PRODUCTION CONTEXT

• Hollywood was dominated by eight large studios, between them they controlled 95% of the market.
• Paramount head 1936-64 


  Barney Balaban
• Directors worked with great restrictions, these including:

  Scriots selected by the studio

  Cast chosen by studio

  Tight deadlines

  Most films shot on studio lots

  Films were rarely sold on the basis of their director

  Stars + studios = used for marketing

  Who was in the film was more important than who made the film.
• Hays Code


  Hollywood was gaining a bad reputation due to scandals, so they created the hays code to rehabilitate its image.
• Lots of the film was sets, typical for the classic hollywood era, however Hitchcock also inputted on-location shooting - reflecting his autuer style.
• Film was produced by Hitchcock
• He shared the development costs with Paramount, but after eight years he would own the film.
• Based on the book 'D'entre les Morts (from among the dead) by Boileau and Narcejac.'
• Collaborators

  Screenplay = Samuel Taylor

  John Ferren = dream sequence

  Saul Bass + John Whitney = title sequence

  Bernard Herrmann = score