Psycho

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates
• Vera Miles as Lila Crane
• John Gavin as Sam Loomis
• Martin Balsam as Private Investigator Milton Arbogast
• John McIntire as Deputy Sheriff Al Chambers
• Simon Oakland as Dr. Richmond
• Frank Albertson as Tom Cassidy
• Pat Hitchcock as Caroline
• Vaughn Taylor as George Lowery
• Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Chambers
• John Anderson as California Charlie
• Mort Mills as Highway Patrol Officer
• Janet Leigh as Marion Crane

Storyline:

Phoenix office worker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks, and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday, Marion is trusted to bank forty thousand dollars by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam’s California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into the Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.

About Psycho Movie:

Psycho is an American horror film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with a screenplay written by Joseph Stefano based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. The film stars Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, Vera Miles as Lila Crane, John Gavin as Sam Loomis, and Martin Balsam as private investigator Arbogast.

Plot Summary

The film begins with Marion Crane (Leigh), a secretary who impulsively steals $40,000 from her employer and goes on the run. During her journey, she stops at the secluded Bates Motel, run by the shy and awkward Norman Bates (Perkins). After an unsettling dinner conversation with Norman, where he discusses his domineering mother, Marion decides to stay the night.

While taking a shower in her motel room, Marion is brutally murdered by a shadowy figure—revealed to be Norman’s mother. Following her disappearance, Marion’s boyfriend Sam (Gavin) and sister Lila (Miles) become concerned and enlist the help of private investigator Arbogast (Balsam) to find her.

As Arbogast investigates the Bates Motel, he becomes suspicious of Norman’s behavior. After he confronts Norman and attempts to speak with his mother, he is also killed in a violent encounter. When Sam and Lila do not hear from Arbogast, they decide to investigate further themselves.

The climax occurs when Lila discovers the mummified corpse of Norman’s mother in the basement of the Bates home. Norman, dressed in women’s clothing and wearing a wig to impersonate his mother, attacks Lila but is subdued by Sam. A psychiatrist later explains that Norman suffers from a split personality disorder, having assumed his mother’s identity after murdering her years earlier.

Production Details

Psycho was filmed on a small budget and in black-and-white, which was a departure from Hitchcock’s previous works. It was produced by Hitchcock’s team from his television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The film faced challenges due to its controversial subject matter but ultimately became a significant box office success.

Reception

Upon its release on September 8, 1960, Psycho received mixed reviews but quickly gained popularity among audiences. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Hitchcock and Best Supporting Actress for Leigh. Over time, it has been re-evaluated as one of Hitchcock’s best films and is often cited as one of the greatest films of all time.

Legacy

Psycho is credited with setting new standards for violence and sexuality in American cinema and is considered one of the earliest examples of the slasher genre. The film has had a profound influence on filmmakers and has spawned numerous sequels, a remake, a television series, and extensive academic analysis. In 1992, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Budget & Box Office Collection: