Another One Gone

I wonder what it was like to be best-remembered for THAT scene in THAT movie. Eek. That is one film I still have not seen and I really don't care to. I have seen bits and pieces here and there, but I've never even watched the shower scene. I know my limitations when it comes to what I can stomach.

Hi Stumpy and Jen.

I'm very sad to have just finished reading of Miss Leigh's death. She was a fine actress appearing in many memorable pictures as well as having the same surname as John Wayne in real life (she was christened Jeanette Helen Morrison).

I wrote to her a couple of years ago sending her a photograph of her in Jet Pilot wearing the gold dress not only did she return it autographed but enclosed another one as well, a nice lady, greatly missed.

Regards

Arthur

I am sadden by the death of Janet Leigh. I enjoyed her in Psycho. I saw her in Jet Pilot with Duke and liked her part as well. Even though I am more familar with Jamie Leigh Curtis (being closer to my age), I am sadden that her mother has passed. May the great ones keep the screen classic and show us the true greatness of entertainment.

Cheers B)

I too am saddened by the loss of another Hollywood great. As the old ones pass away, so does the "real" identity of movies pass on with them.

Hey Stumpy:

Your story reminds me of that goofy song from the '80s by Rockwell. The chorus goes, "I always feel that somebody's watching me, and I have no privacy." There is a line in there where he says, "When I'm in the shower, I'm afraid to wash my hair/I might open my eyes and find someone standing there/People say I'm crazy, just a little touched/But maybe showers remind me of Psycho too much."

I think what makes it and other films of its ilk scary is almost more the element of what is not seen versus what is seen.

But I prefer the fun, witty Hitchcock films myself, like North by Northwest or Rear Window.

Hi Jen

What made the film so different from the rest was that hitchcock 'bumped' the heroine off in the first reel, but then I suppose that was Hitchcock.
Her obituary made full page cover on all our broadsheets and The Times had a fabulous Full page picture of her in blue shorts and vest sitting on a high chair with sandals on.

A nive way to remember her.

Regards

Arthur

regards

When I heard of Janet Leigh's death on the radio, I wondered if Arthur would post about it here - looks like Stumpy beat him to it . But I really do appreciate everyone's comments, and the interesting trivia that Arthur shared (about the Duke and Miss Leigh having the same "real" last name, among other things).

I remember seeing Psycho and The Birds when I was younger, and being quite scared (although not so scared that I couldn't shower by myself ), but when my teenagers rented those movies recently, they didn't find them that scary at all. Do you think it's because of what's available on the screen nowadays, in terms of horror and special effects? Those movies seem kind of tame now (although they did enjoy them in spite of that).

Mrs. C

Hey Mrs. C:

I think to some extent the graphic, violent nature of today's horror films have desensitized people to the older films. But as I said previously, it isn't what is seen that is necessarily scary - to me it's more the suggestion of what could be - the possibility of what could be that makes something scary. I find psychological themes much more frightening than a dumb old slasher flick, you know? I don't watch those, but from what I've seen they're just gross & gory. But everyone's different, I guess.

The Birds was scary because of the way everyone was so trapped - and the fact that they couldn't really fight their enemy or even understand why the birds kept coming.

There's another Hitchcock film called Rope that I find chilling. I don't know if you've seen it, but two guys decide to kill a friend just for a thrill. They hide his body in a chest and then throw a dinner party in order to have people over while the body sits in the chest. There is very little if any violence in this film but it is so creepy to me because the two killers (one in particular) are so cold-blooded and so rational about taking someone's life for no reason at all. I don't think I'll be watching it again, though Jimmy Stewart is quite good in it. And it's kind of cool for one other reason, and for that I'll quote allmovie.com's Hal Erickson:

"In Rope, Hitchcock attempted the daunting technical challenge of filming the entire picture in one long, uninterrupted take. Actually, there are three changes of camera angles in the film, occurring at twenty-minute intervals to accommodate reel changeovers in the projection room (since a reel of film was divided into two ten-minute minireels back in 1948, the internal reel-breaks are "fudged" by having a dark object briefly obscure the camera lens, sustaining the illusion that no editing has taken place)."

Anyway, there's my dollar two ninety eight!

Jen,

We have seen Rope, and know exactly what you are saying. It was really creepy, and unusual in that the whole movie took place in that apartment, except for the opening scene.

One of our favorite Hitchcock movies is North by Northwest, with Cary Grant. Vertigo, with Jimmy Stewart, is another eery one that we enjoy.

Chester

Hi Jen

That was a brilliant description you gave of psycholigical violence and it is very true. One of the scariest scenes in a movie I ever seen was actually prior to the raid on the Edwards ranch in The Searchers now there is psychological violence at it best.

Rope is a very interesting and yet disturbing movie how could one human be so cold about a murder and consider it art, I do love the way Jimmy uses his wit to learn the truth starting from absolutely nothing, he didn't even know there was a death. Words cannot describe the greatness of Vertigo its my second favourite movie after The Searchers and it is very deep and slightly disturbing for this reason I wouldn't watch it too often but it will be on this Chirstmas along with Rope so I will watch them both then.

Sometimes slasher movies can get the violence right at the start of Scream with the murderer talking on the phone now that is scary and remember everyone that even the Duke recognised the changing times look how violent The Cowboys and Big Jake were.

Well thats my two cents on the topic.