. allowed Hitchcock to continue with Dial M for Murder (1954). Although Transatlantic was originally conceived to produce the television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hitchcock ultimately created Shamley Productions to oversee the show's production.
Filmography
- Rope (1948)
- Under Capricorn (1949)
- Stage Fright (1950)
- Strangers on a Train (1951)
- I Confess (1953)