Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller "Psycho" was released 50 years ago today. Starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Psycho is remembered as one of Hitchcock's best films.
Based on the 1959 novel of the same name, "Psycho" is loosely based on the story of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. Ed Gein was arrested in 1957 at which time he confessed to the killing of two women and digging up the remains of others.
Gein's grotesque practice of creating a "woman's suit" from the tanned skins of his exhumed victims also became the basis for the "Buffalo Bill" character in the 1991 film "The Silence of the Lambs". Gein was also the model for the killer "Leatherface" in the 1974 film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Gein was convicted of murder and spent the rest of his life in a mental health hospital.
Defying Tradition...
"Psycho" was a ground-breaking film in terms of challenging the censor codes that governed American film making in its day. From Wikipedia... "Psycho is a prime example of the type of film that appeared in the 1960s after the erosion of the Production Code. It was unprecedented in its depiction of sexuality and violence, right from the opening scene where Sam and Marion are shown as lovers sharing the same bed. In the Production Code standards of that time, unmarried couples shown in the same bed would be taboo. In addition, the censors were upset by the shot of a flushing toilet; at that time, the idea of seeing a toilet onscreen — let alone being flushed — was taboo in American films and television shows." read moreA number of sequels, a prequel, and a remake couldn't quite hold a candle to the original "Psycho", directed by the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock.
Enjoy the clips below.
Retrospectively yours... Rob; in Vancouver
"A boy's best friend is his mother."
Norman Bates
That is so cool that so many characters were based on one man, Ed Gein. It is a lucky thing they found him after he only killed two girls. Very neat,
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad,
Robyn
xoxoxo