12 Rooms...12 Vacancies!

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2020)

"Psycho", in my humble opinion, is the best of Director Alfred Hitchcock's films. It has everything that you would want in a thriller love making, theft, fear, murder tension and unexpected twists. It's divided into three parts, the theft of the $40K, the aftermath of the first murder and the solution of the crime.
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is a secretary to a real estate agent George Lowry (Vaughn Taylor). Marion has been meeting boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin) for some "afternoon delight". They are unable to marry due to Loomis large alimony payments. Lowry has been selling a home to Tom Cassidy (Frank Albertson) and the two have been out celebrating the sale. Cassidy insists on paying the $40K sale price in cash and brings the money to the office.
Marion is asked to take the cash to the bank, She asks for the rst of the day off and decides to yield to temptation and flees with the money. She heads for the California town of Fairview (I think) the home of Loomis and his hardware store. On the way Marion pulls over to the side of the road to rest.
The next morning a Highway Patrol Officer (Mort Mills) in sinister reflective sun glasses questions her. He becomes suspicious of her nervousness. In the next town, Marion pulls into a used car lot and trades her car in. The salesman Charlie (John Anderson) is curious as to why she is in such a hurry. The Highway Patrolman pulls up opposite the car lot and unnerves Marion.
Marion proceeds on her way and gets caught up in a rain storm. Only miles away from her destination, she pulls off the road into an out of the way motel..."The Bates Motel" There she is greeted by a personable Norman Bates who checks her into her room. Norman offers to make a snack for Marion. She overhears Norman arguing with his mother. When Norman returns, Marion tries to talk the momma's boy Norman into leaving the abusive old lady. He refuses. However in telling each other their troubles, Marion sees the error of her theft and plans to return the money the next day.
Marion with a clear conscience, decides to take a relaxing shower when a shadowy figure creeps into the bathroom and unexpectedly murders her. Norman back at the house on the hill, sees blood on his mother mnad rushes to Marion's room. He is shocked at what he finds but decides to protect his mother nad cleans up the crime scene. He places Marion's body in her car and sinks it in a bog behind the motel.
A week later, Marion's sister Lila (Vera Miles) arrives at Sam's store trailed by private investigator Arbogast (Martin Balsam). They both are concerned over Marion's disappearance and feel that she is hiding somewhere in town. They soon realize that something more serious has occurred. They go to local sheriff Al Chambers (John McIntyre) for help. They explain the situation. He informs them that Norman's mother has evidently been dead these past ten years.
Arbogast, hired by Lowry, checks all the local hotels for a trace of Marion and ultimately arrives at the Bates Motel. He becomes suspicious of the nervous Norman and decides that he will try to interview Norman's mother. As he goes up the staircase in the house he receives a big surprise.
When Arbogast fails to return, Lila and Sam decide to visit the Bates Motel themselves. They immediately become suspicious. While Sam distracts Norman, Lila sneaks into the house in search of Mrs. Bates. Norman overpowers Sam and races to his mother's aid. Lila is searching the creepy old house and descends into the basement when Norman returns. What she finds is the answer to Norman's secret.
I envy anyone seeing "Psycho" for the first time and experiencing the shocks provided by Mr. Hitchcock for the first time. I mean, how in how many films is the leading lady murdered early in the story?
The performances are universally great with Perkins standing out. Leigh and Miles give strong feminine interpretations to their roles. The film is populated with top character actors of the day. In addition to those already mentioned, we have Simon Oakland as the psychiatrist who explains all, Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Chambers and Pat Hitchcock as Marion's co-worker. And watch for Alfred Hitchcock's cameo at the beginning of the movie.
And the score by Bernard Hermann............WOW! It's just like another character in the movie.
Followed by two sequels and a TV movie over twenty years later.