When considering Hitchcock films, you might not think there are filming locations that are accessible today or bear any resemblance to how they appeared during Hitchcock's era. While most of Hitchcock's films were filmed on studio sound stages or utilized process shots (live on-location shots later projected as backgrounds while actors performed in front of them), there are still some notable filming locations for Hitchcock's films. When thinking of his films that have locations you can visit Vertigo and The Birds, come to mind, but were to focus on Psycho.
Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
The movie starts with an aerial panning shot of the downtown Phoenix skyline (*may I correct the record in my Youtube video I said it was a helicopter shot, I was corrected that it was a shot taken from what was the top of the Phoenix Title and Trust Building which today is now The Orpheum Lofts) briefly setting the scene and introducing us to Marion and Sam. The camera then zooms into the fourth-floor window of their hotel room, which was actually The Jefferson Hotel at the time of filming but is now vacant and known as Barrister Place.
Let's explore the buildings in the order they appear in the shot....
You could do this as a walking tour; from the first building we talk about to the last it's only .04 miles between them and all the buildings can be seen from Central Ave. The final building mentioned is a little more of a walk north BUT it wasn't in the opening scene; however, I'll explain why many people think it was.
If you prefer to watch instead (which I'd recommend!) you can do so here ----->
The building under construction was the Arizona Bank Building. The spire of The Security Building can be seen
just right of the construction crane
THE SECURITY BUILDING (222 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004)
In the opening scene, there is a building under construction on the far left, which later became the Arizona Bank Building completed in 1961, a little over a year after the filming. This building was later transformed into residential condos named 44 Monroe in 2004 after being vacant for many years. Adjacent to it, & slightly behind, is The Security Building, which is identified by the spire visible behind the construction crane. This detail is easily noticeable in the opening sequence.
The Arizona Bank Building upon completion
The Security Building, established in 1928 as a business and commercial space, featured a glass dome on its spire that emitted a beacon of light visible up to 30 miles away. Like many other buildings we're going to explore, this one is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, which is to thank for why many of them still look as they did during the time filming took place
Fifty years after its construction, it came to light that a casino and brothel were in operation on the top floor of the building to raise funds towards the end of its construction when money was running low. They Served bootleg liquor during what was the prohibition era, the financiers managed to reach their funding target within a short span of two weeks.
(Source)
The Security Building THEN + NOW
The Security Building 1948 & a View looking South down Central Ave toward The Heard & Professional Buildings circa late 1940s early 1950s
THE SAN CARLOS HOTEL (202 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004)
The Hotel is listed on The National Registry of Historic Places and has retained its original appearance, looking just as it did in the opening scene in Psycho. The hotel, which opened in 1928, boasted modern amenities for its time, such as steam heat, chilled water taps, and air conditioning, setting it apart from other hotels of that era. As a result, it became a popular choice for many Old Hollywood celebrities including Jean Harlow, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn Monroe during the filming of Bus Stop, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, and Gary Cooper, among others.
The Hotel San Carlos sign seen in the opening shot of Psycho
The sign as it looks today from Central and E Van Buren St looking South West
View from Monroe St (this would have been the side shown in Psycho)
THE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING (15 E. Monroe St.)
The Professional Building was the one with the spinning Valley National Bank sign on top
This will take us to the next building, known as The Professional Building. In the movie, you can recognize it by the spinning Valley National Bank sign on top. Built in 1932, it originally served as a key healthcare facility between El Paso and LA, and also accommodated the Valley National Bank, hence the prominent sign. Initially, the bank occupied the first three floors, while medical offices were located on the remaining seven floors. The iconic rotating sign, measuring 49 feet across, was installed in 1958 and could be seen from miles away. It was added to the Registry of Historic Places in 1993, though shortly after the building lost its spinning sign and tenants, remaining vacant for over 20 years. It has since been transformed into a Hilton Hotel, opening its doors in 2016.
The Professional Building circa 1930s and the building in the late 1960's early 1970s
The Professional Building Today
THE HEARD BUILDINGÂ (112 N. Central Ave)
Just a bit south of The Professional Building, we find The Heard Building, which is distinguished in the opening scene by the KTAR radio tower erected on its roof in 1930. This makes the tower very identifiable in the opening shot. It's worth mentioning that many confuse this building with The Westward Ho, which also had a broadcast tower on top (and still does to this day). However, The Westward Ho is positioned 0.07 miles north of The Security Building, therefore not visible in the Psycho shot (further explanations to come!).
The Heard Building is the one in the foreground with the large radio broadcast tower on top
Original Ad for the new Radio Tower
Of all the buildings in the opening shot, The Heard has undergone the most updates to its original structure; however, it could not be altered significantly because it's on the National Register of Historic Places. In approximately 2013, it underwent a significant renovation, which notably included the installation of new windows. Originally constructed in 1920, it was Arizona's first "skyscraper." The building housed the offices of newspapers such as the AZ Republican and the Phoenix Gazette. Its status as the tallest building in the state was surpassed in 1924 with the construction of the Luhrs Building (which is on this list). Today it is now a coworking space.
The Heard Building Today
Intersection of W. Adams St & N. Central Ave
We can see The Heard Building on the left with the white verticle lines and just past that the Hotel San Carlos sign
Briefly, our attention moves from the buildings in the movie to the scene when Marion, who left work with a headache and was supposed to be going to the bank and then home, stops at a traffic light. Here, she sees her boss, and they exchange confused glances. This intersection can also be seen in the aerial shot right after the camera shifts to the right of The Heard Building.
In this scene, Christmas decorations were present during filming. To lean into this the date of December 11th was shown at the beginning of the film. As Marion's boss crosses the street, a restaurant, that has now become a hotel, can be seen in the background, from Marion's perspective, we can see The Heard Building with its unique white vertical lines on the left, & The Hotel San Carlos sign down the street, and in the far distance, the hotel that is often mistaken for being featured in the opening shot, The Westward Ho.
The view from Adams and Central today, it looks very similar
Instead of filming on location, the scene was created using a process shot technique that combines multiple images to achieve the final result. This method involves blending foreground actors with a pre-filmed existing background, producing a slightly artificial appearance. This method was probably selected because of budget limitations for Hitchcock's movie (this was his attempt at a low-budget film inspired by the successful low-budget horror film The House on Haunted Hill). Opting for a second unit to film the intersection rapidly without blocking a street or needing actors present would have been a more economical choice.
HOTEL ADAMS (the intersection of W. Adams St. & Central Ave.)
Just behind and to the right of The Heard Building stands The Hotel Adams, easily identifiable by its prominent sign reading Hotel Adams. The intersection where Marion spots her boss is to the right in the screenshot. Look where the white car is turning right; that's the intersection.
Out of all the buildings shown in that initial shot, the hotel has changed the most, having been entirely rebuilt since 1960. Originally erected in 1894 by local attorney J.C. Adams as the city's premier luxury hotel, it brought a sense of respectability to the bustling frontier town and was named Adams Hotel. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a dramatic fire in 1910. The hotel was then reconstructed in a new architectural style using fireproof reinforced concrete and was rebranded as Hotel Adams. In 1973, the original building was demolished and a new structure was erected, reverting to its original name, Adams Hotel. Today, it operates as a Renaissance Hotel. Besides its appearance in the opening shot, the hotel is also visible in the background as Marion's boss crosses the street.
Where it says Restaurant that is the Hotel Adams and below is a wide shot of it circa 1960 and you can see the same Restaurant sign. The airline sign appears in both the screengrab and vintage photo but somewhere along the way, the Upton's Candies store was lost.
This is what it looked like in 1960 and you can see that same restaurant sign that appears behind Marion's boss
This is what it looks like today - It's now called the Renaissance Hotel
BARRISTER PLACE (101. S. Central Ave)
As we move further south, we encounter the central focus of the initial scene, the prominent star that provides the introduction to Marion and Sam as they engage in their afternoon rendezvous. The camera gradually zooms in on their window, transitioning from an aerial view to a shot within a soundstage. While some speculate about the specific window, given the close crop of the shot, it is challenging to determine, but it is likely situated in the right corner on the fourth floor.
Back when it was used as a filming location, the Jefferson Hotel, now known as Barrister Place, was a real hotel constructed in 1915. Guests could book a room for $1-$3 per night at that time. Initially the tallest building in the state, it was later surpassed by The Heard Building five years after its completion. The hotel was praised for its contemporary architecture and rooftop garden. It remained in operation as a hotel until 1975.
Jefferson Hotel circa late 1920s/1930s
Me walking towards Barrister Place
Barrister Place today, it sits empty
In 1979, new owners acquired the property and named it Barrister Place. After a period of vacancy, the city purchased it and repurposed it for office use, including housing the Phoenix Police Museum. Following another period of vacancy, the property remains unoccupied at present, but there are plans to convert it into condominiums. It has also been designated as a Historic Location by the Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission.
LUHRS BUILDING (11 West Jefferson St)
The arrow is pointing to The Luhrs Building in the shot from Psycho
Finally, on the tour, we have The Luhrs Building, which is situated just across the street to the hotel where Marion and Sam were staying. Built in 1924 as an office building, it is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Registry. Upon its opening, it held the title of the tallest building in Phoenix. Throughout its history, it has accommodated the US Treasury Department, the AZ Club, and Standard Oil. Today, it has been transformed into a Marriott hotel known as The Moxy.
The Luhrs Building today Â
The Lurhs Building circa the 1930s
THE WESTWARD HO (Let's talk about it!)
THE WESTWARD HO WAS NOT IN THE OPENING SCENE OF PSYCHO (1960) SO WHY DO PEOPLE THINK IT WAS?
The Westward Ho, opened in 1928, held the title of Arizona's tallest building for over three decades. Initially a hotel competing with The Hotel San Carlos, it now serves as subsidized housing. There's misinformation, notably on Wikipedia, about its appearance in Psycho's opening shot. This confusion likely arises from the similarity between The Westward Ho's giant radio tower and the one formerly atop The Heard Building.
While The Westward Ho did appear in Psycho, it wasn't the original film but the 1998 remake with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche. In this remake, The Westward Ho is the hotel where Marion and Sam have their afternoon tryst. The Westward Ho is actually 0.07 miles north of the Security Building, the first structure seen in the panning shot. This means it would have been too far north or obscured by other buildings to have been seen.
It may not have been in Psycho but it was seen in Marilyn Monroe film Bus Stop.
Thanks for walking history with me!
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