10 Directors Who Went To Insane Lengths To Get Their Movies Made

During the 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock was renowned as the world's best director, thanks to movies like Rear Window and Vertigo. But when the London-born filmmaker announced he wanted to adapt Robert Bloch's novel, Psycho, for the big screen, no studio was interested, believing the story was mediocre schlock.

However, Hitchcock believed the story's twist was so mind-blowing, he was adamant Psycho would be a hit. Unable to receive the desired funding, Hitchcock remortgaged his house and had the film shot in black-and-white to keep the costs down.

Because the twist was the most shocking moment in the story, Hitchcock couldn't risk anyone learning about it pre-emptively and so, bought every copy of Bloch's novel he could find. To ensure the cast didn't spoil the ending, Hitchcock didn't show anyone the final ten pages of the script until the day of filming. He also urged all cast and crew to make a solemn vow not to disclose any details about the production.

Although these tactics could have been considered gimmicky, they paid off since the twist was regarded as one of the most defining moments in the history of cinema.