10 Insane Reasons Movies Were Nearly Shut Down

When Alfred Hitchcock set his sights on adapting Psycho, he pulled out all the stops to get it done. He managed to anonymously purchase the film rights to the book, and then went on a campaign to purchase all printed copies, so he could keep the ending secret.

Once that was done, he went to Paramount and pitched his movie. Hitchcock had a contract with the studio, and his next film needed to be done there. Unfortunately, the executives in charge absolutely hated the story and insisted it was "too repulsive" and "impossible for films."

In an attempt to keep Hitchcock from making the movie he wanted, they cut his budget considerably. The studio was certain it would flop, and it did everything it could to make that happen. After cutting the budget, Hitchcock gave up his $250,000 salary for a staggering 60% of the gross and then financed the picture through his own production company.

The reason Psycho was filmed in black and white was due to the cost-cutting efforts Hitchcock was forced into making as a result of studio interference. In the end, he not only took home a sizable amount of money, thanks to the film's success, but he ended up filming one of the greatest movies ever made.