MovieChat Forums > Compulsion (1959) Discussion > Psycho ripped this movie off bad

Psycho ripped this movie off bad

posted 18 years ago by Mr_McLaurel
14 replies | jump to latest

I was shocked to read on the back of the box that this movie is from one year before Psycho. I'm a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan, so I was sad to read articles suggesting Hitch ripped off Orson Welles' Touch of Evil for Psycho. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But come on, the killer in this movie has an interest in Ornithology, just like Norman Bates! Also, the other killer has some implied mother issues. Psycho is still a better movie of course, I just can't believe this movie is so underrated as it's clearly a precursor to Psycho.

Edit: Well, it's more than 2 years later and I can safely say I would never make a comment like this today. Reading this, it doesn't even seem like me. I'll leave it up, though, I guess.

[–] bargluk 17 years ago

the killer in this movie has an interest in Ornithology

That's actually a detail from the life of Nathan Leopold (of Leopold and Loeb, on whose actions the movie is based). Leopold kept over 3,000 specimens on the third floor of his home, most of which he had bagged himself. He even published a field guide to the birds of Puerto Rico after he was paroled in 1958.

[–] Hands_of_Fate 17 years ago

Some of the best movies ever have ripped-off elements in them.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tsrts 16 years ago

Was there a shower murder in Compulsion?
I can't remember

[–] MrBelette 13 years ago

Don't remember either but I'm pretty sure there was a momified mother.

[–] Xcalat3 16 years ago

it was very similar

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] sebado 15 years ago

Two psychopathic killers can have the same hobby like ornithology and both have mother issues. They were both loners. Lots of killer have similar upbringings. Most of them have strong and domineering mothers. Psycho was based on a book so Hitchcock didn't steal these things.

[–] mojo2004 14 years ago

I was shocked to read on the back of the box that this movie is from one year before Psycho. I'm a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan, so I was sad to read articles suggesting Hitch ripped off Orson Welles' Touch of Evil for Psycho. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But come on, the killer in this movie has an interest in Ornithology, just like Norman Bates! Also, the other killer has some implied mother issues. Psycho is still a better movie of course, I just can't believe this movie is so underrated as it's clearly a precursor to Psycho.

Even though this post is old I will still answer. You are incorrect. Psycho character Norman Bates was based on psychopath Ed Gein. Except there was nothing appealing about him like Anthony Perkins was. He was an ugly haggard looking man who had a horrible childhood & adult life with a domineering mother. Gein did kill his mother & her husband. He also dug up dead bodies and did things with the female parts. The book I read was written by the town doctor where Gein lived. It was extremely disturbing & sad. He also included pictures of the bodies. Gein believed himself to be hunting prey. One woman he killed (the local store owner) was cut up & dressed like a hunter would a deer. Then he hung the body parts in his house. I think the doctor's estate had the book published because they waited a long time to put it out so no relatives of the families could sue. I think all were dead when the book came out. I read the book about 10 or 15 years ago. You can read about Gein in the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein

Leading the blind squirrels of inquiry to the lost nuts of illumination.

[–] thatguy_78757 13 years ago

yeah Psycho really cleaned up the main character

in the 60s no one could sit through seeing a relaistic ed gein on film

even in the 70s with DERANGED and the direct to video Ed Gein (2000) he s hard to take

and yeah, "Norman" feels more like leopold and loeb than ed gein

[–] LightningLad 13 years ago

I like your edit and I know the feeling - sometimes come across an old comment of mine and it seems like a different person.

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Reason is a pursuit, not a conclusion.

[–] puirt-a-beul 11 years ago

Wasn't Norman Bates' interest in taxidermy, rather than ornithology?

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (5085627) 10 years ago

You're comparing apples and oranges, Mr_McLaurel, and trying to create something that isn't there. One film has nothing to do with the other, and Hitch "ripped off" nothing. Compulsion was based on the Loeb and Leopold case, and Psycho was based on Ed Gein's crimes -- two different stories that were simply filmed and released a year apart; nothing more, nothing less.