Scan barcode
A review by bickleyhouse
The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower by Robert Graysmith
3.0
This was...an...interesting book. I'm not sure I "liked" it. I give it three stars because I learned a lot about the filming of "Psycho," especially the infamous shower scene. That part was fascinating. I never knew until I read this book that there was a body double in the shower scene, and that body double was a model named Marli Renfro.
Unfortunately, I learned way more about Playboy than I ever wanted to know, as well, because Marli was involved with Hefner and Playboy close to the beginning of that "empire."
Equally fascinating was a parallel story involving a nut case named Sonny Busch, who was nicknamed the "Psycho Killer." After taking his elderly aunt to see the movie, he attempted to rape her and then killed her. He murdered one other elderly woman (whom he also knew) shortly afterward, and then attempted to kill a work associate the very next day. She was much younger, though, and was able to fight him off, which resulted in his capture, and subsequent conviction. There was an attempt to connect him with the "Bouncing Ball Strangler," also active at the same time, since he had blackout periods, and could remember nothing that went on during those times. However, there was no evidence, and he was only convicted for three counts of murder. He was later executed in the gas chamber.
Marli went on to "star" in some "nudie cuties" (that's what they called them) in the 60s, and then pretty much disappeared from sight. The author of the book was pretty obsessed with her and had planned to write a book about her for years. He was shocked and dismayed in 2001 when he learned that Marli was, allegedly, dead, murdered in 1988. The killer was not caught until 10 years later, when a connection was made to another murder. However, the name of the woman killed in 1988 was Myra Davis. All media reports had connected Myra Davis and Marli Renfro was being the same person. Robert Graysmith, while researching his book, suddenly discovered that they were not, in fact, the same person, and that Marli Renfro was, in fact, still alive! She had left the "limelight" and stayed in a small town out in the Mojave Desert, and didn't even know that she was supposedly dead! She was too busy "living life" to know she was "dead."
The book, itself, in my opinion, is not well written. The subject matter bounces back and forth so much that it is almost impossible to establish a time line. I found myself wondering if the chapter I was reading was happening before "Psycho," after it, or even parallel to it. It was also very strange to me that, right in the middle of the book, I was subjected to a biography of the author, himself. To me, that's just egotistical overkill. I didn't need to know this. There is also frequent detailed biographical information on characters that don't play a major role in the story, also tedious and unnecessary. However, I suppose Mr. Graysmith thought it necessary and it is his book.
The twist at the end when he discovers that his lifelong obsession is actually still alive, however, was most captivating. It was almost like an unexpected plot twist in a novel.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is easily offended, though. It deals with a pretty racy subject matter, and pretty frankly. However, language-wise, it is not in the least bit offensive. I recall very few "bad" words in it.
Now, I need to watch "Psycho" again.
Unfortunately, I learned way more about Playboy than I ever wanted to know, as well, because Marli was involved with Hefner and Playboy close to the beginning of that "empire."
Equally fascinating was a parallel story involving a nut case named Sonny Busch, who was nicknamed the "Psycho Killer." After taking his elderly aunt to see the movie, he attempted to rape her and then killed her. He murdered one other elderly woman (whom he also knew) shortly afterward, and then attempted to kill a work associate the very next day. She was much younger, though, and was able to fight him off, which resulted in his capture, and subsequent conviction. There was an attempt to connect him with the "Bouncing Ball Strangler," also active at the same time, since he had blackout periods, and could remember nothing that went on during those times. However, there was no evidence, and he was only convicted for three counts of murder. He was later executed in the gas chamber.
Marli went on to "star" in some "nudie cuties" (that's what they called them) in the 60s, and then pretty much disappeared from sight. The author of the book was pretty obsessed with her and had planned to write a book about her for years. He was shocked and dismayed in 2001 when he learned that Marli was, allegedly, dead, murdered in 1988. The killer was not caught until 10 years later, when a connection was made to another murder. However, the name of the woman killed in 1988 was Myra Davis. All media reports had connected Myra Davis and Marli Renfro was being the same person. Robert Graysmith, while researching his book, suddenly discovered that they were not, in fact, the same person, and that Marli Renfro was, in fact, still alive! She had left the "limelight" and stayed in a small town out in the Mojave Desert, and didn't even know that she was supposedly dead! She was too busy "living life" to know she was "dead."
The book, itself, in my opinion, is not well written. The subject matter bounces back and forth so much that it is almost impossible to establish a time line. I found myself wondering if the chapter I was reading was happening before "Psycho," after it, or even parallel to it. It was also very strange to me that, right in the middle of the book, I was subjected to a biography of the author, himself. To me, that's just egotistical overkill. I didn't need to know this. There is also frequent detailed biographical information on characters that don't play a major role in the story, also tedious and unnecessary. However, I suppose Mr. Graysmith thought it necessary and it is his book.
The twist at the end when he discovers that his lifelong obsession is actually still alive, however, was most captivating. It was almost like an unexpected plot twist in a novel.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is easily offended, though. It deals with a pretty racy subject matter, and pretty frankly. However, language-wise, it is not in the least bit offensive. I recall very few "bad" words in it.
Now, I need to watch "Psycho" again.