# Psycho-Why the Long Drawn Out shower murder? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905 "2015-04-17T13:37:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/21 "2015-04-17T18:11:37Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > I think he may have misinterpreted, and thought your mother could never be alone in a shower again, not alone in the house and shower. > > “Who’s turn is it to shower with mom, again?” 😉 That’s how I interpreted it. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/22 "2015-04-17T18:17:31Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Look, have you ever murdered anyone? > > It _always_ takes longer than you think. True. The media is incredibly unrealistic when it portrays killing hobos and prostitute as an easy thing anyone can do. Some of them actually fight back. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/23 "2015-04-17T18:18:11Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > That’s how I interpreted it. There’s a whole genre/section of porn devoted to this kind of plot line. Errr… so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/24 "2015-04-17T20:58:11Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > There’s a whole genre/section of porn devoted to this kind of plot line. > > Errr… so I’ve heard. “Pizza delivery, ma’am.” “I’m in the shower.” … ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/25 "2015-04-17T21:42:32Z")
The swamp was a neat plot device-deep enough to conceal a car, yet handy to the house. I always thought it was quicksand-but I guess deep enough water would work. The most scarey part of the flick was not the shower killing…it was a view of the mummified mother in the fruit cellar-with the bare lightbulb swinging back and forth. Oh-and that detective got it good-yep, it was a pretty gorey movie. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/26 "2015-04-17T21:50:17Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > My own mum told me she could never shower alone in the house again after seeing that movie. Janet Leigh as well - [Janet Leigh - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Leigh) > [@](#): > > Leigh was so traumatized by the film’s iconic shower scene that she went to great lengths to avoid showers for the rest of her life. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/27 "2015-04-17T21:57:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I spoilered my post merely to comply with kunilou’s request. No big deal. > [@D\_Odds](#): > > I’m pretty sure if that was tongue in cheek. Humor. It is a difficult concept.😉 Carry on. No spoiler tags necessary. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/28 "2015-04-17T22:01:58Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > DUDE! Spoiiler alerts, please! How old does a film have to be before you don’t need spoilers? Ilsa gets on the plane without Rick; it was all an hallucination after Dorothy got knocked out during the tornado; Rhett leaves Scarlett; the star breaks her ankle, and a chorus girl gets her big chance at stardom; Lionel Atwill is covering corpses with wax to make new statues; Count Dracula is a vampire; the workers rebel and destroy the underground city. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/29 "2015-04-17T22:04:40Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > My own mum told me she could never shower alone in the house again after seeing that movie. My 70+ year-old mother has to this day never forgiven my father for pulling a Psycho shower gag on her, the day or night after seeing the film. They’ve been divorced for decades ( unrelated…mostly, I presume 😉 ), but that’s one grudge she hasn’t given up. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/30 "2015-04-17T22:32:18Z")
I dunno, does efficiency matter in cinematic shower-murders? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/31 "2015-04-17T22:52:25Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > How old does a film have to be before you don’t need spoilers? > > Ilsa gets on the plane without Rick; it was all an hallucination after Dorothy got knocked out during the tornado; Rhett leaves Scarlett; the star breaks her ankle, and a chorus girl gets her big chance at stardom; Lionel Atwill is covering corpses with wax to make new statues; Count Dracula is a vampire; the workers rebel and destroy the underground city. Damn! Now I know how \*\*\*House of Wax \*\*\*ends! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/32 "2015-04-18T00:29:31Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Damn! Now I know how \*\*\*House of Wax \*\*\*ends! :mad: It turns out the house wasn’t really made of wax. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/33 "2015-04-18T02:04:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > That’s exactly it. Hitchcock also wanted that shock – he insisted on a policy where no one would be seated after the first half hour (audiences tended to show up all during the first showing of a film, and caught up on the earlier events in the second showing\*). It was a great publicity gimmick, but it had a reason – he didn’t want people to come in late and wonder where Janet Leigh was. It was a major shock at the time. > > \*That’s how we used to do it when we were kids. If a move started at 7:00, we’d get there at 7:30. Helped me develop my story sense. I’ve heard this said, but is there any cite for it? I can’t imagine being in some dumpy movie theater in the middle of nowhere and the minimum wage usher saying, “Sorry, pal. Alfred’s rules. You’ll have to wait for the next show!” Also, I don’t understand the point of viewing a movie ending first… ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/34 "2015-04-18T02:16:05Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I’ve heard this said, but is there any cite for it? I can’t imagine being in some dumpy movie theater in the middle of nowhere and the minimum wage usher saying, “Sorry, pal. Alfred’s rules. You’ll have to wait for the next show!” > > Also, I don’t understand the point of viewing a movie ending first… Things were quite different 55 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/35 "2015-04-18T02:24:44Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I’ve heard this said, but is there any cite for it? I can’t imagine being in some dumpy movie theater in the middle of nowhere and the minimum wage usher saying, “Sorry, pal. Alfred’s rules. You’ll have to wait for the next show!” > > Also, I don’t understand the point of viewing a movie ending first… I’ve seen plenty of references in movies and sitcoms where people just paid for their ticket, entered the movie and sat down regardless of the time. And apparently you could just stay in there and watch the movie 10 times if you wanted. Didn’t Lee Harvey Oswald do exactly that after killing the cop? ETA: Anecdotally my dad told me that theatres were instructed to not seat people after Psycho had started. It’s just one piece of data, I know. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/36 "2015-04-18T02:36:05Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Also, I don’t understand the point of viewing a movie ending first… Have you seen any movies from back then? They were so predictable that there wasn’t any point in seeing them except for the popcorn and the air conditioning! And for more spoilers: The train robbers are all shot and the loot is recovered, the scientists return from the Moon in triumph, and the workers go home from the factory. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/37 "2015-04-18T02:46:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’ve seen plenty of references in movies and sitcoms where people just paid for their ticket, entered the movie and sat down regardless of the time. > > And apparently you could just stay in there and watch the movie 10 times if you wanted. Didn’t Lee Harvey Oswald do exactly that after killing the cop? He tried to hide in a cinema, but was captured almost immediately (he had attracted attention on the street before buying his ticket). Yeah, those were the days when you weren’t shooed out after a single showing. I think the last time I saw a first-run movie twice on a single ticket was _ **Star Wars** _ in the summer of 1977 (and then a rerelease of _ **The Lion in Winter** _ a couple of years later). ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/38 "2015-04-18T03:03:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Damn! Now I know how \*\*\*House of Wax \*\*\*ends! :mad: No, now you know how _The Mystery of the Wax Museum_ ends. That’s the one with Atwill. Vincent Price stars in the remake _House of Wax_, which BTW, I saw in a theater in 3D once. Totally gratuitous 3D. Both are unrelated to the movie _House of Wax_ a few years ago, with gratuitous Paris Hilton, the less about which is said, the better. Incidentally, both the Atwill and Price movies are on TCM next week. They are both good, but the original is better. It’s also unusual in that it’s a color film done in a pre-Technicolor 2-color process, and it’s fascinating to look at. It’s not really a horror movie, because that genre was still in development-- it’s a “newspaper” film, which was a genre in the 30s. It’s got a lot of fast talk and wise-cracks, just like _His Girl Friday_. If you don’t want to see the spoiler, don’t click. Oh, in all three versions of the _Titanic_, the ship sinks. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/39 "2015-04-18T03:43:56Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Oh, in all three versions of the _Titanic_, the ship sinks. Spoilers! Spoilers! ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905/40 "2015-04-18T05:02:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’ve seen plenty of references in movies and sitcoms where people just paid for their ticket, entered the movie and sat down regardless of the time. > > And apparently you could just stay in there and watch the movie 10 times if you wanted. Didn’t Lee Harvey Oswald do exactly that after killing the cop? > > ETA: Anecdotally my dad told me that theatres were instructed to not seat people after Psycho had started. It’s just one piece of data, I know. That’s supposedly where the phrase “this is where I came in” got started. You’d sit down in a theatre and watch until the movie caught up with the part you’d picked up from. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psycho-why-the-long-drawn-out-shower-murder/717905.md?page=3)