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IMDbPro

Psycho

  • 19601960
  • RR
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
661K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
566
114
Anthony Perkins, John Gavin, Janet Leigh, and Heather Dawn May in Psycho (1960)
Blu-Ray Trailer for Psycho
Play trailer1:21
5 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorMysteryThriller
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
661K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
566
114
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano(screenplay by)
      • Robert Bloch(based on the novel by)
    • Stars
      • Anthony Perkins
      • Janet Leigh
      • Vera Miles
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano(screenplay by)
      • Robert Bloch(based on the novel by)
    • Stars
      • Anthony Perkins
      • Janet Leigh
      • Vera Miles
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 250Critic reviews
    • 97Metascore
    Top rated movie #32
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars
      • 7 wins & 14 nominations total

    Videos5

    Psycho
    Trailer 1:21
    Psycho
    'Psycho' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:16
    'Psycho' | Anniversary Mashup
    Bloody Beginnings of the Summer Camp Slasher
    Clip 7:00
    Bloody Beginnings of the Summer Camp Slasher
    A Guide to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
    Clip 2:27
    A Guide to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
    'The New Mutants' Cast Reveal Characters & Film Inspirations
    Interview 3:25
    'The New Mutants' Cast Reveal Characters & Film Inspirations

    Photos295

    Janet Leigh in Psycho (1960)
    Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh in Psycho (1960)
    John Gavin and Janet Leigh in Psycho (1960)
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Patricia Hitchcock & Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh & John Galvin 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Anthony Perkins 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount
    "Psycho" Janet Leigh 1960 Paramount

    Top cast

    Edit
    Anthony Perkins
    Anthony Perkins
    • Norman Bates
    Janet Leigh
    Janet Leigh
    • Marion Crane
    Vera Miles
    Vera Miles
    • Lila Crane
    John Gavin
    John Gavin
    • Sam Loomis
    Martin Balsam
    Martin Balsam
    • Det. Milton Arbogast
    John McIntire
    John McIntire
    • Sheriff Al Chambers
    Simon Oakland
    Simon Oakland
    • Dr. Fred Richman
    Frank Albertson
    Frank Albertson
    • Tom Cassidy
    Patricia Hitchcock
    Patricia Hitchcock
    • Caroline
    • (as Pat Hitchcock)
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vaughn Taylor
    • George Lowery
    Lurene Tuttle
    Lurene Tuttle
    • Mrs. Chambers
    John Anderson
    John Anderson
    • California Charlie
    Mort Mills
    Mort Mills
    • Highway Patrol Officer
    Fletcher Allen
    • Policeman on Steps
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Bacon
    • Church Member
    • (uncredited)
    Prudence Beers
    • Extra
    • (uncredited)
    Kit Carson
    • Extra
    • (uncredited)
    Francis De Sales
    Francis De Sales
    • Deputy District Attorney Alan Deats
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Writers
      • Joseph Stefano(screenplay by)
      • Robert Bloch(based on the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    'Psycho' Scenes: Watch the Mashup

    'Psycho' Scenes: Watch the Mashup

    Take a look iconic moments from Alfred Hitchcock's film with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Vera Miles.
    Watch the video
    Image caption not available
    1:16

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Sir Alfred Hitchcock was so pleased with the score written by Bernard Herrmann that he doubled the composer's salary to $34,501. Hitchcock later said, "Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music."
    • Goofs
      When Lila approaches Mother in the fruit cellar, Mrs. Bates is seated in a four-legged chair. After Lila touches the corpse, it slowly spins around as if it's sitting on a swiveling chair. The effect was achieved by a prop man lying on his back rotating a camera head with wheels underneath Mother.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Norma Bates: [voiceover in police custody, as Norman is thinking] It's sad, when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. But I couldn't allow them to believe that I would commit murder. They'll put him away now, as I should have years ago. He was always bad, and in the end he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man... as if I could do anything but just sit and stare, like one of his stuffed birds. They know I can't move a finger, and I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do... suspect me. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching... they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits appear in a montage of horizontal/vertical bars moving across the screen.
    • Alternate versions
      On the Universal DVD, Norman can be heard (not seen) screaming "I'm Norma Bates!" as Sam Loomis rushes in to stop him from murdering Lila. The scream is not present in at least some release prints.
    • Connections
      Edited into Psycho II (1983)

    User reviews1.5K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Always holds me from beginning to end...
    ...from the first time I saw it at age 14 until today whenever I run across it.

    This is the rare example of a much-ballyhooed film that is truly deserving of all the hype surrounding it. It would have been nice to have experienced the film without any knowledge of the plot twists. Unfortunately, for most viewers, the big surprises are not possible since so many of the scenes are part of our popular culture.There were, however, so many unexpected surprises.

    The opening scene with Janet Leigh and John Gavin in the hotel room was amazing and (pardon the cliché) so real. Hitchcock and Janet Leigh did a brilliant job of pulling us into Marion Crane's story, that of a woman in love with a divorced man who might as well be married considering his heavy financial obligations that leave him unable to marry in a practical sense even though he can in a legal sense. He doesn't even have a proper home - just a room in the back of the store he owns.

    Marion is then seemingly set up as the center of the movie as she thinks she has found a solution to her problems - a felonious one. Then the focus is skillfully shifted to the Norman Bates character as the "protagonist" victimized by his insane mother (or so it seemed) and then the focus is shifted once again to Marion's sister's search.

    The movie was adapted from a novel so some of the original audience would have been familiar with the plot of the book. In the novel, Norman Bates was a middle-aged man. I think it was a brilliant stroke to have the Norman of the film as a man in his twenties, a boy who never grew up in a man's body. Anthony Perkins is so identified today with his role of Norman Bates that it was surprising to see how endearingly he played him in the early scenes. And he did one of the best stammers I've ever seen in a movie when he was being questioned by the private detective (Martin Balsam) who is also searching for Marion. I also wasn't expecting to see how protective the local sheriff and his wife were of Norman when they were being questioned about him and his mother. You could tell they didn't want somebody (Norman) whom they thought had been dealt a bad hand to have anymore publicity and scrutiny than he already had.

    This film is mentioned in the documentary "Moguls and Movie Stars" as an example of how films were becoming more like TV as the 60s began - spartan art design and a script that was bold in the amount of sex and violence it had, even if the vast majority is implied. You have to be impressed by the versatility that is Hitchcock. Making movies in England? No problem. Making movies in the American studio system? No problem. Modernizing to deal with the evaporation of the production code? Again, no problem.

    Weird factoid - for you TCM fans out there Robert Osborne is credited as "man" in Psycho, although I don't remember him ever mentioning it. The only person it could possibly be unless he never comes close to having his face on camera is the parson as the sheriff and his wife are exiting church. See what you think.
    helpful•39
    2
    • AlsExGal
    • Mar 25, 2017

    FAQ18

    • What is 'Psycho' about?
    • Is "Psycho" based on a book?
    • Why does Marion steal the money?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 8, 1960 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
    • Filming locations
      • Psycho House, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Shamley Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $806,947 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $32,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $32,052,925
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1(original & negative ratio, open matte)

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