A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 8 wins & 14 nominations total
- Caroline
- (as Pat Hitchcock)
- Policeman on Steps
- (uncredited)
- Church Member
- (uncredited)
- Extra
- (uncredited)
- Extra
- (uncredited)
- Congregation Member
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
'Psycho' Scenes: Watch the Mashup
'Psycho' Scenes: Watch the Mashup
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Sir Alfred Hitchcock was so pleased with the score written by Bernard Herrmann that he doubled the composer's salary to $34,501. Hitchcock later said, "Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music." Ironically, he was originally adamant that there should be no music in the shower scene but he was persuaded by his wife to give it a try. The screeching violins and dire strings (which would inspire the music for Jaws (1975)) ending up selling the scene and driving theatrical audiences beyond anything they had ever experienced.
- GoofsWhen Lila approaches Mother in the fruit cellar, Mrs. Bates is seated in a four-legged chair. After Lila touches the corpse, it slowly spins around as if it's sitting on a swiveling chair. The effect was achieved by a prop man lying on his back rotating a camera head with wheels underneath Mother.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Norma Bates: [voiceover in police custody, as Norman is thinking] It's sad, when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. But I couldn't allow them to believe that I would commit murder. They'll put him away now, as I should have years ago. He was always bad, and in the end he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man... as if I could do anything but just sit and stare, like one of his stuffed birds. They know I can't move a finger, and I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do... suspect me. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I'm not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching... they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits appear in a montage of horizontal/vertical bars moving across the screen.
- Alternate versionsOn the Universal DVD, Norman can be heard (not seen) screaming "I'm Norma Bates!" as Sam Loomis rushes in to stop him from murdering Lila. The scream is not present in at least some release prints.
- ConnectionsEdited into Psycho II (1983)
The movie set a new and very high standard in horror movies which I don't believe has ever been equaled. The characters were great, the direction perfect and the music, which I thought was absolutely fantastic, made this a classic.
I still get scared when I see it on TV.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Psicosis
- Filming locations
- Psycho House and Bates Motel, Backlot Universal Studios, Universal City, California, USA(exterior of Bates Motel and house)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $806,947 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $32,000,000
- Gross worldwide
- $32,066,835
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1(original & negative ratio, open matte)