My obsession with Alfred Hitchcock can be traced all the way back to 1980 – as proven with my childhood diary entries – and the catalyst for this admiration began with the movie Psycho. To this day, I find this movie absolutely mesmerizing with its haunting set pieces and the riveting performances of its principles Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, and Martin Balsam. But it wasn’t until 1988 after my visit to California that I decided to pursue collecting autographs of performers who worked in Alfred Hitchcock movies.
In July of 1988, I attempted to get the signatures of all of the Psycho actors previously mentioned – with a 75% success rate (more will be covered on this later). Of note here is the request that I sent to Janet Leigh, who as Marion Crane was victim of one of the most disturbing murders in screen history – in the classic shower scene. I found a great Psycho publicity photo (above right) of Janet staring with trepidation at the empty rocking chair of ‘Mrs. Bates’. I sent this to her on July 28, 1988 and it was returned in record time on August 3. She also autographed two notecards and enclosed a more recent signed photo (below).
This was my last contact with Janet Leigh for more than seven years. On October 28, 1995, my good friend Larry Smith arranged to have her appear at the New Neon Movies theater in downtown Dayton. He had corresponded and personally arranged the event with her. This would be not only the first chance I had to meet Janet Leigh, but the first time to view Psycho on the big screen. Larry had a heck of a time getting a 35mm print of the film to screen and was ready to settle for a 16mm print, when at the last minute Janet herself intervened and gave a nudge to appropriate people to help him obtain the more illustrious print.
Before the screening, Janet Leigh was seated in the lobby of the theater signing autographs and selling copies of her book Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller. I didn’t purchase the book, but that was okay with her. She was still a very willing and friendly signer, signing two photos for me and one for Lisa. I had her sign a photo of her with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis from the film Living It Up, which, at the time, I thought was already signed by both Martin and Lewis. I later came to suspect that both signatures were secretarials, although many reputable dealers have tried to pass off these very same signatures as authentic. I also had her sign a lobby reproduction from Psycho which had already been signed by Anthony Perkins. (This I will display at a later time). Amazingly, just a few months prior, I had met Patricia Hitchcock – another Psycho co-star (and daughter of director Alfred). At the time I met Janet, I was fortunately still in ‘California’ mode and had the foresight to have Larry snap a photo of Lisa and me with Janet.
It was great to watch the film in 35mm inside a cushy theater. Amazingly, this screening was not sold out, despite the tiny size of the theater. It didn’t seem to matter to Janet who spoke for a bit before the movie, then went out to dinner with Larry, and returned to take questions and answers at the end of the film. It was an amazing and unique opportunity to have such an intimate session with someone who starred in a film of such magnitude.
Continue with autographs from 1988… (under construction)
Return to the Fall of 1995…
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