DO YOU REMEMBER?

On June 16, 1960, theater audiences were first introduced to Norman Bates and scared silly by what is, without question, the most infamous shower scene to ever be shot on film, in Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic horror film, Psycho. Long considered a masterpiece, Psycho remains a suspenseful favorite to this day, and one of the highest-grossing black and white movies of all time. Starring Vera Miles, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, and of course, Anthony Perkins (in the role that would forever typecast the actor) as the mentally unbalanced psychopath Norman Bates, Psycho was nominated for four Academy Awards and was a box-office success all around the globe. Upon its theatrical release, lines wrapped around the block with eager moviegoers,

Another reason for the long lines is that Hitchcock imposed a strict “no late entry” policy for the film. He also didn’t allow any of the actors to give promotional interviews prior to the film’s release, nor were newspaper reviewers allowed to see the movie before the premier for fear of having the plot twists revealed beforehand. Although a brilliant strategy, it may also account for the surprisingly lukewarm reviews that Psycho originally received. It mattered little though; audiences were completely enthralled by the suspenseful film, so much so that it was re-released in theaters in 1965 and 1969 to equally enthusiastic crowds.

Besides the surprise ending (which, even 50 years later, we won’t give away), the single most talked about scene, and in fact, perhaps one of the most iconic scenes ever filmed, is the gory murder of Janet Leigh whilst taking a shower. Shot from 77 different camera angles, and accompanied by the unnerving score of screeching violins, the scene remains disturbing to this day (even if you know that the dripping blood is actually chocolate syrup). Let’s take a look at this unforgettable bit of cinematic history: