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Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho

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Believe it or not, the reputation of the film Psycho is not that high among Hitchcock scholars. Most of them prefer the 50s films (Vertigo and Rear Window), or 30s films (The Thirty-Nine Steps and The Lady Vanishes). Reviewers also disliked this film upon its release, although as Rebello notes, that had a lot to do with Hitchcock's unwillingness to let them see it before its release to the public. (He wanted no advance word on its shocking contents.) Psycho has always been a success with its audience, and the viewers are the ones who keep its reputation as one of Hitchcock's greatest films alive. This book starts with the actual serial killer that Robert Bloch based his novel on, proceeds to the optioning of the novel (Bloch had no idea who bought it and sold it for very little, but his reputation was made for life), the preproduction problems (the studio didn't want it made, so it was done as a low-budget quickie), its scripting and filming, postproduction, release, and unexpected success. An irony of the film, according to Rebello, is that Hitchcock never quite got over its success. His later films were seen as letdowns after this one (although I put two of them, The Birds and Marnie, among his 15 best). Anyone who cares about this film will devour this book as I did. I recommend it unequivocally.

"A boy's best friend is his mother" - Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

"Psycho" is one of Hitchcock's most famous films and this book is a fascinating account of how the film was made and some of the problems that had to be overcome before the film could be completed. Author Stephen Rebello has done an excellent job and describes in detail how Hitchcock chose his screenwriter, his crew and the actors. It is interesting to discover how little some of these people were paid for what turned out to be a classic money making Hitchcock film.

"A man should have a hobby" - Marion Crane (Janet Leigh).

Following the enormous success of his latest film "North by Northwest" Hitchcock was looking for something different - but interesting. When the "Psycho" book by Robert Bloch came to his attention he realised that this could be just what he wanted but he was unsure how the censors would react to the gruesome storyline. He decided to purchase the screen rights to the book and very cleverly did so for a bargain price. The authors agents had no idea who was after the rights to the book and thought they had a good deal when $9,000 was agreed upon. However, after Robert Bloch had paid commission to the publishers, his agents fees and the tax he was left with approx $5,000. It was at this point that he discovered the buyer was a certain Mr Alfred Hitchcock!! Joseph Stefano was hired to write the screenplay after many others had been under consideration. Hitchcock's main concern was to keep the plot twists under wraps during filming and did not release any advance information about the film to the Press. He also had an unusual advertising campaign insisting that no-one was admitted to the theatre once the film had started.

"12 cabins - 12 vacancies" - Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

Hitchcock wanted a famous actress for the role of Marion Crane and Lana Turner, Shirley Jones, Hope Lange, Piper Laurie, Martha Hyer and Eva Marie Saint were all considered before the part eventually went to Janet Leigh. Anthony Perkins was the only choice for Norman Bates but several actors were in line to play Sam Loomis (Marion Crane's boy friend). These included Stuart Whitman, Cliff Robertson, Leslie Neilsen, Brian Keith, Jack Lord, Rod Taylor and Robert Loggia. The role of Sam Loomis was played in the film by John Gavin. Alfred Hitchcock's daughter Patricia also had a small role in the film. The music by Bernard Hermann was a major contribution to the success of the film and Hitchcock was so pleased with the result that he doubled the composer's salary. Hermann has written the music for several other Hitchcock films including "The Trouble With Harry", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "The Wrong Man", "Vertigo", "North by Northwest" and "Marnie".

"Well, if the woman up there is Mrs Bates - who's that woman buried out in Greenlawn Cemetery?" - Sheriff Chambers (John McIntire).

The book explains how certain scenes were filmed but later disregarded by Hitchcock and deleted from the film as they slowed down the story. Much attention is given to the famous shower murder scene and the controversy that it was Saul Bass who directed this and not Hitchcock. Differing views are given by people who were present at the time but all is revealed here in Stephen Rebello's book. "Psycho" was remade in colour in 1998 by Gus Van Sant. This was an interesting experiment as it was a word for word, scene by scene actual copy of the original. However, it is of course difficult for anyone to top the Hitchcock version.

I found this book to be just wonderful from start to finish. The research is painstaking, the writing smart and lively, the degree of film industry know-how is evident on every page. In fact, the book strikes me as one of the few I've read on Hollywood to suggest that the writer actually knows his way around movie sets and knows how films get made. This book has none of the absurd (and insulting) armchair psychologizing that mars other Hitchcock books and there isn't a dry or pedantic paragraph in it from start to finish. I thought I knew a lot about Hitchcock and Psycho until I read this book. A job obviously undertaken with love and wisdom, superlatively done by Mr. Rebello. I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture on Hitchcock on TV in London and in Tokyo and he was the standout of the whole affair!

I, like many movie fans, think of the movie Psycho as a smashing success, quintessential Hitchcock. And of all Hitchcock's movies, it is one of the ones with the most longevity, and major impact on a specific movie genre. But it never started out that way. In fact, while the movie was being made, many thought it was folly, and very uncharacteristic of Hitch's brilliance. It was decidedly low budget, and took a lot of risks content wise. No one thought it would be a success. Boy, was the joke on them.

Psycho has long been one of my favorite movies. I studied it in a college film class, and learned a lot of the well know nuggets of trivia, chocolate syrup for blood, first flushing toilet on film, stabbing melons to get the stabbing sound. But this book digs so much deeper, beginning with the horror that inspired the tale, Ed Gein. A solid foundation about Gein's activities is laid in the early part of the book, enough to inform you but not so much as to be sensational. We then learn about Bloch's book, and how Hitch aquired the rights. And then, the book details every single aspect of the movie, casting, wardrobe, publicity, everything.

This book is as close to someone like me, who was not around when the movie was released, can get to reliving the initial impact Psycho had on American culture. And this book translates well over time. With only a couple of exceptions, the text does not appear at all dated, despite the fact the book was originally written over ten years ago.

All in all, I found this a good, solid read, well researched, and really interesting. It will be a great book for any movie enthusiast you know, particularly fans of Hitch or the horror genre

Ever since I first saw the movie, I've always been particularly taken with Hitchcock's Psycho. When I was younger I'd pour over the movie details, especially when I managed to get my hands on a book that gave a scene by scene guide of the movie. (It was all done picture by picture. I wish I could find a copy of that now!) The first time I watched it I still managed to be surprised by everything even when I knew the outcome. It was just that much of a testament to the genius & talent of Hitchcock & those he worked with.

This book gives the reader the history of the movie, from Bloch's planning of the book & the crimes that preceded them to Hitchcock filming it & releasing it in theaters. Very little is left out in this book & everything is examined thoroughly. It's incredibly informative & just as incredibly entertaining.

Fans of Hitchcock will love getting a better glimpse of the master at work while people who just love a good story will also be interested to see how hard it was to get this film made. Would you believe that Hitchcock initially viewed this as "just another film" & wasn't initially as into this film as he would eventually become? There's a lot in this book that might make people surprised, especially when you consider the standards at the time. What some might view as tame by today's standards was considered to be wildly inappropriate at the time, causing Hitchcock to have to fight to get his feature in theaters.

While the writing might be a little dry for some, I can't say enough great things about this book. I loved revisiting an old favorite of mine in a whole new light & it really made me appreciate this movie that much more.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

This is one of the best film books I have read. This is an exhaustive account of the processes that lead to the making of Psycho, its impact on release in 1960, and the changing public perception since that date. Rebello manages to interview key members of the cast and production crew, even drawing from an old interview or two with the Master himself. There are sensibly chosen photographs and some amusing anecdotes in the midst of well-researched historical data. This is a book which manages to be entertaining and scholarly at the same time, and I would recommend it to film students and buffs alike.

Of all the film books I have ever (yes, EVER) purchased, this book goes into the greatest possible detail about the making of a film. It is extremely well-written, obviously well-researched and is as hard to put down as it is to stop watching "Psycho" itself. From the opening chapter about Ed Gein, through all the minute detail about casting, filming, promotion, etc. to the conclusion, the book left no questions unanswered. Just a few tiny errors stung, though -- which always raises the question, are there other errors as well? Example: It is first stated that Joe Stefano turned in his First Draft of the Psycho script in December 1959. Two pages later it states Stefano turned in his SECOND DRAFT of the script in NOVEMBER 1959 (Either a typo or we're going back in time ...?). Also, the book relates that former Mary Tyler Moore Show star Ted Knight brings "Mother" (Perkins) a blanket at the end of the film. This is not so. If you watch the sequence, you'll see that another actor actually brings "Mother" the blanket -- Knight is simply the guard who opens the door for the other guard as the blanket is brought in. Picky? Yes. Nit-picky? Yes. Necessary for me to even mention? YES, because Rebello has done such a masterful job at compiling a great book, that a few errors like this stand out like a 14-inch steel butcher blade in a drawer full of wooden butter knives. Overall, I LOVED this book and consider it a prized addition to my film book collection. Thanks for the effort, Stephen. GREAT book.

We've all stepped into a shower, at some point, and thought about that swirling drain, that translucent shower curtain and that haunted look of death reflected in Janet Leigh's eye in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho?" Stephen Rebello's book gives us insight into the making of this film treasure, as well as a glimpse into the personality of its creator. The precision and ingenuity with which Hitchcock hurdled the numerous obstacles that confronted the creation of the film is one of the things that makes this book such a fascinating read. Hitchcock was as adept at marketing and getting around the censors as he was at knowing how to scare the living daylights out of an audience. This book is a must read for any film buff and any Hitchcock fan. (Look for Gus Van Sant's word for word adaptation of this book in new typesetting.)

More than worthy of its reputation, this is that rare film book written by someone knowledgeable and gifted at shedding light on the creative process of real world movie making. Not only is there not another `Making of ...` book that can touch it, there isn't a more insightful book on Hitchcock. And, having heard the author lecture, I can't imagine anyone on the planet more knowledgeable or insightful about "Psycho" or Hitchcock.

Rebello's Making of Psycho was one of my models when writing Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic. His book is an outstanding and authoritative look at one of cinema's most important films. If you are movie fan, a Hitchcock fan, or just interested in pop culture, you library is not complete without this book. I've owned the book in both hardback and paper and have found it enjoyable just to glance through and for research. This is the first book on Hitchcock's working methods and I'm sure it will inspire many more.