20 Things You Didn't Know About Psycho
11. Hitchcock Made Cinema Managers Refuse Entry After The Movie Started
Hitchcock was so thoroughly invested in the theatrical experience of Psycho being a word-of-mouth sensation that he not only made the cast and crew vow not to reveal the plot, but he wrote strict instructions for cinema managers to follow while screening the film.
Above all else, he insisted that nobody be allowed to enter the cinema after the start time, for fear that they'd inquire about the absence of Janet Leigh and disrupt the screening, and even had cardboard standees of himself sent to cinemas to hammer the point home.
Marketing for the movie further emphasised the need to see every second of the movie and begged audience members to keep the ending to themselves, which of course led to immense curiosity and, ultimately, a monstrous box office hit.