Psycho (1960)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Joseph Stefano (screenplay)
Robert Bloch (novel)

Release Date:

25 August 1960 (Brazil)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A new- and altogether different- screen excitement!!!

Plot:

A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Shower | Alimony | California | Phoenix Arizona

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Anthony Perkins	...	Norman Bates
Vera Miles	...	Lila Crane
John Gavin	...	Sam Loomis
Martin Balsam	...	Milton Arbogast
John McIntire	...	Deputy Sheriff Al Chambers
Simon Oakland	...	Dr. Fred Richmond
Vaughn Taylor	...	George Lowery
Frank Albertson	...	Tom Cassidy
Lurene Tuttle	...	Mrs. Chambers
Patricia Hitchcock	...	Caroline (as Pat Hitchcock)
John Anderson	...	California Charlie
Mort Mills	...	Highway Patrol Officer
Janet Leigh	...	Marion Crane
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fletcher Allen	...	Policeman on Steps (uncredited)
Prudence Beers	...	Extra (uncredited)
Muriel Bradley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Kit Carson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Francis De Sales	...	Deputy District Attorney Alan Deats (uncredited)
George Dockstader	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Police Chief James Mitchell (uncredited)
Harper Flaherty	...	Extra (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	County Sheriff (uncredited)
Margaret Furrer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Virginia Gregg	...	Norma Bates (voice) (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Outside Real Estate Office (uncredited)
Paul Jasmin	...	Norma Bates (voice) (uncredited)
Myra Jones	...	Extra (uncredited)
Lee Kass	...	Extra (uncredited)
Frank Killmond	...	Bob Summerfield (uncredited)
Ted Knight	...	Policeman in Hallway Opening Door (uncredited)
Pat McCaffrie	...	Police Guard (uncredited)
Jeanette Nolan	...	Norma Bates (voice) (uncredited)
Lillian O'Malley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	...	Extra (uncredited)
Chief Tahachee	...	Citizen / Ned Place (uncredited)
Helen Wallace	...	Hardware Store Customer (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Joseph Stefano		(screenplay)
Robert Bloch		(novel)

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(music by)

Cinematography by
John L. Russell		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Casting by
Jere Henshaw		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy
Joseph Hurley

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Costume Design by
Rita Riggs		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jack Barron	....	makeup supervisor
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist
Robert Dawn	....	makeup supervisor
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lew Leary	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant director
Lester Wm. Berke	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Curtis Baessler	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Saul Bass	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Bob Bone	....	props (uncredited)
George Cook	....	assistant prop shop (uncredited)
Dave Lee	....	prop shop (uncredited)
Harold Wolf	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Russell	....	sound recordist
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound recordist
Robert R. Bertrand	....	mike technician (uncredited)
John Ruth	....	cable man (uncredited)
Harold Tucker	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clarence Champagne	....	special effects
Walter Hammond	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Aldridge	....	grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Jack Austin	....	grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Eugene Barragy	....	key grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Walter Bluemel	....	assistant camera: Phoenix (uncredited)
Robert Burkett	....	camera operator: Phoenix (uncredited)
Norman Cassidy	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
William N. Clark	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Eugene Cook	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bill Craemer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Alan Davey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Harper	....	key grip (uncredited)
George H. Merhoff	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Saul Selznick	....	second company grip (uncredited)
Jim Sloan	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Richard Sutton	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Tommy Wilson	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rex Wimpy	....	director of photography: Phoenix (uncredited)
Rex Wimpy	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Colvig	....	costume supervisor
Theodore R. Parvin	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	pictorial consultant
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Virginia Boyle	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Everett W. Brown	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	bird handler (uncredited)
Frank da Vinci	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Myra Davis	....	body double: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Anne Dore	....	double: Anthony Perkins (uncredited)
John Drake	....	stand-in: Anthony Perkins (uncredited)
Margo Epper	....	body double: Mother in shower sequence (uncredited)
June Gleason	....	stand-in: Vera Miles (uncredited)
Charles S. Gould	....	location director (uncredited)
Melvin Hilgenfeld	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
William T. Hurtz	....	director: animated titles (uncredited)
Myra Jones	....	stand-in: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Richard Kindelon	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Harold Lockwood	....	stand-in: Martin Balsam (uncredited)
Paul Mathews	....	stand-in: John Gavin (uncredited)
Jim Merrick	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Marli Renfro	....	shower scene double: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Peggy Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Hitchcock (uncredited)
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Herb Steinberg	....	publicity director: Paramount (uncredited)
Dolores Stockton	....	secretary: Mr. Hitchcock (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Shamley Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Film Service (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA Videocassette (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Action Gitanes (1999) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (UK) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2009) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Greece) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Phoenix Film Office  special thanks (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Wimpy (USA) (fake working title)

Runtime:

109 min | Germany:108 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Chile:14 (re-rating) | Chile:18 (original rating) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1965) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1969) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1960) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Czech Republic:U | New Zealand:R16 | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | France:-12 (re-release) | France:-16 | Israel:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1960) | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #19564) (original rating) | USA:M (re-rating) (1968) | USA:R (re-rating) (1984)

Filming Locations:

4270 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Shamley Productions

Trivia:

The license plate on Marion's first car is ANL-709. The license plate on Marion's second car is NFB-418. The latter could be a Québec reference. NFB stands for National Film Board of Canada, the famous office in which Norman McLaren, Claude Jutra, Michel Brault and many others worked, and 418 is the regional phone code for the region of Québec city. Although the real regional code of the NFB is 514 and not 418, this could have been mistaken by Hitchcock, as he shot I Confess (1953) in Québec years earlier in the effective 418 area.

Goofs:

Continuity: While driving in Bakersfield, no car dealership can be seen through the windshield as Marion turns off a major road onto a wide, unlined street. The next exterior shot shows her car turning off a four-lane, lined street into California Charlie's used car lot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sam Loomis: You never did eat your lunch, did you?
Marion Crane: I better get back to the office. These extended lunch hours give my boss excess acid.
Sam Loomis: Why don't you call your boss and tell him you're taking the rest of the afternoon off? Its Friday, anyway - and hot.
Marion Crane: What do I do with my free afternoon? Walk you to the airport?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Braindead (1992)

One of the greatest horror/suspense films ever!

Alfred Hitchock is the master of suspense and Psycho is probably his most famous film. Because, let's face it, one way or another, you have seen or heard of this film. It's been made fun of, been remade(unfortunately), not to mention that this movie's word will be spred from generation to generation. I came across it very young, my parents used to tell me how scary it was and how I wouldn't want to take a shower after watching this film. I didn't believe them, but when I watched it, I for the first time pulled the blanket over my head, it was that frightening! The thing that is so amazing about Psycho is how much of an impact it made, and understandably why it did. It ranked in over 60 million dollars at the box office, now this was the time where tickets were like 50 cents at the theater, now if you compare that to today, that's Titanic like money! It broke many taboo's, like this was the first film to show a toilet being flushed, isn't that interesting? My high school teacher said that her and her mom saw Psycho when it was first released in theaters and she actually ran out of the theater terrified! Alfred did so well keeping us glued to our seats with all his great twists! This was before The Sixth Sense, I mean, the ending is just such a mind blower! But I won't give spoilers.

Janet Leigh plays Marion Crane, a woman who is in love with a divorced man Sam Loomis. He says once he pays his ex wife off with the alimony, they'll get married. When Marion's boss asks her to put their most valued client's money, $40,000 to be exact, and bring it to the bank. She has other plans though, she takes the money for herself and flee's the city, but not before her boss sees her driving off. Shaky enough, huh? But she pulls over to get a nap in, and a police officer asks if she's OK, but she gets shaky and just wants to drive off. The policemen fallows her since she is so shaky and she ends up buying a different car. She gets caught in a giant rainstorm and pulls over to the Bates Motel.

She meets there, the owner, a pleasant and polite young man, Norman Bates. He lives in the house next to the motel with his mother. Marion checks in and Norman offers her dinner, they have a conversation mostly about his mom and Marion is concerned when she heard screams from the house that sounded like his mom. Norman gets on the defenses and asks Marion some questions as well, she says she is going to a "private island". Norman is very attracted to her, you can tell immediately, and she leaves knowing that she has to get out of the trap she set for herself back in Phoenix. As she's taking a shower before bed, a mysterious figure comes to the curtain and opens it stabbing Marion violently several times causing her to die. Norman cleans up the mess and gets rid of her body not knowing about her money and throwing that away too.

Marion's boyfriend, Sam and her sister, Lola, hire a private detective to find her. The private detective comes across The Bates Motel and doesn't end up coming back after trying to "talk" to the mother. Lola and Sam are concerned and decide to investigate for themselves, but will they end up coming back to the city alive? Psycho is just one of those movies you have to see before you die. It's one of the most important films of our time and will never be forgotten. It's a true treasure with terrific actors and a terrifying plot that will give you nightmares for weeks! Please don't let that scare you, I'm just having fun, but it is a freaky film! Watch it in the dark! It has a better effect, I think. Over 40 years and this film is still horrifying as if it were made today!

10/10