The Making of Psycho

When Psycho opened across the United States, there were scenes of near pandemonium at movie theatres, with people fainting, screaming or running up and down the aisles, and police called more than once to calm the crowds. In the summer of 1960, this was the shocking must-see film that you didn’t dare to watch, but couldn’t bear to miss. It was more than just a sensational flash in the pan; Psycho signalled a revolution in filmmaking, challenging the established order at every turn with a taboo-busting, knowing, prescient vision. The man behind it was the gnomic figure of Englishman Alfred Hitchcock. Already one of the most famous directors in Hollywood, he risked his stellar reputation to make this ‘down and dirty’ little movie, going head to head with furious studio bosses to create a masterpiece on a shoestring. The Making of Psycho is a meticulous account of this groundbreaking film. Starting with Hitchcock’s own roots on the grimy streets of London’s Leytonstone, it charts his meteoric career to the pinnacle of the film industry. It follows the movie’s production and reception and goes on to explore the wealth of critical response and analysis which has placed Psycho at the centre of film theory. As one of relatively few books about Hitchcock written from a female perspective, it reveals the pivotal role of Hitchcock’s wife Alma as his true creative partner, blows open a myriad of Psycho myths, and digs out some fascinating, long forgotten facts about the stars, the technical challenges and behind-the-scenes battles.