About this Event
We are delighted to host award-winning author and Emmy-nominated producer Steven C. Smith, visiting from California, for this rare opportunity to see him speak in person.
Drawing on his acclaimed new book, Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores That Changed Cinema (OUP, October 2025), he takes us behind the scenes of a collaboration that redefined the role of music in film.
From the chilling strings of Psycho to the hypnotic score of Vertigo, discover how Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann transformed the emotional language of cinema - and why their work continues to influence filmmakers and composers today.
About the Book
It is some of the most recognisable film music ever written: the shrieking violins that accompany that shower scene in Psycho. Its composer, Bernard Herrmann, is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in film music history.
Best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock, Herrmann also composed landmark scores for films including Citizen Kane, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Cape Fear and Taxi Driver. His influence can be heard in generations of artists that came after him.
In this compelling new book, Steven C. Smith uncovers the story behind Hitchcock and Herrmann’s 11-year partnership. Drawing on unpublished letters, diaries, production records and exclusive interviews, he reveals how their collaboration reshaped the sound of cinema - and how it ended in one of Hollywood’s most famous creative breakups.
*Copies of the book will be available for purchase, with an opportunity to have them signed by the author after the talk.
About the Speaker
is an award-winning author and four-time Emmy-nominated documentary producer. His books include A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann and Music by Max Steiner, both recipients of the ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award.
Steven has produced over 200 film-related documentaries for networks including TCM, AMC, History Channel, A&E and Bravo. His collaborators have included George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews, Sidney Poitier and Stephen Sondheim.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Kensington Central Library, 12 Phillimore Walk, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
