Psycho 1960

Another classic movie segment I am posting this week is the legendary Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho. Marion Crane(Janet Leigh) who is an receptionist at an real estate office wants to start an life with her lover Sam Loomis(John Gavin) and steals $40,000 when she was meant to put it in the bank and is on her way to Sam which she is confronted by an suspicious policeman (Mort Mills) as well as hiring an car as well as an storm  makes her decide to stop at the Bates Motel owned by an young man named Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins). Norman and Marion gets friendly which he talked about his mother and then while Marion is having an shower  she is stabbed to death by a shadowy figure  which Norman dumps the body and possessions in the car and it dumped in the swamp. Marion's sister Lila (Vera Miles) comes to Fairvale to look for Marion  as well as an private detective named Arbogast (Martin Balsam) but then he is too is killed and then it gets interesting. It's an classic movie as well as FANTASTIC  with FANTASTIC performances by Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh considering she was in the movie for about 40 minutes  as it would be career defining for both  of them  as well as great acting by John Gavin, Martin Balsam, Vera Miles, John McIntire and Pat Hitchcock which it was her 3rd and final appearance in her father's movies. The music by Bernard Herrmann is classic and timeless and the shower scene is the thing that people remember is one of the great scenes in the history of movies  which it took 7 days to film December 16-23rd 1959 over 77 camera angles. The film took over 2 months to film from November 11th 1959-February 1st 1960 which Janet Leigh was there for 3 weeks and  Janet Leigh was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar  but didn't win as Shirley Jones  won it for Elmer Gantry but  she did won an Golden Globe for her performance. The Movie was nominated for 3 more Oscars Best Director for Alfred Hitchcock, Best Cinematography (Black and White) and Best Art Direction. It was based on the novel by Robert Bloch and the voice of Mrs Bates was done by Jeannette Nolan who was married to John McIntire, Virginia Gregg and Paul Jasmin and also there is an appearance at the movie by Ted Knight playing an police guard standing outside Norman's cell which he went on to play Ted Knight in the American comedy show The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It was Vera Miles' second and last appearance in an Hitchcock movie as she was in the movie The Wrong Man with Henry Fonda in 1956 and was considered for the role in Vertigo but couldn't due to pregnancy. It's 60 years since Psycho came out  and it is timeless which holds up very well to this day with FANTASTIC acting as well as the amazing camera angles as well as influencing other movies as well as the sequels  in the 80's which Anthony Perkins reprised his role  as Norman as well as Vera Miles appearing in the 1983 sequel Psycho 2 as well as a remake in 1998, made for TV movie and an prequel  and also set an new acceptability of violence, Deviant behaviour and sexuality. It is one of the greatest movies ever made as well as one of  Alfred Hitchcock's best movies as well as  been praised  by movie critics and movie scholars. It is one of my favourite films when I saw it 25 years ago this month and the following year 1996 bought the video at Carindale during the June School Holidays . It is on DVD out there and do yourselves an favour and BUY IT which you will be amazed.