Philip J. Skerry

The Shower Scene in Hitchcock's Psycho: Creating Cinematic Suspense and Terror Philip J. Skerry

This study places the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) within its cinematic, sociological and critical contexts. It also locates the film within the personal and professional experiences of the author. The methodology depends upon a melding of first person narration with a close analysis of the film's mise en scene and montage, as these techniques evolve in Hitchcock's oeuvre and culminate in the seminal shower scene. The study also incorporates lengthy interviews with the star of the film, Janet Leigh; with the scriptwriter, Joseph Stefano; with the assistant director, Hilton Green; with the sound designer, Danny Greene; with the assistant editor, Terry Williams; and with the editor of the Gus Van Sant remake of Psycho, Amy Duddleston. The book culminates with first person accounts of the initial viewing of Psycho's shower scene from filmmakers and from Hitchcock scholars and fans.