Alfred Hitchcock presents ‘Psycho’

Abstract

In this thesis I am going to argue that Alfred Hitchcock could not have made Psycho (1960) to such critical acclaim and such a success at the box office, if he had not become involved in television in 1955 with his Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62). Making a direct link between the film and the television shows is not entirely original but I explore the link in fresh ways. Mindful of its shortcomings, I proceed under the umbrella of auteurism and I use close analysis to consider my material. Despite the paucity of existing scholarship, I pick my way around such clues as there are and start building my case. I have watched and comprehensively documented 155 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, aired up to Psycho, making for an invaluable resource in itself, which I hope will bring Hitchcock’s television work into the canon and fill a hole in Hitchcock scholarship. Taking Hitchcock’s work in television seriously aside, this research considers mainly unsung heroes (Lew Wasserman, Joan Harrison and James Allardice); Hitchcock’s own remarkable television persona; the extraordinary marketing campaign that helped fill the cinemas; the very direct parallels between the film and a variety of the television shows; and an obvious disparity between North by Northwest (1959) and Psycho. In the process I bring new light to bear on a much written about film.

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ORCID for Michael Williams: orcid.org/0000-0001-5386-5567

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