20 Things You Somehow Missed In Alfred Hitchcock Movies
15. A Dali Work Of Art - Spellbound
Spellbound features a dream sequence that is filled with idiosyncratic, vivid visuals. The art work of it is designed by none other than Salvador Dali himself. Sir Alfred Hitchcock was an admirer of his work because he understood dream imagery. Producer David O. Selznick was initially against hiring Dali for expense reasons, until he realised the marketing mileage that could be gained from such a hiring.
The dream sequence originally ran for longer and included a ballroom scene with hanging pianos and still figures pretending to dance. John (Gregory Peck) would dance with Dr. Petersen, who then turned into a statue. To make the illusion of a bigger room, little people were used in the background on a scaled-down set. Neither Dali or Hitchcock were satisfied and it was ultimately cut from the film.