Alfred Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel Psycho for around $9,000, which was a modest sum even then. He also covertly purchased as many copies of the book as he could find so audiences would not know the shocking twists before seeing the film.

Psycho was shot in black and white not just for budget reasons, but because Hitchcock believed color would make the shower scene too graphic and repulsive for audiences.

The infamous shower scene, though only about 45 seconds long on screen, required 78 camera setups and more than 50 cuts. It took around a week to film because Hitchcock obsessively stitched it together for maximum tension.

Instead of fake blood, Hitchcock used Bosco chocolate syrup in the shower scene because it showed up better on black and white film and had the right consistency for dramatic effect.

Bernard Herrmann’s eerie string score for Psycho became so iconic that Hitchcock doubled his salary for the film, famously saying the music accounted for 33 percent of the movie’s effect.

Hitchcock originally did not want any music at all during the shower scene, but Herrmann pushed to score it and ultimately created one of cinema’s most recognizable soundtracks.

Psycho was one of the first mainstream films to depict a flushing toilet on screen, which at the time was controversial with censors because such mundane bathroom details were considered taboo.

Anthony Perkins, who portrayed Norman Bates, was paid about $40,000 for his role, an amount that coincidentally matches the $40,000 Marion steals in the movie.

Hitchcock insisted that no one be admitted to theaters once a showing had started, a promotional tactic that fueled intrigue and long lines. His marketing campaign even included ads claiming that not even the President of the United States could be admitted after the film began, a playful strategy that drove curiosity.

The character Marion Crane was named Mary Crane in the original novel.

When Psycho was released, Disney refused to let Hitchcock film at Disneyland because the movie was considered too disgusting and inappropriate.

Hitchcock made a brief cameo early in Psycho. He can be seen wearing a Stetson hat outside Marion’s office, a bit of misdirection so his iconic appearance would not distract from the plot later.

Psycho was independently financed by Hitchcock on a relatively tight budget of around $807,000, which was modest for a major Hollywood release even at the time.

The film marked the last time Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, even though he had previously been nominated four times and never won that category.

Hitchcock made the cast and crew take a confidentiality oath on the first day of shooting, forbidding them from revealing any details of the story in order to protect the twist ending.

The shower scene was filmed after actress Janet Leigh postponed it twice, once due to a cold and once due to her menstrual cycle, highlighting the practical challenges behind the legendary sequence.

When Psycho was first scheduled for US television airing, it was postponed due to a real life stabbing murder. The film did not appear on US television until 1970, after its theatrical rerelease.

The sound of the knife hitting flesh in the shower scene was created by stabbing a casaba melon, demonstrating Hitchcock’s inventive use of practical sound effects.

The shower sequence’s terror comes from technique rather than explicit gore. The knife never actually touches skin on screen, yet viewers feel the horror through editing, sound, and music.

The novel on which the film is based was inspired by real life murderer Ed Gein, whose crimes influenced not just Psycho but multiple horror stories and films.