Directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Joseph Stefano, Psycho (1960) is an American horror movie based on the novel with the same title written by Robert Bloch. The movie is one of the earliest slasher films. Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980, and Universal Pictures made the movie sequels and television series based on Psycho.
The movie shows how Marion meets a motel owner, Norman Bates, and disappears. Thus, her lover Sam Loomis, sister Lila, and a private detective try to find her. Later, it turns out that Marion got killed and dumped in a swamp by the psycho Norman.
Alfred Hitchcock had budget concerns. Thus, he hired the crew members of his television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, to film the black-and-white movie Psycho. Producing Psycho was risky because it had a tight budget, $806,947, though it made a box-office collection of $50 million. Thus, the production team was surprised at its success. Paramount+ distributed the movie and considered it a failure, but it turned out to be a masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock.
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Psycho Filming Locations
The movie shows a fictional town, Fairwale, California. It was underestimated before the release, though it proved everyone wrong after the release. Thus, the crew members used the Universal Studios Hollywood at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, California, instead of real-life filming locations. The Phoenix skyline and freeway shots were filmed at the Universal Studios backlot’s sound stages to make them budget-friendly.
The Psycho House
Norman Bates lives close to the notorious Bates Motel. He has a sick mother who cannot get out of the house. Norman makes several rounds from the motel to his mansion and vice versa in the movie.
Like the motel, the production team created the Pyscho House at the Universal Studios backlot, and the interior was filmed at Stage 28. The house still stands in the studio. However, it might be a reconstructed version of the original one.
Barrister Palace
The Barrister Palace Building in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, is now known as the Jefferson Hotel. The exterior of the building did not change over the years. So, the psycho movie lover will quickly recognize the building.
The opening scene of Psycho was filmed at the Barrister Palace Building. The aerial shot in the opening scene indicates it is 11 December (Friday). The next one lets us peep through a window of a room where Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and Sam Loomis (John Gavin) get physically closer.
Harry Maher’s Used Car Lot
Harry Maher’s Used Car Lot is near Universal Studios and is the largest dealer of MINI Coopers on Lankershim Boulevard. The car lot underwent many changes. Thus, it does not look like the one shown in Psycho (1960).
According to the movie, Marion gets questioned by the police officer when he finds her sleeping in her car at the side of the road. However, the officer leaves her, and she drives to a car lot.
Till then, the officer follows her. Marion goes to there to change her car. The owner gets troubled by her while she fights with her troubles.
Bates Motel
Marion swaps her car and drives out of town with the stolen money but cannot go further due to heavy rain. Thus, she checks in the Bates Motel as Marie Samuels. According to the movie, the motel is owned by Norman Bates. Since the motel is fifteen miles from Fairvale, it remains empty until Marion checks in.
You will not find Bates Motel because the Psycho production team created its interior in Universal Studios for the movie. The existing filming location was filmed at a specific angle to portray the exterior of Bates Motel. The interior was filmed at Stage 18.
The set attracted many visitors for over two decades. However, other production teams came and knocked it down in the 1980s. Psycho movie’s 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2010 after building a replica of the interior of Bates Motel in Nevada.
Falls Lake
Norman kills Marion and dumps her with her car in the swamp and watches the car and all evidence sinking. The scene was filmed at the Falls Lake near the Universal Studios due to budget constraints. The lake was built in 1926 for Uncle Tom’s Cabin and later, got used for Leave It To Beaver, Psycho, Jaws: The Revenge, True Lies (1994), and more.
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