msc@saber.UUCP (Mark Callow) (08/28/85)
I have arranged for followups to this to go only to net.movies > But I really enjoy a good horror movie. I'm a Hitchcock fanatic (Psycho > is one of my favourite movies) because I love the suspense and terror Many people quote Hitchcock's "Psycho" as a classic horror movie. How many of you know that Hitchcock didn't actually direct the most famous scene in his movie - the shower scene? Who did direct it? -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@saber.UUCP, sun!saber!msc@decwrl.ARPA ...{decwrl,ucbvax}!sun!saber!msc, ...{amdcad,ihnp4}!saber!msc
reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (08/31/85)
In article <1759@saber.UUCP> msc@saber.UUCP (Mark Callow) writes: >Many people quote Hitchcock's "Psycho" as a classic horror movie. >How many of you know that Hitchcock didn't actually direct the most >famous scene in his movie - the shower scene? > >Who did direct it? There is a rumor that it was directed by Saul Bass. I myself do not believe it, and it is far from established fact. Given that Hitchcock spent his entire career doing flashy camera movements and editing, I see no reason not to believe that he didn't do the same in "Psycho". -- Peter Reiher reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU {...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher
jay@umd5.UUCP (09/05/85)
I too have heard that Saul Bass, Hitchcock's (and others') credit sequence designer, directed the Psycho shower sequence footage. Whether or not this is true, Hitchcock prepared his films in advance of shooting so it doesn't really matter who was at the helm when the footage was shot. He often claimed to be bored during the day to day shootings because the fun of filmmaking for him was working out the details on paper (storyboarding) with the screenwriter, art designer, etc. This is not to take anything away from Saul Bass whose credit sequences are brilliant and an easily recognizable a stamp on every film they precede. -- Jay Elvove ..!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umd5!jay c/o Systems, Computer Science Center, U. of MD.
steven@ism70.UUCP (09/05/85)
I remember specifically reading that Hitch did direct the shower scene himself. Crew members reminisced that it seemed quite incongruous to have the director, who always wore a suit and tie to the set, directing a naked body double for Janet Leigh. Saul Bass did direct a version of the scene where Abernathy (Martin Balsam) enters the Bates home and is attacked by "Mother". Hitch went back and reshot it, according to Hitch, because Bass' version made it look like Abernathy was the menacing character rather than the menaced one. Bass did titles for several Hitchcock films, including "North by Northwest", "Vertigo" and "Psycho". Another of his contributions to "Psycho" was matting in clouds behind shots of the Bates home that rushed by at an abnormally high speed. This was intended to give the viewer the impression that something was eerie in the shot without your being quite able to figure out what was amiss.
john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) (09/27/85)
<<<< < < < I remember specifically reading that Hitch did direct the shower < scene himself. Crew members reminisced that it seemed quite < incongruous to have the director, who always wore a suit and tie < to the set, directing a naked body double for Janet Leigh. < He had a problem getting the perfect scream from Janet until he got the idea of suddenly shutting off the hot water during the filming. The rest is history. John Eaton !hplabs!hp-pcd!john