Psycho Facts
Alfred Hitchcock Psycho Movie Facts. *Hitchcock made “Psycho” for $800,000 and shot it in black and white in 30 days.
*When Paramount, his home studio, refused to support the shocking script, Hitchcock financed the movie himself. Agent Lew Wasserman structured a savvy distribution deal with Paramount, which meant Hitchcock owned 60 percent of the movie. He and Alma became multimillionaires. The film and its distribution right are now owned wholly by the Hitchcock Estate.
* It was Alma, as suggested by then Paramount publicity chief Herb Steinberg, who recommended that her husband shoot in black and white to get the murder shower scene past Production Code officials.
* “Psycho” initially had two problems with Hollywood censors: an opening scene depicting Janet Leigh in her bra and a scene showing a toilet, which had never been seen in a Hollywood movie let alone been a major plot point before.
* Later, the shower scene became the central controversy. The editing in the shower murder was done quickly, so the audience couldn’t be sure of what they had seen. When the Production Code watched the movie, three of them saw nudity; two did not. They asked Hitchcock to re-edit. He sent the movie back without making a change and this time the two who originally did not see nudity now saw it.
* “Psycho” made two-and-a-half times more at the box office than Hitchcock’s previous biggest hit, “North by Northwest”, and Hitchcock was nominated for his fifth and last Academy Award for directing and once again did not win.
* In 2012, “Psycho” is #18 on the list of America’s Greatest Movies as complied by the American Film Institute.
Alfred Hitchcock Facts
* Born in London, August 13, 1899.
* Studied engineering at St. Ignatius College and began work as a draftsman.
* Entered the film industry in 1920 and directed his first film in 1925.
* Married Alma Reville, then his assistant director, in 1926 and remained married until his death.
* In the 1930s, directed a series of classic British suspense thrillers including “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “The 39 Steps”.
* Came to Hollywood in 1939.
* His first American film was “Rebecca”, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture (but Hitchcock never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations).
* Directed more than 50 films.
* Passed away in his sleep in Bel Air, California April 29, 1980.
Alma Reville Facts
* Born one day after Hitchcock, August 14, 1899 in Nottinghamshire, England.
* Joined the London Film Company at age 16, working her way to the cutting room.
* Served as an assistant editor and also took several roles as an actress.
* Met Hitchcock in the early 1920s, while working for the Famous Players studio.
* Married Alfred Hitchcock in 1926, and continued working as a writer for him and other directors.
* Gave birth to their only daughter, Patricia, in July of 1928.
* Often worked uncredited; her sole film credit is “After the Verdict (1929)
* Died at age 82, two years after Hitchcock’s death.
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