20 Things You Didn't Know About Psycho
9. Hitchcock Toyed With The Press About The Identity Of Norma Bates
Hitchcock took great pleasure in toying with just about everyone with regard to the identity of the movie's apparent antagonist - Norman's mother Norma Bates.
For starters, he had a chair for the actress supposedly playing Mrs. Bates constantly displayed on set during shooting, and throughout production teased the press by declaring that various actresses had won the part.
At one point, he said that screen vet Helen Hayes would be playing Mrs. Bates, and in another instance insisted that his Rebecca star Dame Judith Anderson had won the role.
Many actresses wrote to Hitchcock requesting an audition, presumably having not read Robert Bloch's source material, before the truth was eventually revealed to audiences when they sat down and watched the movie for themselves.