Eva Marie Saint, Hitchcock's blonde, dies at 102

Eva Marie Saint, the last great Hitchcock blonde, dies at 102

Eva Marie Saint was 102 years old when she died. The actress who starred in 'On the Waterfront' and 'North by Northwest' leaves us after a life that spanned nearly the entire 20th century and part of the 21st. She was born before Marilyn Monroe, to put things in perspective. And she departs when, according to one forum user, only one of the actresses Hitchcock turned into a legend is still alive: Tippi Hedren, of 'The Birds' and 'Marnie' fame. The news broke on one of those forums where people still argue about classic cinema without asking anyone's permission.

A filmography that stands the test of time

Saint was more than just a pretty face. She won an Oscar for 'On the Waterfront', that film that portrays corruption on the New York docks and that many discovered as teenagers, before turning 16. 'A masterpiece', sums up someone who watched it at a very young age. And another adds: 'If you watch it now when you're older, you'll like it even more because you'll understand it better.' The point has real substance: some films age badly and others improve with the years. This one seems to belong to the second group.

In 'North by Northwest', Hitchcock had her on the run with Cary Grant across an America of neon signs and cornfields. The quintessence of the Hitchcockian macguffin, they say. A film you can watch from start to finish with a smile on your face. 'Were it not for Vertigo, it would be the Englishman's best work,' one film buff declares. His command of pacing and composition was on another level. A master, in short.

What is Hitchcock's best film?

The question answers itself. And the most frequent answer is neither 'Vertigo' nor 'North by Northwest'. It's 'Psycho'. There are arguments to be made: the plot twists, the scenes that set the standard, the terrifying suspense. But above all because it changed pavor cinema forever. The monster was no longer a vampire or a werewolf: it was a sordid, deranged man running a motel. The shower scene is probably the most remembered scene in film history. 'If you ask anyone to name a Hitchcock scene, 90% will answer right away THE SHOWER SCENE,' someone asserts. And they have a point.

Saint's longevity, 102 years, invites reflection. 'Reaching one hundred after having had so much success, and being so beautiful and famous, how do you cope with that?' one participant wonders. 'I don't know if it's so desirable. I haven't gotten used to aging. And since my recent retirement it seems even worse.' Old age, even that of stars, has its dark side. No one escapes it.

The legacy of an actress who saw it all

Eva Marie Saint was born in 1924 and died in 2026. A hundred years of cinema, of change, of wars and revolutions. She worked with Hitchcock, with Elia Kazan, with Fred Zinnemann. She witnessed Hollywood's golden age and its decline. And she leaves behind a handful of films that are still a pleasure to watch today. Not a bad legacy.