Veteran actress Kim Novak has spoken out to defend legendary director Alfred Hitchcock amid allegations he preyed on female actresses, insisting he was the perfect gentleman on set.

Actress Tippi Hedren hit headlines last year (12) when she alleged the revered moviemaker tried to kiss her while they were shooting classic thriller The Birds, and she branded him "evil" and a "dangerous deviant".

However Novak, who took the leading female role in Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo, is adamant she saw no signs of any worrying behaviour from the director.

She tells Britain's Daily Mail, "I never had a problem with him. He wasn't that way with me. I found him to be quite proper. I mean, his wife was usually there on set. When she wasn't, he didn't act any differently, but was just a decent man and a strong director."