Author: thehorsesheadblog

#377) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

OR “Gold Diggers of 1925”

Directed & Written by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven.

Class of 1990

The Plot: American Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) is a drifter in 1925 Tampico looking for work. He meets fellow ex-pat Bob Curtin (Tim Holt!) and veteran prospector Howard (Walter Huston), who talks about the blessing and curse connected with striking gold. After winning a small jackpot in a lottery, Dobbs convinces the two men to join him on a prospecting expedition in the Sierra Madre Mountains. When the group finds a large supply of placer gold, tensions start to rise between them, just as Howard predicted. Even with a suspicious Texan (Bruce Bennett) and a group of banditos on their trail, the men’s biggest threat may turn out to be each other.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film an “intense character study” and praises Bogart’s “outstanding” performance.

But Does It Really?: “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” is one of those movies that I knew was a classic before knowing anything else about it. I liked the film, and I understand and agree with its status among the classics, but it didn’t wow me the way I had hoped it would. Perhaps the film’s reputation raises expectations a little too high. That being said, “Sierra Madre” is a well-crafted character study with strong performances from Bogart and Huston, and has aged far better than many other films of the era. My indifference cannot dent “Sierra Madre” or its ongoing influence on film.

Everybody Gets One: “Sierra Madre” novelist B. Traven is one of the literary world’s most elusive characters. His true identity has never been verified, though the most widely accepted theory is that he was German socialist Ret Marut. During production of “Sierra Madre”, John Huston corresponded with Traven’s attorney Hal Croves, who served as the film’s technical advisor. Many, including Huston’s wife Evelyn Keyes, speculated that Croves was really B. Traven, but this could never be confirmed.

Wow, That’s Dated: While the Mexican characters are far more diverse here than in other movies of the era (and are played by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans), everyone still sounds like a Speedy Gonzales cartoon.

Seriously, Oscars?: A critical and commercial hit, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” received four Academy award nominations, and took home three. It was a big night for the Huston family: John won Best Director and Adapted Screenplay, and Walter won Best Supporting Actor, making them the first Oscar-winning father and son duo. In a surprise win, 1948’s Best Picture was Laurence Olivier’s “Hamlet”, the first non-American film to win the top prize, and another step towards the fall of the studio system.

Other notes

• “Sierra Madre” was among the first Hollywood films to shoot outside of the United States, in this case Durango, Mexico, with additional shots in Tampico, the novel’s setting. Production was briefly shut down in Tampico when a newspaper article suggested the film was slanderous to Mexico. It was soon revealed that the story was completely fabricated by a newspaper editor accustomed to receiving bribes from visiting businesses.
• John Huston cast himself as the American who gives Dobbs money. It’s a peek at Huston’s future second career as a character actor specializing in powerful figures.
• Speaking of cameos: the young boy selling lottery tickets is future actor/alleged murderer Robert Blake.

• How many film directors would cast their dad in a key role? Cries of nepotism are unnecessary with a performance as good as Walter Huston’s. John had to convince his father not only to play the part, but also to do so without his false teeth.
• During the trio’s trek to the Sierra Madre, you can clearly hear the oft-used Kookaburra noise. For the record, the kookaburra is native to Australia and New Guinea, not Mexico.
• I think Walter Huston’s goal was to say all his lines as quickly as possible. It definitely spices up the proceedings. And look at him dance!

• Bogie was pushing 50 during production, closer in age to Walter Huston than to Tim Holt, despite referring to Huston’s character as an old man. This supports my theory that Dobbs was written as a younger man.
• With its themes of greed and the power of wealth, this movie would make a good companion piece to “La Perla”.
• Athlete turned actor Bruce Bennett can be a little wooden in his scenes, but his natural stiffness works far better here than it did in “Mildred Pierce”.
• Mexican born Alfonso Bedoya emigrated to Texas in 1918, and after a series of odd-jobs, made it to California and became a character actor. After 15 years of steady film work in both Hollywood and Mexico (mostly playing banditos), Bedoya was cast as Gold Hat and uttered the immortal line, “Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!”

• The juxtaposition from on-location shooting to studio reshoots is quite jarring.
• Humphrey Bogart nails Dobb’s descent into paranoia; a full 180 from his usual cool, stoic persona. Bogie’s lack of an Oscar nomination is still considered one of the Academy’s biggest oversights.

• Shoutout to Tim Holt, who is…also in this movie? It’s not that Holt is bad, his character just doesn’t get much to do. And placed alongside such powerhouses as Bogart and Huston, Holt is easily overshadowed.
• Just a reminder that this movie has virtually no female characters, and the ones it does have speak minimal, inconsequential dialogue.
• Uh-oh, Dobbs’ obsession is making him monologue in the desert. He’s gone full “Emperor Jones”!
• I’m very disappointed that during Dobbs’ final confrontation with Gold Hat he doesn’t say, “I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ matches!”
• “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” is one of those classic movies whose ending was spoiled for me long before I saw it. Perhaps this prevented my viewing experience from being more positive. Fortunately, the final shot still surprised me.

Legacy

• “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” continues to be hailed as a classic and an inspiration to filmmakers, but its primary legacy is a line that’s not in the movie. “We don’t need no stinkin’ badges” first appeared in, of all things, a 1967 episode of “The Monkees”, and is now one of filmdom’s most iconic mis-quotes.

• A final reminder that John Huston, the Oscar-winning writer/director of “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, would go on to direct “Annie”.

#376) Modern Times (1936)

OR “Charlie and the Clockwork Factory”

Directed & Written by Charlie Chaplin

Class of 1989

The Plot: “Modern Times” finds our lovable hero the Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) trying to make sense of an age where machinery and efficiency is favored over the well being of people. The Tramp’s adventures find him having a breakdown on an assembly line, going in and out of prison for comic misunderstandings, falling in love with feisty gamin Ellen (Paulette Goddard), and struggling to find work in Depression-era America. Despite this plot synopsis, “Modern Times” is considered one of the funniest movies ever made.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises Chaplin for achieving “a near-balance of humor and pathos”, and also singles out his work with Goddard. There also an essay by Jeffrey Vance, described in his bio as “one of the world’s foremost authorities on Charles Chaplin”. But who has the authority to call him that?

But Does It Really?: No argument here: “Modern Times” is an essential choice for the NFR. The film features Chaplin at the height of his filmmaking career, blending his trademark silent comedy style with an inspired soundtrack and his most socially conscious screenplay yet. “Modern Times” has every right to be on this list, but if I had to pick one essential Chaplin film for the initial 25 NFR roster, I’d go with “City Lights”, but that’s comparing the tastiest apple to the tastiest orange. “Modern Times” holds up quite well for an 80-plus year old movie, thanks to its memorable visuals, strong lead performances, and perennially relevant commentary.

Wow, That’s Dated: As previously stated, “Modern Times” is deeply rooted in the plight of the average American during the Great Depression. Despite illustrating the hardships of finding stability during our country’s worst economic setback, Chaplin still manages to find the silver lining and end on a hopeful note.

Seriously, Oscars?: As always, Chaplin’s status as an industry outsider prevented “Modern Times” from being a serious Oscar contender, failing to receive a single nomination (though the National Board of Review did name it one of the top 10 films of the year). Among the films United Artists opted to promote instead was Best Picture nominee and fellow NFR entry “Dodsworth”.

Other notes

• After “City Lights”, Chaplin was hesitant to transition from silent films to the now established sound pictures. Unsure of what to do, he traveled through Europe for 16 months, meeting with influential figures ranging from Winston Churchill to Mahatma Gandhi. Chaplin was inspired by his conversations with these figures to tackle a film about more contemporary issues, and “Modern Times” is the result.
• Chaplin originally planned to make “Modern Times” a full-sound feature, and even wrote a complete screenplay. After filming one scene in sound, Chaplin scrapped the footage and rewrote the entire film to be silent, albeit with a synchronized soundtrack. Chaplin is very strategic with his use of sound in his first outing: the musical score carries most of the dramatic weight, effects are only used when needed, and the only spoken dialogue comes from technology (the radio, the phonograph, etc.).
• Look no further than the feeding machine to understand the film’s satire: even the basic process of consuming food is too inefficient in modern times. We can’t be too far away from that technology. That being said, Chaplin gives us cinema’s first automated pie-in-the-face gag.

• The shot of the Tramp being fed through the gears is one of the most iconic moments in film history, and certainly one of Chaplin’s more absurdist. Despite Chaplin’s penchant for multiple re-takes, he would only go through the machinery once; the shot of the Tramp going backwards is the same shot in reverse.

• The Tramp gets arrested after being mistaken for a Communist agitator. Chaplin, if you only knew how weirdly prescient that was…
• Paulette Goddard is a breath of fresh air compared to previous Chaplin leading ladies. It helps that Ellen actually contributes to the plot, and is allowed to have, ya know, an actual personality. Ellen also benefits from Goddard’s naturally charismatic screen presence. Fun Fact: Goddard was very close to being cast as Scarlett O’Hara. She even did a screen test. (But hey, who didn’t?)
• Wow, I was not expecting this movie to have a joke about “nose-powder”. Did the average American moviegoer even know what cocaine was?

• Just a reminder that this film, routinely considered among the greats, is about a vagrant who falls in love with an underage street urchin.
• Ah yes, back when we also gave a crap about rehabilitating our prisoners back into civilian life. Simpler times indeed.
• The roller-skating sequence is always fun to watch. Like all of his movies, it’s incredibly satisfying to see a Chaplin bit that you know has been meticulously choreographed to seem spontaneous and effortlessly funny.

• Classic Movie Law #18: All drunks must be accompanied by the song “How Dry I Am”.
• Did the Tramp and Ellen move into the “Gold Rush” house? It’s in pretty bad shape; they should get Buster Keaton to fix it up.
• Surprise guest star Geppetto as the mechanic.
• Chaplin was very hesitant to have the Tramp speak, fearing it would weaken the character’s universality, so he devised a compromise: the Tramp would sing, albeit in gibberish that borrows from several languages.

• I don’t care how uplifting or perfect that ending is; never tell a woman that she needs to smile!

Legacy

• “Modern Times” was Chaplin’s final film to feature his Tramp character, and his last “silent” film. Chaplin’s next feature would double down on this film’s topicality by tackling no less than Hitler in “The Great Dictator”.

• Like many eventual classics, “Modern Times” was met with mixed reception and its share of controversy. For starters, German studio Tobis Film sued Chaplin, claiming the assembly line sequence was lifted directly from their 1931 René Clair film “À nous la liberté”. The first lawsuit was dropped, but a second suit in the 1940s was settled out of court. For the record, René Clair was honored that Chaplin might have been inspired by him, and did not participate in either suit.
• Many critics considered the film to be Communist propaganda, so much that Joseph Goebbels banned the film from being screened in Germany once the Nazis took power. A little more fuel for the “Great Dictator” fire.
• Chaplin married leading lady Paulette Goddard a few months after the release of “Modern Times”, though their individual career goals led to their divorce six years later. Goddard’s post-Chaplin career doesn’t have a lot of classics, but she managed an Oscar nomination for the wartime drama “So Proudly We Hail!”

• The assembly line sequence has been spoofed or referenced many times over the years, notably by Donald Duck and Lucille Ball.

• And finally, in 1954, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons took the romantic theme from “Modern Times”, added lyrics based on the final scene, and called it “Smile”. The song was first recorded by Nat King Cole and has been a standard ever since.

#15) Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913)

OR “Alice in Movieland”

Directed (and possibly Written) by Alice Guy-Blaché

Class of 2003

This is a revised and expanded version of my original post on “Matrimony’s Speed Limit”, which you can read here.

The Plot: Fraunie (Fraunie Fraunholz) refuses to accept money from his girlfriend Marian (Marian Swayne), even after his fortune takes a dive in the stock market. Tired of waiting for his proposal, Marian sends Fraunie a fake telegram stating he will inherit his late aunt’s fortune if he marries by noon that day. It’s a mad comic dash as Fraunie proposes to every woman he runs into, and Marian grabs a Justice of the Peace (Actor Unknown) to perform an impromptu wedding.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises both the “deft, ironic” film as well as “[p]ioneering woman filmmaker” Guy- Blaché. There’s also an essay by film professor Margaret Hennefeld, whose “research focuses on issues of comedy, gender, [and] silent film history”, making “Matrimony’s Speed Limit” a direct bull’s-eye in her niche Venn diagram.

But Does It Really?: This film is definitely on here for what it represents rather than what it is. “Matrimony’s Speed Limit” is a dated piece of light comedy that, while not very entertaining today, is one of a handful of surviving films from Alice Guy-Blaché, who is among the first (if not the first) female directors in film history. Honestly, researching Alice Guy and her amazing film career was more interesting than rewatching this movie. A slight pass for “Matrimony’s Speed Limit”, but a definite yes to Alice Guy-Blaché.

Everybody Gets One: In 1894, 21-year-old Alice Guy was hired at L. Gaumont et Cie (later the Gaumont Film Company) as a secretary. Guy was in attendance at the Lumière Brothers first demonstration of film (1895’s “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”), and recognized that film could be used as a creative storytelling medium, rather than just reportage of daily life. Within a year, Guy directed her first short film (See “Further Viewing”). In 1907, Guy and her newlywed husband Herbert Blaché moved to the U.S. and founded Solax Studios in Flushing, New York, with Herbert as production manager and Alice the creative director. Over the next decade Alice directed hundreds of film, all the while experimenting with such then-revolutionary techniques as synchronized sound and interracial casting.

Wow, That’s Dated: Well for starters, the societal norms of the day surrounding gender roles and marriage (A woman who takes the initiative in her relationships!? Scandalous!) You also get standard ‘20s fare like telegrams and ticker tape, plus “hilarious” jokes about miscegenation and suicide.

Other notes

• “Matrimony’s Speed Limit” was filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Fort Lee became the new home of Solax Studios when their operation became too big for their New York offices. Sadly, a fire in 1919 destroyed the Solax film laboratory and with it, a majority of its library.
• I am well aware that my modern lens prohibits me from viewing this film as originally intended, but I got a lot of problems with “Matrimony’s Speed Limit”. For starters, at no point does Marian’s telegram give the name of Fraunie’s aunt, the dollar amount of the fortune, where or when he can receive it, or how exactly it can be determined that Fraunie did indeed get married before noon.
• And while we’re at it, why only give Fraunie 15 minutes to run and find a bride? Why not give him an extra hour or, hell, an extra day? Maybe that extra time would help him come to his senses and propose to his long-suffering girlfriend. Why must you rush things for comic effect, Marian?
• Okay, one more nitpick: How close/far away is the distance between Marian’s house and Fraunie’s office? It takes Fraunie five seconds to run over to her place, but it takes Marian the whole movie to drive to him. Was Fort Lee designed by M.C. Escher? But then again, I’m poking holes in a 106-year-old film whose sole purpose was to entertain. Kicks just keep getting harder to find.
• And now we get to the “Wow” in “Wow, That’s Dated”. Fraunie proposes to a woman wearing a veil and gloves. She is receptive, and lifts her veil to reveal that she’s black. Sure, miscegenation was still quite taboo in 1913, but that joke does not age well at all. And this comes after Alice helmed the first movie with an African-American cast: 1912’s “A Fool and His Money” (great title, by the way). Surely she would have known better.
• I feel like finding someone who would immediately marry a stranger is far easier nowadays, what with the dating apps and all. In fact, is there an app for that? If not, I call dibs on the copyright! 

Legacy

• By the end of the 1910s, moviemaking had started migrating to Hollywood, and Alice Guy-Blaché found her film career (and her marriage) at an end. Alice sold the remains of Solax Studios to stave off bankruptcy, and never made another movie. Her sole return to public life came with the publishing of her memoirs in the late 1940s, to ensure that her place in film history would be well documented.
• With the exception of a few lifetime achievement honors in her native France, Alice Guy-Blaché did not receive any recognition of her film work during her lifetime. This changed in the 2000s, when her work was resurrected and reappraised thanks to extensive film preservation efforts. Alice was posthumously inducted into the Directors Guild of America in 2011, and is the subject of the 2015 biography & 2018 documentary “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”

Further Viewing: While Alice Guy-Blaché’s original 1896 version of “La Fée aux Choux” has disappeared, her remake from 1900 survives, and is considered the earliest known film directed by a woman. Literally translated to “The Cabbage Fairy”, the short is based on the European fantasy that children are born in cabbage patches. And now you know where the concept behind Cabbage Patch Kids comes from. You’re welcome.

This is Part II of my “Psycho” write-up. Part I is here! Keep reading for some bonus musings, but please do not divulge the surprise ending.

Legacy

• “Psycho” was a megahit, and thanks to his distribution deal with Paramount, Hitchcock received the lion’s share of the profits. Following this film, Hitchcock jumped ship to the more supportive Universal Studios (they were also producing “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”), and spent the rest of his filmmaking career there, starting with 1963’s “The Birds”.

• Sure, in hindsight “Psycho” was the apex of both Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh’s filmographies, but they both worked steadily for the rest of their lives, and were always quick to acknowledge how much the film did for their careers.

• “Psycho” is considered the first of the slasher sub-genre of horror. Slashers have maintained their popularity over the last 60 years, from immediate follow-ups like Polanski’s “Repulsion” to De Palma’s “Dressed to Kill” to whatever slasher films from the ‘70s and ‘80s are being remade today. Honorable mention to fellow NFR entry “Halloween”, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Janet Leigh.

• Shortly after Hitchock’s passing, Universal started cranking out sequels to “Psycho”. Despite a very game Anthony Perkins returning for all of them (and even directing “III”), the “Psycho” sequels are the textbook example of diminishing returns.

• On a related note, Robert Bloch wrote a few sequels to the original novel that are in no way connected to the film sequels.
• Perkins played a Norman Bates-type in a 1990 commercial for Oatmeal Crisp. That brings a whole new meaning to “Kid Tested, Mother Approved”.

• The Bates Motel and house are still a staple of the Universal Studios Hollywood tour. The set on the Orlando tour were created specifically for the sequel-prequel “Psycho IV: The Beginning”.

• There are countless books devoted to Hitchcock and the making of “Psycho”. One in particular, Stephen Rebello’s “Hitchcock and the Making of ‘Psycho’”, spawned the 2012 movie “Hitchcock” with Anthony Hopkins. Turns out even a fascinating story like Hitch putting his artistic integrity on the line to make “Psycho” can be bogged down in rudimentary Biopic 101 trappings.

• IMDb lists over 1700 films and TV shows that have referenced, parodied, or featured “Psycho” over the years. Among the oddities: Martin Balsam spoofing his own performance in something called “The Silence of the Hams”.

• Everyone has spoofed the shower scene, including this very forced homage from “High Anxiety!”.

• The shower sequence is so iconic it has its own documentary! “78/52” spends 91 minutes dissecting the 45 second sequence. Now that’s a legacy!

• You may recall the “Bates Motel” series on A&E a few years back, but did you know there was an unsuccessful “Bates Motel” pilot back in the ‘80s with Bud Cort? Oh, you did? You read the Wikipedia page too, huh? …I see.

• “Psycho” has even inspired art exhibitions! Douglas Gordon’s “24 Hour Psycho” drastically slows down the film’s framerate and asks the question “What if ‘Psycho’ had been directed by Andy Warhol?”

• “Chubby Checker, ‘Psycho’, Belgians in the Congo, we didn’t start the fire…”

• Last, and definitely least, the 1998 shot-for-shot remake by Gus Van Sant. It hurts my soul so very, very much.

Other Other Notes

• Janet Leigh is from my hometown of Stockton, California! Well, she’s not actually from there; she was born in Merced, but spent most of her childhood in Stockton. She even went to UOP…to study music and psychology. She didn’t get into acting until after she left Stockton. But hey, my hometown will take what it can get.
• I was a bit tough on John Gavin’s performance last time, but I will say his work as Sam didn’t bother me as much now. He’s not great, but part of that is all the clunky dialogue Sam gets. That’s a lot of exposition for a character who really doesn’t matter in the long run. In fact, pretty much everyone’s expositional backstory can be categorized as “MacGuffin”.
• Best exchange in the movie; “I declare!” “I don’t; that’s how I get to keep it.”
• Apparently Norman is munching on candy corn throughout the movie. He truly is evil!
• “You see, if it doesn’t jell it isn’t aspic, and this ain’t jelling.” Well you don’t hear that phrase a lot anymore. Or ever.
• At one point when Lila is exploring the house, there’s a cut to a close-up of her face that made me jump. And I knew nothing was going to happen in that scene! When a movie you’ve seen before can make you shiver like that, you know you’ve got a classic.

Other Notes From the Original Post That I Felt Deserved Another Chance

• This movie got the green light when Audrey Hepburn bowed out of Hitch’s proposed courtroom drama “No Bail for the Judge” due to pregnancy. So congratulations, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, you are indirectly responsible for one of the greatest American films ever!
• That’s future “Mary Tyler Moore” star Ted Knight as the policeman outside of Norman’s cell. And here I thought it all started for him at a 5000-watt radio station in Fresno, California.

Further Viewing: Hitchcock was obsessed with preserving the secrets to “Psycho” for first-time viewers, and launched a unique publicity campaign for the movie. He barred Perkins and Leigh from making the talk-show rounds, crafted a trailer that has zero footage from the final film, banned critics from seeing the film until it had opened, and gave theaters explicit instructions not to permit audience members into the theater once the film began. He even produced a short film to tell theater owners how to enforce his policies.

Further Further Viewing: Norman Bates sings! An accomplished musical theater performer (even receiving a Tony nomination for Frank Loesser’s “Greenwillow”), Anthony Perkins got to show off his pipes to a national audience in 1966’s “Evening Primrose”, which plays like a lost “Twilight Zone” musical episode.

#32) Psycho (1960)

OR “Oedipal Arrangements”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Written by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch.

Class of 1992

This is a revised and expanded version of my original “Psycho” post, which you can read here.

Also, I can’t discuss “Psycho” without mentioning the film’s major plot twists, so spoilers ahead!

The Plot: Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) can’t afford to marry her long-distance boyfriend Sam (John Gavin), so she impulsively steals $40,000 cash from her job and drives from Phoenix to Fairvale to be with Sam. After a tense drive, Marion checks into the Bates Motel, run by the earnest Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his distant yet domineering mother (Voiced by Virginia Gregg/Paul Jasmin/Jeanette Nolan). After dinner with Norman, Marion is murdered by Mother in the shower before she has the chance to return the money. Once Marion goes missing, her sister Lila (Vera Miles) becomes determined to find her. This leads everyone back to the Bates, where the mother of all surprises awaits.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “suspensefull [sic]” and praises Bernard Herrmann’s “spine-tinglingly [sp?] unforgettable” score. They also, however, detail how Perkins and Leigh’s future work was overshadowed by “Psycho”. In addition, an essay by film critic Charles Taylor digs a little too deeply into the film’s symbolism.

But Does It Really?: No surprises: “Psycho” is on my list of truly untouchable great films. I have seen “Psycho” several times over the years, and I was well aware of the film’s twists prior to my first viewing, but I’ll be damned if this movie still can’t scare the crap out of me every time. “Psycho” certainly isn’t the taboo-busting pulp thriller it was in 1960, and it’s dated and sexist as all hell by today’s standards, but Hitchcock’s polished, confident directing, plus a cast and crew at the top of their game, ensures the film’s longevity. A game changer for the thriller genre as well as for all of moviedom, “Psycho” has endured, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Everybody Gets One: Film and stage actor Anthony Perkins was always Hitchcock’s first choice to play Norman Bates, his “boy-next-door” good looks being a departure from the character’s shorter, cruder description in the book. Although he was seemingly typecast for the rest of his career, Perkins often spoke fondly of his time making “Psycho”. That being said, upon his passing, his urn was inscribed, “Don’t Fence Me In”.

Wow, That’s Dated: I’ll assume the original title of this movie was “Issues with Women: The Motion Picture”. Jeez Louise is this thing sexist (It should be noted that both director and screenwriter were coping with their own mother issues during production). On a less depressing note, the $40,000 Marion steals would be roughly $346,000 today.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Psycho” opened to mixed critical reviews, but strong word of mouth made the film a worldwide box office sensation. At the 1961 Oscars, “Psycho” managed four nominations, but zero wins. Janet Leigh lost Best Supporting Actress to Shirley Jones in “Elmer Gantry”, and Hitch lost his fifth (and final) Best Director nod to that year’s big winner: Billy Wilder for “The Apartment”. For those of you keeping track, “Psycho” received no nominations for Picture, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, or Original Score.

Other notes

• Although serial killer Ed Gein was the primary inspiration for Norman Bates, “Psycho” author Robert Bloch was unaware of the specifics of Gein’s crimes until he had almost completed the manuscript, and was amazed at how close he was. Call it the most perverse parallel thinking that ever happened.
• Expecting another big-budget thriller a la “Vertigo” or “To Catch a Thief”, Paramount rejected the “Psycho” screenplay, calling it “too repulsive for films”. Undeterred, Hitchcock financed the film himself, shooting on the Universal lot with his TV crew from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” to keep “Psycho” under-budget. Paramount still distributed the picture, but ultimately sold their cut of the film back to Hitchcock.
• Those credits, man. Only Saul Bass can take a series of lines and make them suspenseful. Special mention to Bernard Herrmann, whose score so impressed Hitchcock, he doubled Herrmann’s salary.

• While reviewing the establishing shots of Phoenix filmed by the second unit, Hitchcock noticed that Christmas decorations were visible on the streets. Rather than reshoot, Hitch added text stating the film begins on “Friday December the Eleventh”, making “Psycho” the least Christmas-y Christmas movie this side of “Die Hard”.
• We get TWO Hitchcock cameos in this movie! Hitch makes his usual appearance at the beginning (but why the cowboy hat?), followed immediately by his daughter Patricia in the brief role of Marion’s co-worker Caroline.

• Wow, Tom Cassidy is the tip of this movie’s sexist iceberg. Who knew Sam Wainwright was such a creep? Hee-haw!
• Before we get to the actual scares, Hitch keeps the suspense going with good old-fashioned paranoia; the nosy cop, the pushy car-dealer, the voices in Marion’s head. The Bates Motel sign signals a (ultimately false) sense of security.
• Perkins is wonderfully sympathetic as Norman, but he’s also giving you plenty of red flags. The taxidermy? “A boy’s best friend is his mother”? Marion, you in danger girl.

• This film’s other watershed moment: it was the first mainstream movie to feature a flushing toilet. The production code allowed it because Marion flushes away evidence, thereby making the action integral to the plot.
• This whole post could be me dissecting the shower sequence (God knows everyone else has). In a film that has taken its time edging towards suspense, the shower murder is a full-on cathartic barrage of cuts and close-ups and Bernard Herrmann’s stringed staccatos. What a shocking experience this unfettered violence/sexuality must have been to 1960 audiences. The shower scene may be the definitive demonstration on the power that film has on our collective psyche. Kudos to everyone involved…except you, Saul Bass. You know what you did!

• This legendary moment is immediately followed by a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean up a murder scene and dispose of the body. I feel very prepared if I ever find myself in this situation.
• Vera Miles doesn’t get much to do in this movie, but I appreciate Lila taking command of this situation. I sense this is as strong-willed a female lead as Hitchcock would allow in one of his movies.
• As much as I love Martin Balsam, no one ever needs to be that close to his face.
• The one thing I never understood regarding the Norman/Mother dichotomy: When Arbogast goes to the house to interrogate Mother, how did Norman get from the motel to the second floor of the house without Arbogast seeing him AND while also managing a quick-change into his mother costume? Color me impressed.

• Once we reach the climax, we get an extended scene of a psychiatrist explaining Norman’s condition to Lila & Sam, and it really doesn’t mesh with the rest of the movie. It doesn’t help that Simon Oakland, the actor playing Dr. Richman, is a bit too slick for this film. It’s a weird performance in an unnecessary scene at the end of an otherwise superb film.

• Although several actors shared the voice-over duties as Mother Bates, radio actor Virginia Gregg is the sole voice of Norma during the final “She wouldn’t harm a fly” monologue. It’s perfection.

• This will sound weird, but with this viewing I recognized what a bizarre little movie this is. “Psycho” is so steeped in our culture that it’s easy to forget that the movie kills off its quote-unquote lead 45 minutes in, and then reveals that our new sympathetic lead is the murderer. The unorthodox plotting has become less conspicuous the more the film is referenced and studied, but if you really try to forget everything you know about “Psycho”, you’ll realize just how unconventional this film was in 1960 and still is today.

There’s so much more to talk about, so read about the legacy of “Psycho” here.