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Hitch generally (post-20's) worked from novels, but not always. He picked them based on what he wanted to film, wrote the screen scenarios around what he wanted to film, and hired good screenwriters to write the dialoge for the cattle (actors) to follow. I can't recall if he ever bothered to leave his name on the writing credits, but he had a big hand in every script.
His cameo routine resulted from an accident, as I recall - in a very early film, they were short on extras for a scene on a tram, and Hitch sat in. He was well aware of the comic appearance of his bulk, and usually juxtaposed it with a small package, a small dog, a double bass, etc.
The best was the cameo in "Lifeboat", in which he appeared in a "Before and after" weight-loss advertisement in a newspaper!
Faelan
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