Toby Jones: Hitchcock mastered control -- as well as suspense -- with his actors (SIOUX CITY JOURNAL)

9 hours ago  •  BRUCE MILLER bmiller@siouxcityjournal.com 

LOS ANGELES | Tippi Hedren is convinced director Alfred Hitchcock didn't love her -- contrary to popular belief.

"When you love someone, you treat them well," the star of "The Birds" and "Marnie" told members of the Television Critics Assocation in August. "I think we're dealing with a mind that is incomprehensible. I certainly am not capable of discerning what was going through his mind or why."

Still, there were signs. While filming "The Birds," Hitchcock made overt moves on the actress. When she rebuffed his advances, he put her through difficult times on the set.

The new HBO film "The Girl" suggests that Hedren was subjected to five days of bird attacks. Later, she was forced to redo difficult scenes and pull back her performance. When she tried to get out of her contract, he refused and, basically, derailed her career.

"He was an extremely sad character," Hedren said. "We are dealing with a brain here that is unusual, genius and evil -- deviant to the point of dangerous because of the effect he can have on people who are totally unsuspecting."

Surprisingly, few knew about the relationship until after the films were released and Hedren was out of his control.

She agreed to talk to director Julian Jarrold and Sienna Miller -- who plays her in the film. Acclaimed British actor Toby Jones portrays Hitchcock.

"When I first heard Toby's voice as Alfred Hitchcock, my body just froze," Hedren said. At a screening, "nobody moved. Nobody said anything until my daughter, Melanie Griffith, jumped up and said, 'Now I have to go back into therapy.'