Weekend Open Thread

… one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history lasted less about 45 seconds on screen, but took seven days to shoot? Warning: spoilers ahead. In the 1960 thriller Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), the infamous “shower scene” featuring the murder of Marion Crane by Norman Bates lasts about 45 seconds. But shooting the scene took an entire week. In the scene, Crane, played by Janet Leigh (1927-2004), is stabbed to death by Bates, portrayed by Anthony Perkins (1932-1992), while she takes a shower in her room at the Bates Motel. Hitchcock used 78 rapid cuts and special rigs for water and the chocolate syrup that simulated blood in the scene, as well as a specially constructed shower set with removable walls. Leigh, who had to spend an inordinate amount of time in the shower as the water poured down, said it was kept warm so she was comfortable. The scene was shot using extreme close-up shots with swift edits, and Hitchcock filmed several takes of each short scene portion to get the exact look he wanted. Additional trivia note: Leigh, though on set for the entire week’s filming, was not filmed in the close-ups with the knife. That honor went to her body double, actress Marli Renfro (born 1938) Neither woman was nude in the shower during the scene, though the camera shots suggested otherwise. And Perkins was not on the set at all; he was in New York starring in a play on Broadway.

… the first self-service restaurant was in New York? Opened in 1885, the Exchange Buffet was rather Spartan by today’s standards. Only men were allowed to eat there. The restaurant opened directly across the street from the New York Stock Exchange and catered to the stockbrokers. Customers could either get their food and eat it at the counter standing up, or take it to a table – there were no servers on staff. The restaurant closed in 1963. (Tipping was easy.)

… it would take a lot of particles of fog to fill a teaspoon? How many, you wonder? Try seven billion. (Now that’s a lot of fog.)

… the youngest soldier to serve in the Civil War was only nine when he joined? Edward William Black (1853-1872) was a drummer for the Union Army with the 21st Indiana Infantry Regiment. Black is also the youngest soldier ever wounded in battle; he was 12 when an exploding shell shattered his left hand and arm. He died at the age of 19. The oldest soldier to serve on active duty was Curtis King (1783-1863), who was mustered into the 37th Iowa Volunteer Infantry at the age of 80. He served for four months, being discharged on March 20, 1863, and died four months later.

… if you added up all the land masses of Earth together, it would be smaller than the mass of the Pacific Ocean? (Which begs the question – why do we call our planet Earth instead of Water?)

Now … you know!