Shower Scene is the phrase used to describe the scene in Psycho (1960) when Marion Crane is murdered. The scene is also used as archive footage to open Psycho II and flashes of it are used in Psycho III.
Facts[]
- The scene was shot from December 17-December 23, 1959.
- The scene includes 70-77 camera angles (depending on how you count them).
- There are 50 film cuts.
- Saul Bass heavily storyboarded the scene but both Janet Leigh and Hilton A. Green have confirmed that Alfred Hitchcock directed the entire thing on set.
- The rumour that Hitchcock used freezing cold water to illicit a better scream from Janet Leigh is false. She has confirmed it was hot water.
- Janet Leigh's nipple is never exposed.
- There is one shot where the knife does seem to penetrate Marion's flesh, but this only happens for 3 frames.
- It is true that Anthony Perkins was not on set to shoot this scene. He was in New York rehearsing a Broadway show and Margo Epper doubled for him as "Mother."
- Marli Renfro did double for Janet Leigh in some shots.
- Myra Jones doubled for Leigh for the post-scene wrap-up of the body.
- The blood in the scene is chocolate syrup (Bosco) because it read better on black and white film than regular stage blood.
