Psycho 1960

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Psycho ★★★★ 1960

Hitchcock counted on his directorial stature and broke all the rules in this story of violent murder, transvestism, and insanity. Based on Robert Bloch's novelization of an actu al murder, Leigh plays a fleeing thief who stops at the secluded Bates Motel where she meets her death in Hitchcock's classic “shower scene.” Shot on a limited budget in little more than a month, “Psycho” changed the Hollywood horror film forever. Followed by “Psycho 2” (1983), “Psycho 3” (1986), “Psycho 4: The Beginning” (1990), and a TV movie. 109m/B VHS, DVD . Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, John McIntire, Martin Balsam, Simon Oakland, Ted (Edward) Knight, John Anderson, Frank Albertson, Patricia Hitchcock, Alfred Hitchcock; D: Alfred Hitchcock; W: Joseph Stefano; C: John L. “Jack” Russell; M: Bernard Herrmann; V: Virginia Gregg, Jeanette Nolan. AFI '98: Top 100; Golden Globes '61: Support. Actress (Leigh), Natl. Film Reg. '92.