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1960 109 min Universal Rated NR
Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 horror film Pyscho has been called many things, the scariest film of all time, his greatest triumph, one of the most influential films of all time and his greatest downfall. In some ways it may be the most imitated film of all time after "Birth of a Nation".
Heavily influenced by Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1955 French release "Les Diaboliques", Pyscho was financed by Hitchcock and that in part accounted for his making use of his television crew for the filming. In order to gain free press, Hitchcock borrowed the successful Diabolique marketing ploy of not admitting viewers after the film had started. This began the trend of viewers lining up to see a film right from the beginning and the sad demise of the term "this is where I came in".
The story is based in part on the 1959 book by Robert Bloch which chronicled the exploits of Ed Gein of Plainfield, Wisconsin. The story of Ed Gein was also used as the basis for the film, "The Silence of the Lambs". The modern equivalent of Ed Gein would have been Jeffrey Dahlmer.
The first draft of the screenplay was considered weak and the second screenwriter hired was neophyte teleplay writer Joseph Sephano who had written only one film screenplay before. He worked closely with Hitchcock to humanize the character of Norman Bates and based on the success of the story and film, Stephano was later able to go on and develop the seminal television series "The Outer Limits".
Hitchcock's groundbreaking use of sound and music in Pyscho adds tremendously to the suspense. He personally chose the sound effects used to add realism in the shower scene and he was so pleased with Bernard Hermann's score that he committed the unheard of act of doubling the composer's salary.
Although no one connected with the film knew whether it would be successful or not, Pyscho was a world-wide phenomenon that made Hitchcock very rich. Over time it became an albatross around his neck as he was never able to top Pyscho and this was pointed out by critics throughout the rest of his career.
Although each actor made numerous other films throughout their careers they are all noted and remembered for the parts they played in Pyscho. The film received mixed reviews when released but has gone on to become one of the most famous and influential films of all time.
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