8 All-Time Classic Movies You Didn't Know Flopped At The Box Office

Putting Alfred Hitchcock's name on the marquee wasn't always a surefire draw. Yet, by the time 1958's Vertigo was released, the acclaimed director was knee deep in the most solid run of his career; at the time, everything he touched seemed to turn to gold.

His magical touch eluded this psychological thriller when it first hit cinemas, however, as the film barely broke even. It received mixed review from critics, with some insinuating Hitchcock had over-indulged a few too many of his more pretentious habits. And those criticisms were somehow enough to keep audiences away from the popular director, leaving Vertigo to just barely break even.

This "dud", as it was referred to at the time, caused studio executives to hesitate when considering Hitchcock's next projects. Paramount refused to provide the director with his usual budget for Psycho, and ultimately the financing had to come out of Hitchcock's own pocket. That's how poor Vertigo's commercial reputation was.

The film was later re-evaluated by critics and widely proclaimed to be the director's undisputed masterpiece. It replaced Citizen Kane as the best film ever made in 2012, according to the British Film Institute. Speaking of which...