Alfred Hitchcock’s Humor Influenced Dario Argento Just As Much As His Horror

Hitchcock’s hilarity gave Argento a tonal framework for his films. “I like that kind of British humor; it’s a very refined sort of humor,” he explained. “I want the humor in my movies to be like that, kind of classy. Not the kind of humor that is about a funny line or quip here and there.” A more understated and less punctuated sense of humor is notably British, in contrast to the very punchy style found in Hollywood comedies.

Argento has a celebrated sense of humor not only in his films but in person, too. “He’s as funny as a young boy trying to make twisted jokes. I always loved his energy,” the French filmmaker Gaspar Noé told Roger Ebert.com. “When he introduces his films in film festivals or at different cinemas, he does monologues that can last one hour without getting any questions and people laugh and applaud. He seemed to me like a natural-born comedian.”

The Italian director might take inspiration from Hitchcock, but he takes a very different approach to his actors. When Vulture asked how he would direct his actors before a more particularly funny scene, Argento replied, “You know, I didn’t give them many instructions. Those scenes came out as they were written.” This is a far cry from Hitchcock’s approach. The master of suspense had a reputation for giving very little creative freedom to actors. He once said that “the majority of actors … are stupid children” and, unlike Argento, he put very little trust in them (via Hitchcock/Truffaut).

They may not be alike in every way, but Argento and Hitchcock definitely share a dark sense of humor. Hitch’s signature charm and suspense have influenced the entire horror genre, but Argento’s work truly does justice to the OG.