Alfred Hitchock's 1960 cinematic masterpiece Psycho, although originally distributed by Paramount, was financed by Hitchcock himself, and filmed at Universal Studios using the Revue Studios television crew from Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was filmed on a tight budget, and accordingly, the exterior sets built for the film...the Bates Motel and home...were partly constructed from studio "stock units," including in the case of the Bates home, a tower and front wall portion borrowed from an existing house set on the backlot's Colonial Street. The Bates home, or "Psycho House" as it has come be known, was built as a two-walled exterior facade, as it would be filmed only from a vantage point within a 90 degree span.
The "Psycho House" became an iconic symbol of eerieness, and has appeared in countless films (including two Psycho sequels), television shows and advertisements. The set still stands on the Universal backlot fifty years later, although modified and twice relocated over the years. The original Bates Motel set no longer exists, but a reconstructed version of the motel has accompanied the home on the backlot and as a part of the studio tour for decades.
The Bates home from Psycho
The Bates home as seen in the film.
The set for Psycho's Bates home in the early 1960's
Psycho's Bates home set is seen here as originally constructed, with no right-side or rear wall.
courtesy Bison Archives
The "Harvey" House on Universal's "Colonial Street"
The tower section of the Harvey/Allison House on the backlot's "Colonial Street" was
removed in 1959 and used in the construction of the Bates home set for Psycho.
courtesy Bison Archives
| More images from the original Psycho | |
|---|---|
 Bates Motel and home |  Bates home (with "Mother" in window) |
 Alfred Hitchcock and Bates home set - from the film's trailer |  Alfred Hitchcock and Bates Motel - from the film's trailer |
Psycho House Set and Laramie Street mid-1960's
The Psycho house is seen here in the mid-1960's, now with a right-side wall which was
constructed specifically for the set's appearance in the 1964 film Invitation to a Gunfighter.
courtesy Bison Archives
(thanks to Dennis Dickens for Invitation to a Gunfighter details)
The Psycho House in the 1965-66 television series Laredo
scan courtesy Francesco Nigro
Rear view of Psycho House in 1971
This photograph of the rear of the Psycho house set was shot in 1971
courtesy of and Copyright © Nguyen Ngoc Chinh from his Flickr photostream- used with permission
The Psycho House in the early 1970's
courtesy Francesco Nigro
Psycho House Set in the Night Gallery installment "A Question of Fear" (1971)
The Psycho house, including a bat added by animation, is seen here in 1971 in the
TV series Night Gallery.
(this image has been heavily brightened from its original appearance, which was essentially a silhouette...hence its grainy appearance)
Psycho House Set in Emergency! episode "Brushfire" (1972)
The Psycho house, including the road which ran between the Bates Motel and the house,
is seen here in 1972 in the TV series Emergency!.
Psycho House Set in the mid-1970's
The Psycho house is seen here in the mid-1970's, still in its original location on
the backlot, above Laramie Street.
courtesy Bison Archives
A restored Psycho House in the 1976 mini-series Captains and the Kings
The Psycho house is seen here after a restoration and the addition of a larger,
wrap-around porch, both for the 1976 mini-series "Captains and the Kings"
scan courtesy Francesco Nigro
Psycho House in May, 1979
This photograph of the Psycho house set in its original location was shot on May 26, 1979
courtesy of and Copyright © Piet Schreuders from his Flickr photostream - used with permission
(see a similar photo on Flickr shot by Joseph Butindari two years later)
Psycho House in 1980
courtesy Bison Archives
Psycho House being dismantled in December, 1980
After occupying the ridge above "Laramie Street" for over twenty years, the Psycho House
was dismantled in December of 1980, and later reassembled elsewhere on the lot for
the filming of Pyscho II (1983).
courtesy of and Copyright © Mark Brindle - used with permission
| Psycho House Replica in Modern Problems (1981) | |
|---|---|
 |  |
| For the 1981 Chevy Chase comedy Modern Problems, a somewhat convincing replica of the Pyscho House was constructed along a beach. Many, including the author of this web site, have initially believed this to be the original set transported to a beach and reassembled for the film, but detailed comparison of house features and proportions reveals that this is in fact a replica. (thanks to John Trimble and Francesco Nigro for their observations on this subject) | |
Psycho House during repairs in July, 1982
This photograph of the Psycho house was shot on July 9, 1982 while the set was partially assembled outside the backlot's carpentry shop for repairs.
courtesy of and Copyright © Douglas Hill - www.douglashillphotography.com - used with permission
Universal Studios Florida Bates Mansion set for Psycho IV (1990) - July, 1993
This photograph of a duplicate Bates Mansion set at Universal Studios Florida was shot on July 12, 1993. The set was demolished in 1998.
courtesy of and Copyright © John Burke from his Flickr photostream - used with permission
| More Photos of the Psycho House and Bates Motel (scans courtesy Bison Archives) (after clicking on a thumbnail, you may use the left & right arrow keys to navigate from one enlarged image to another) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Psycho House set circa 1960 |  Psycho House in 1980 |  1983 publicity photo for Psycho II |
 Actress Vera Miles in 1983 photo from Psycho II |  Psycho House in 1985 - Psycho III production |  Psycho House in 1985 |
 Psycho House in 1987 |  Psycho House in 1992 |  Psycho House in 1994 |
 Psycho House and Bates Motel in 1994 | ||
July 1966 Inventory Proof Photos (photos circa 1964)
Psycho House and Bates Motel
courtesy Bison Archives
(click any image for an enlargement)
|
The Psycho House on November 7, 1983
The Psycho House is seen here as photographed by Gregory Melle on November 7, 1983.
Click here to view this photo in CanadaGood's Flickr photostream.
courtesy of and Copyright © Gregory Melle - used with permission
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