Psycho at The Philharmonic
The final installment in our musical horror tour through NYC ends with a bang—or better yet with a series of high-pitched string shrieks as we report back on our experience at “Psycho in Concert” at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Psycho (1960) is undoubtedly one of the most popular movies in director Alfred Hitchcock’s beloved suspense-filled filmography. That said there are people, believe or not, who have not seen it; I have even met a few of them! With that in mind, I will refrain from any major spoilers going forward. But seriously people, get on it.
Vacancies
On a largely forgotten stretch of an old highway, some miles away from the fictional town of Fairvale, CA sits the family-owned Bates Motel. Its office and modest yet well-kept row of 12 rooms is maintained by 20-something Norman Bates, a considerate and hospitable if somewhat shy innkeeper. Norman lives with his overbearing and manipulative mother (his father is deceased) in an imposing three-story Victorian house that sits on a hill behind the motel. The house, which gives off some majorly haunted and gothic vibes, looms over the grounds the way Norman’s domineering mother Norma looms large in her son’s psyche. Since the completion of a new highway miles out of the way, the Bates Motel has been sitting in relative isolation for years with the boyish Norman resigned to a suffocating and lonely existence, his mother and the occasional motel guest as his only company.
Woman on the run
As fate would have it, Norman’s insular world is penetrated one rainy night as a bleary-eyed Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) pulls into the motel desperate for a respite from driving in the storm. Marion is on the lam, having stolen $40,000 in cash from a client at the real estate office in Phoenix where she works. Hardly a career criminal, Marion’s first dalliance with theft was an opportunistic act born out desperation. While she is in a loving relationship with her boyfriend Sam (John Gavin), she is frustrated at having to resort to clandestine meet ups at seedy hotels for fear of judgement of a sexual relationship out of wedlock. Sam is also a divorcé saddled with alimony payments and debt inherited from his father’s hardware store, which he believes is weighing down the couple’s prospects. Marion, yearning for a respectable relationship (read: marriage) is presented with a fresh if unlawful chance at a new start—and takes it.
Out of the frying pan . . .
At the Bates Motel, Marion gets to know Norman and in doing so begins to rethink her decision to steal the money and get the heck out of dodge (i.e. Phoenix). However, her trouble is only beginning as she is in grave danger of running afoul of Mrs. Bates’ rage and Norman’s fractured psyche from mental illness compounded by years of living with his tyrannical mother. The situation escalates from there as a knife-wielding killer emerges into our story and various characters descend on the Bates Motel looking for Marion; these include Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam), a persistent and conscientious private investigator; Lila Craine (Vera Miles), Marion’s forthright and concerned sister; and Sam, all of whom are ignorant of just how hazardous poking around the Bates homestead can be.
My two cents
In approaching this movie, I felt similarly to the way I did when we covered the equally iconic Jaws this past summer. Afterall, Psycho has been poured over, parodied, and studied scene-by-scene, minute-by-minute and frame-by-frame by film scholars and casual cinephiles for 65 years and counting. I mean—what else is there to say? But, nonetheless, let us take a stab at it.
Without digging any further into plot, suffice to say that Psycho is famous for some dramatic narrative shifts, plot twists, and shocking violence (at least for mid-century theater goers). It’s part noir, crime drama, and quasi character study of Norman Bates. It also bears mentioning that mental illness figures quite prominently into the story. That said, references and terminology used in the film do not necessarily align with contemporary psychology and should be taken with a big grain of salt. This, at least for me, does not detract from what is one of the greatest suspense thrillers/psychological horror films of all time. I realize that this is not exactly a hot take but there it is.
A major point to recommend Psycho is, of course, the incomparable Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. In a career-defining role, Perkins is vulnerable, tortured, witty, awkward, charming, troubling, and at times sympathetic. He simply IS Norman Bates in a performance that benefits from repeated viewings just to revel in his non-verbal cues: glancing eyes, a shoulder shrug, a slight tick, an evaporating smile, a sudden pep in his step; that is, body language suggesting where Norman’s head is at at any given time. My wife always says there’s something almost modern to Perkins’s performance in this film. His mannerisms, speech, acting style, and even wardrobe place him in another decade. I tend to agree—it’s not quite easy to pinpoint but there is something “ahead of its time” in his presence.
Janet Leigh is yet another standout as the focused, flawed, and very relatable Marion Craine who is engaged in a criminal act that has her in way over her head. She captures Marion’s fumbling and nervous energy brilliantly, clearly betraying her lack of criminal experience in every response and gesture. It is also always a pleasure seeing Martin Balsam (Detective Arbogast), a familiar face and versatile character actor who was a fixture in mid-to-late century TV and film. We last met him when we featured The Taking of Pelham One Two Three as part of our Cinematic Semicentennial Series. In that film he played the subway motorman turned highjacker Mr. Green. Lastly, Vera Miles does well to establish herself in the second half of the picture playing Marion’s devoted and determined sister Lila.
As I mentioned earlier, Psycho is known for a major change in the narrative trajectory in the film’s first half, one that may give a new viewer temporary whiplash but represents a subversion of expectations that pays dividends later. There are several incredibly suspenseful and cinematic set pieces that are an absolute joy, the kind of movie-watching moments that remind us why we love film. Equally engrossing are the scenes of one-on-one dialog that are fascinating for what our characters choose to reveal to each other in order to unburden themselves emotionally and conceal out of self-preservation. Cinematographer John L. Russell plays with odd angles, jarring closeups, and distant or overhead shots that keep the viewer just enough in the dark to enhance the mystery and suspense. As with many Hitchcock films, you also cannot help but notice the sharp, decisive, and quick-cutting editing style courtesy of Hitchcock collaborator and film editor George Tomasini.
Publicity stills from Psycho
And of course, there is the music of composer Bernard Hermann, which brings us back to the “Psycho in Concert.” We attended this event on November 1st at Lincoln Center. The film was screened with the complete score performed by the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall). The hall underwent a major renovation a few years back, the centerpiece of which is the Wu Tsai Theater, a gorgeous space with enhanced acoustics, a sleek and warm design, and (from what I’m told) not a bad seat in the house.
Going into this performance I had listened to the score for Psycho many times, but it never dawned on me that it was ALL strings—violin, viola, cello, and double bass only. That said, I don’t think you can argue with the results: a swirling, tense, and taut score that sweeps you up into every moment of horror, shock, and white-knuckle suspense. The orchestra, conducted by Stephen Mulligan, delivered all these moments with the skill, precision, and artistry you would expect from the New York Philharmonic. When it came time for the famous shower scene, we leaned forward just a bit and watched the furious bow strokes deliver those iconic startling, high-pitched shrieks and slashes. Man those high strings were working hard!
The NYC-born Hermann could purportedly be quite prickly and temperamental, affecting his ability to sustain working relationships extending beyond a few films. Regardless, Hitchcock and Hermann established a trusting creative director/composer partnership that included The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Wrong Man (1956), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). A young Hermann also composed the music for Citizen Kane (1941)—maybe you’ve heard of it?
Of course, we genre fans are also very familiar with Hermann’s wonderful fantasy, horror, and science fiction film scores, including classics such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Mysterious Island (1961), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Sisters (1972), and It’s Alive (1974). His final score was the brooding jazzy music for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976); sadly, Hermann died before the film’s release.
Did you know
Psycho was filmed in black and white because Hitchcock believed the movie would be too gory for color.
Other actresses considered for the role of Marion Crane included Eva Marie Saint, Piper Laurie, Martha Hyer, Hope Lange, Shirley Jones, and Lana Turner.
Producers at Paramount were reluctant to greenlight Psycho. To make the deal more palatable, Hitchcock agreed to finance the film out of his own pocket and forgo his (rather substantial) director's fee in exchange for 60% of the film.
Taxi Driver Director Martin Scorsese dedicated the film to Hermann, who died before the 1976 theatrical release.
Psycho is purportedly the first American film to feature toilet flushing—can you imagine?!
Psycho was Hitchcock's most financially successful film, pulling in around $32 million at the North American box office during its first theatrical release, and this against a production budget of approximately $807,000!
Bosco Chocolate syrup was used for blood in the shower scene.
Hitchcock originally wanted to do the shower scene without music but reportedly changed his mind as soon as he heard Hermann’s music.
Psycho editor George Tomasini worked on a number of Hitchcock’s films including Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), The Birds (1963), and Marnie (1964). He also edited genre favorites I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958), The Time Machine (1960), and Cape Fear (1962).
Anthony Perkins reprised his role as Norman Bates in three sequels including Psycho II (1983), Psycho III (1986), and Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990). Psycho II is a fascinating, underrated sequel worth checking out.
Classic horror/thrillers Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs are just a few of the films inspired, at least in part, by the notorious mid-century serial killer Ed Gein.
Author Robert Bloch not only wrote the 1959 novel Psycho but contributed many other works in the horror, fantasy, and crime genres. He wrote books, screenplays, short stories, novels, and teleplays for various mediums including radio, television, and film. Bloch’s work included contributions to the anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, and several horror anthology scripts for Amicus Films including Torture Garden (1967), The House that Dripped Blood (1971), and Asylum (1972).
How did I watch
Blu-ray Universal (part of the Alfred Hitchcock, The Essentials Collection)
Cast (abridged)
Anthony Perkins – Norman Bates
Martin Balsam – Milton Arbogast
Janet Leigh – Marion Crane
Vera Miles – Lila Crane
John Mcintire – Deputy Sheriff Al Chambers
John Gavin – Sam Loomis
Simon Oakland – Dr. Richmond
Crew (abridged)
Director – Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter – Joseph Stefano
Writer – based on 1959 novel by author Robert Bloch
Cinematographer – John L. Russell
Editor – George Tomasini
Production Designers – Robert Clatworthy, Joseph Hurley
Composer – Bernard Hermann
Production Company – Shamley Productions, Inc.
Distribution Company – Paramount Pictures Corp.
Running time: 1h 49m
Recommendations based on Psycho-
Rear Window (1954)
City of the Dead (1960)
The Birds (1963)
Misery (1990)
Supplements-
‘Psycho’ at 60: The Scariest Thing About Hitchcock’s Masterpiece Is Its Humanity (Variety)
'It's a reference whenever you want to build tension': How Psycho's terrifying music changed film forever (BBC)
Bernard Herrmann: the iconic film composer who formed a dream team with Alfred Hitchcock (BBC Music Magazine)
