Tippi Hedren Speaks of Difficult Times
At the 2013 Florida Film Festival, Tippi Hedren spoke during a Q & A after a screening of her 1963 classic Hitchcock film, The Birds. During her presentation, she spoke candidly about having to live under Alfred Hitchcock’s “obsession” of her. Here’s a transcript of what Tippi said just before I began rolling the following video. She was speaking of the HBO & BBC TV film The Girl which tells her story about the obsession …
Tippi: “That is, unfortunately, a very true story. It is very true. I can’t tell you how it saddens me because it was a horrendous time for me. I don’t know how many of you women have been the object of someone’s obsession. But it takes your life away from you. I’m talking about the fact that Alfred Hitchcock became obsessed with me. It’s a horrible situation in which to be. Absolutely horrible. I was not the first one this had happened to…” (click on video below to see and hear the rest of Tippi’s story.)
After speaking of this, I asked Tippi this question: “I really appreciate the honesty and courage with which you talked about the obsession. Of course, that happened way back in the 60’s. I’m wondering what advice you’d have for women today if they feel like they’re in a similar situation .”
Tippi: “You mean about the obsession?”
LanceAround: “Yes.”
Tippi: “Well, you know, I had a very great gift that my parents gave me. They were really fine examples of being honest, being true, being strong. Know your values. Much of that came from my Lutheran upbringing. I found that those values have served me very, very well all my life. For anyone who is in a situation like I was, and it is at time overwhelming, I think I could write a book about getting out of situations–maybe I should–because it was at times absolutely horrendous. You know, there’s always a point where you just have to say, “Get me out!” and, you go! From then on you are free and it’s the best feeling in the world! That would be a very simplified reaction as to how to handle this kind of a situation. But no matter what, and I knew I was going to lose a lot. And I did! BUT, I walked out with my head held high and I’ve never regretted it. And the hell with it all, otherwise!
At this point, the entire audience in the Enzian Theatre where she was speaking broke out into spontaneous and thunderous applause.
Lance Around Orlando 
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