Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller

1995, Harmony Books.  208 pages.  $22.00

1995, Pavilion Books  (UK).  208 pages.  £12.99

Janet Leigh with Christopher Nickens.

 

Having received her only Academy Award nomination for Psycho, which was Alfred Hitchcock’s most notorious and atypical film, it is only natural that Janet Leigh should revisit the making of this classic.

Her purpose is threefold:  to share with fans the experience of working with Alfred Hitchcock and making this movie; to dispel many of the false statements and stories that have attached themselves to Psycho like barnacles to a boat’s hull; and to place the film in true historical perspective.  This last task is mostly handled by co-writer Christopher Nickens, whose comments are noted separately from Leigh’s, are pertinent and help provide an overall picture of the film’s immense cultural impact.

Some of the stories Leigh relates – the most important ones – were included in her autobiography, with the result that this book sometimes seems repetitive.  Even so, those stories are required here, and many are developed further.  Leigh’s history of the movie’s release, and Hitchcock’s unprecedented demand that audiences be required to watch the film from the beginning, are especially informative and illustrate both the director’s desire for total control and his good sense.  Interviews with the original writer (Robert Bloch), the screenwriter (Joseph Stefano) and other crew and cast members give the book a nice flavor and further perspective.

Virtually everything connected with Psycho is at least mentioned, such as its comic book incarnation, with many elements receiving discussion, such as Anthony Perkins’ involvement with the three sequels.  It’s a well-written, gregarious history of a very important movie told by one who was there to witness it.  My rating:  Good.

This review was originally written for and published in Filmbobbery, Volume 10, Issue 2 in 2008.