Psycho was one of the first Transitional Noirs and it was a 10/10.
A Transitional Noir that crossed over into Exploitation to eventually become a box office hit, and critically acclaimed a part of American cinema mythos. It was a result of the new found freedom that came at the end times of the Motion Picture Production Code.
Psycho took Classical Noirs mostly crime based films, and bent the style in new direction that was very popular. It combined Noir, Thriller, Horror, and Suspense, using alienated and obsessed characters and adding Twilight Zone type twists. It was a spark that ignited other sparks of imagination. It influenced all of the oddball films started appearing in late 50s early 60s they in turn influenced more free ideas and pushed envelopes.
Noir never really ended it just morphed into what we call Neo Noir. It didn't happen all at once in one great kink, no it gradually ripped sparking apart like an arching live wire with new directions to explore. Some of these films, on that edge that have a dark story and contain the noir visual stylistics, (the sort of DNA of noir) like Psycho, are the Transitional Noirs.
In the 1960s there were a handful of these Twilight Zone-ish Transitional Noir features on the Cusp between Noir, Drama, Suspense, Thriller, Supernatural, Western, SiFi, Exploitation, Experimental, and Horror.
Some of these Noirs that mixed Suspense, Thriller, and Supernatural that come to mind are The Hypnotic Eye (1960) Homicidal (1961), Night Tide (1961) Carnival of Souls (1962) The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1963), and Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964). Not all, or many, or any of them may tip Noir for you. Its like all Noir, quite subjective to the individual viewer.
Two on a Guillotine (1965) may be another but I haven't seen it in a long, long, time there may be more of them.
In this film, the old hard boiled style V.O. narration is replaced with a Twilight Zone-ish imagineering V.O. The opening credits use new stylistic techniques and exhumes old ones in innovative ways. You'll see a combination of subtle animation with film as in Vertigo.
Here its a case of misdirection. Even the poster for the film misdirects.
The Story
A wealthy scientist blind, and alienated from the world, Howard Trent, has an aural obsession, he records everything, noises, conversations, even the sounds and murmurings that accompany his wife Irene's dreams. He calls his attorney, Barry Morland to his house to tell him that he thinks his wife is having an affair. His catalyst for this accusation is a tape of his wife speaking to a man in her dreams.
When Barry points out that, that is impossible because Irene never leaves the house, Howard counters that, then, it must be somebody that comes to the house. While this conversation is taking place Irene appears at the door and looks at Barry. Barry does not acknowledge her. When Howard tells Barry after a drink that he has work to do they both depart the room, Howard to his work, and Barry to let himself out.
While he makes his way down a hall towards an exit he is met by Irene who beckons him into another foyer. Cue some sinister music. She thanks Barry for not telling Howard that she was listening at the door. She asks him if he realizes that her husband is a very sick man after the revelations of his imaginings. She tells him that he takes good care of Howard, Barry replies but only his legal affairs. Irene comments that Howard pays him well for that. Barry agrees, "you married a very rich man."
Irene tells him that she's not interested in Howards money. Barry asks her who is the other man. Irene replies don't you know? Its you Barry. We are having an affair. Barry says that's ridiculous. Why? replies Irene, Howard doesn't think so. You are the only man that comes here. She throws out her hands and says "isn't this romantic." She approaches him and puts her arms around his neck and asks Barry "do you want to kiss me darling?"
Irene breaks the spell saying that she's sorry but reiterates that, this is what Howard believes. Everything she does is under suspicion night and day even when she's asleep.
Irene then asks Barry if he ever has any dreams and then tells him that shes having dreams about a man she doesn't know.
After Barry leaves Irene and Howard have a fight. Irene leaves, and soon after an explosion sends Howard scurrying up to his lab. Another explosion destroys the lab and Howard is incinerated.
Irene moves back to her old apartment behind her beauty parlor. It all goes Noirsville after she starts having vivid dreams about Howard that are prequeled by the tapping of his cane, and more wacky dreams about the same strange man as before.
Noirsille
Here is a film that for me is very much on the Cusp of Noir. For each individual viewer it will either tip Noir or not and that is going to depend on the numbers of Film Noir that you've seen. The more Noir you see the more riffs and variations you'll recognize in the style and all those variations can stimulate your Noir receptors. It almost does it for me its at the brink.
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| Twilight Zone-ish credit sequence about dreams |
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| Twilight Zone-ish credit sequence about dreams |
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| Twilight Zone-ish credit sequence about dreams |
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| Twilight Zone-ish credit sequence about dreams |
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| Twilight Zone-ish credit sequence about dreams |
The film is a 5/10 not really worth seeking out, unless you want to see Barbara Stanwyck's last Hollywood film.
Directed by William Castle written by Robert Bloch and starring Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Judi Meredith, Hayden Rorke, Rochelle Hudson, Jess Barker, and Marjorie Bennett. Cineatography was by Harold E. Stine and Music by Vic Mizzy.
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