Infamous Shower Scene with Janet Leigh from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), best murder ever scene

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Alfred Hitchcock, the fabled “master of suspense,” called Psycho a prank.

In fact, it was revolutionary. The film shocked audiences with its infamous 45-second “shower scene,” a heart-stopping sequence after which nothing would ever look the same.

Extreme close-ups. Fast-motion reverse shots. And flesh-stabbing sound effects made with a knife and a casaba melon.

The sequence became a demarcation line in film history. “There were movies before the shower scene and movies after the shower scene,” says filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe, whose 2017 documentary 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene explores Psycho and its signature scene in depth. (Its title alludes to the 78 camera set-ups and 52 edits made for the sequence).“It really was a game changer.”

The censors balked at what they perceived as nudity in the shower sequence. Leigh wore moleskin patches to hide sensitive areas, as did her body double, pin-up model and future Playboy cover star Marli Renfro, who took over for more exposed moments. But there also was the opening scene, in which Leigh’s Marion wears only a bra and slip, sharing a hotel room with her divorced lover. The censors wanted that changed, too, but the savvy director tricked them. He sent back a copy of the shower scene that was unchanged, confusing the censors as to whether they had seen something or not. He also invited them to the set where he would reshoot the offending opening scene, but none of the censors showed up.

Much of the scene, which was storyboarded in consultation with the legendary designer Saul Bass (and took a week to film), was shot in extreme close-ups, with swift edits, so that the nudity and violence is implied—felt—but never actually seen. The shower set was constructed so that any of its walls could be removed, allowing the camera to get in close from every angle. And Hitchcock employed a fast-motion reverse shot to make it look like the blade actually pierced Marion’s abdomen.

Movie plot:
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Joseph Stefano (screenplay by), Robert Bloch (based on the novel by)
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles

Shower# JanetLeigh# AlfredHitchcock# Psycho# murder#