Thursday, June 16, 1960: 'Psycho'

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" opens in New York, shocking audiences with its signature shower scene. Based on a novel by Robert Bloch, it stars Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film's score, including the shrieking strings, was composed by Bernard Herrmann. Movie posters at the time emphasize Leigh (in a bra) and Hitchock himself more than Perkins.

* Short synopsis: @

* Long synopsis: @

* Cartoon synopsis: @

* Leigh poster: @

* Hitchcock poster: @

* Short trailer: @

* Long trailer (hosted by Hitchcock): @

* "Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Casebook" (essays collected in book form): @

* "The Psycho File: A Comprehensive Guide to Hitchcock's Classic Shocker" (book): @

* Trivia: @

* More about Robert Bloch: @ and @

* More about Bernard Herrmann: @ and @

---

Thursday, March 28, 1963: 'The Birds'

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, "The Birds" premieres in New York. From Bob Thomas of The Associated Press (full link below):

     "What's the matter with all the birds?" asks a character in Alfred Hitchcock's new film, "The Birds."

     What is the matter, indeed? Sea gulls peck at boaters at Bodega Bay, Calif. Others swoop down on a children's birthday perty. A flight of sparrows invade a house by the chimney. Whole henhouses refuse to eat.

     Something's got to give, and it's the humans. The birds come flying at them like a plague of oversized, carnivorous locusts. Anyone who has been swooped at by a nesting mockingbird know what terror that can hold.

* Movie trailer: @

* Script (from dailyscript.com): @

* Entry from Turner Classic Movies: @

* Entry from AMC's filmsite.org: @

* New York Times review: @    

* "Hitchcock Goes To The Birds" (Thomas): @

* "A Hitchcock Reader" (1986): @

* "The Day of the Claw: A Synoptic Account of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds" (Ken Mogg, Senses of Cinema, 2009): @

* Earlier post on "Psycho" (June 1960): @ 

---

Monday, April 17, 1961: The Oscars

At the 33rd Academy Awards, "The Apartment" wins best picture, while Burt Lancaster wins best actor for "Elmer Gantry" and Elizabeth Taylor wins best actress for "Butterfield 8." Hollywood legend has it that Taylor's victory was a sympathy vote, the actress having recently recovered from pneumonia and an emergency tracheotomy.

(Blog posts from 1960 movies include "The Apartment," "Elmer Gantry," "Psycho" and "Where the Boys Are." Click on "movies" label.)

* Summary and winners (from Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences): @

* Excerpt from "Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor" (book by C. David Heymann): @

---