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Which real-life killer loosely inspired the story of Psycho?
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Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock's talent as both filmmaker and storyteller is abundantly evident in a film catalog that includes Dial M for Murder, Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds.
The story of Psycho was loosely inspired by the real-life crimes of the American serial killer Ed Gein.12
Gein, a Wisconsin handyman who gained notoriety in the 1950s, was known for grave robbing and using human remains to create household items and clothing. Both the original 1959 novel by Robert Bloch and the 1960 film adaptation directed by Alfred Hitchcock drew upon elements of Gein’s life to develop the character of Norman Bates. Specifically, the narrative reflects the unsettling commonalities between the two, including their idolization of domineering mothers, their tendency to dress in women's clothing, and their history as murderers.1342