Hitchcock References in THE SIMPSONS
Vic Evans
======= Hitchcock References in THE SIMPSONS ========
============= [Times are approximate] =================
=========== [Times in minute:second format] =============
In the introduction to many episodes there is a long helicopter shot
over the city of Springfield that continues through the school room
window where you see Bart inside the classroom 'doing lines' on the
blackboard. This is similar to the type of shot Alfred Hitchcock used
in the opening of PSYCHO (1960).
Some of the Halloween episodes start with a long tracking shot
entering the grave yard. As the camera moves forward, the gates open
and grave stones move out of the way to allow the camera to pass.
This is similar to the type of shots that Hitchcock used in REBECCA
(1940) and in UNDER CAPRICORN (1949). Mel Brooks did a parody of
this type of Hitchcock shot in HIGH ANXIETY (1978) where the camera
actually crashes through a window.
"ITCHY & SCRATCHY & MARGE (Season 2, Episode 9)
Homer is attacked with a mallet by Maggie in a shot-by-shot parody of
the "Psycho" shower scene.
PRINCIPAL CHARMING (Season 2, Episode 14)
7:57 Principal Skinner goes up the stairs of the school's bell tower
and looks down as he climbs and we see the classic VERTIGO stairway
shot.
19:32 Sinner carries Patty up the stairs of the bell tower like Gavin
Ester carried the real Madeline in VERTIGO. Patty is a twin and some
say this recalls VERTIGO look-a-likes Madeline and Judy.
THREE MEN AND A COMIC BOOK (Season 2, Episode 21)
20:01 Bart holds Millhouse by the sleeve as he hangs out of the
Tree house. His sleeve starts to rip like in the famous Statue of
Liberty scene from SABOTEUR.(1942).
FLAMING MOE'S (Season 3, Episode 10) Homer becomes obsessive over a
falling-out with Moe and, at the breakfast table, every word he hears
comes out as "Moe," similar to the "knife" scene in BLACKMAIL.
BART'S FRIEND FALLS IN LOVE (Season 3, Episode 23)
Kent Brockman is doing a TV report on obesity in America and mentions
Hitchcock as an example of the "jolly fat man." There's a wonderful
portrait of him shown.
MR PLOW (Season 4, Episode 9)
Troy McClure mentions his film called "Dial M for Murderousness."
BROTHER FROM THE SAME PLANET (Season 4, Episode 14)
Skinner looks out of the Window towards the house from "Psycho" and
talks about his mother.
A STREET CAR NAMED MARGE (Season 4, Episode 2)
13:45 Homer tiptoes through a room full of babies like the birds were
at the end of THE BIRDS (1963).
14:15 Hitchcock has a cameo walking two dogs like in THE BIRDS (1963).
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR III (Season 4, Episode 5)
At the start, the Hitchcock theme, 'The Funeral March of the
Marionettes' plays and Homer walks into a caricature of himself
like Hitchcock did on ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS.
14:23 The title of the final segment, DIAL Z FOR ZOMBIES, is a take
off of the title of the Hitchcock movie, DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954).
CAPE FEARE (Season 5, Episode 2)
15:50 You see the Bates Motel from PSYCHO (1960) and Sideshow Bob's
room is like Norman's room with stuffed birds on the walls. There are
also lots of bird's eye camera shots.
HOMER LOVES FLANDERS (Season 5, Episode 16)
14:13 In Flanders` dream, the bell tower and the shot looking down the
stairs are similar to VERTIGO (1958).
THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Season 5, Episode 20)
The plot is vaguely similar to both versions.
BART OF DARKNESS (Season 6, Episode 1)
12:05 Jimmy Stewart appears like in REAR WINDOW (1954).
16:05 The music is similar to Hitchcock/ Herrman scores.
13:00 Ned Flanders is suspected of murdering his wife and burying her
in the garden. The plot is similar to REAR WINDOW (1954).
GRANDPA VS SEXUAL INADEQUACY (Season 6, Episode 10)
7:27 While Homer and Marge have sex, you see the phallic symbol, the
train going into a tunnel like in NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959).
FEAR OF FLYING (Season 6, Episode 11)
18:56 A crop duster swoops down and attacks Marge and her mother as
they stand near a cornfield. This is like the attack on Cary Grant in
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959).
BART THE FINK (Season 7, Episode 15)
1:02 The old house looks very much like the house in PSYCHO (1960).
Bart searches for the dead Krusty the Clown like James Stewart
searched for Madeline in VERTIGO (1958). The music is similar to the
Bernard Herrman score for VERTIGO (1958).
THE SPRINGFIELD FILES (Season 8, Episode 10)
4:19 In a scene similar to the one in the Mel Brooks, Hitchcock parody
HIGH ANXIETY (1978) the Bernard Herrman PSYCHO shower scene theme is
playing and we see that it is coming from a bus carrying the
Springfield Orchestra.
REALTY BITES (Season 9, Episode 9)
13:15 The architecture of the murder house is similar to the PSYCHO
(1960) house.
17:00 The camera spinning and pulling back when Marge sees the
"murdered" Flanders family is similar to Hitchcock`s camera style.
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR XI (Season 12, Episode 1)
18:55 Dolphins are everywhere and perched ominously on the top of
buildings and on utility wires like the birds were in THE BIRDS
(1963).
BART AFTER DARK (Season 8, Episode 5)
5:39 Bart slides down a roof similar to the one in VERTIGO and hangs
from the eave like James Stewart did in that film. Some claim a
reference to NORTH BY NORTHWEST but this is not correct IMHO.
LISA'S DATE WITH DENSITY (Season 8, Episode 7)
17:32 Skinner yells to his mother upstairs. The interior stairs and
landing are like those in the PSYCHO (1960) house.
KIDNEY TROUBLE (Season 10, Episode 8)
18:58 Home runs in front of an oncoming transport truck like Cary
Grant did in NORTH BY NORTH WEST at the end of the crop-duster scene.
BART, THE MOTHER (Season 10, Episode 3)
7:55 Bart is attacked by the Bird Tribunal like Tippi Hedren was
attacked in THE BIRDS (1963).
HOMER TO THE MAX (Season 10, Episode 13)
8:60 Homer can be seen in a rocking chair in an upstairs window like
'mother' from PSYCHO.
I'M WITH CUPID (Season 10, Episode 14)
18:32 A biplane heads towards Apu and Elton John like the crop-duster
scene in NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959).
MAXIMUM HOMERDRIVE (Season 10, Episode 17)
10:35 Birds attack Millhouse.
BART TO THE FUTURE (Season 11, Episode 17)
0:30 Bugs wreaking havoc at the park like the birds did in THE BIRDS
(1963).
I'M GOING TO PRAISELAND (Season 12, Episode 19)
4:25 Ned preserves his dead wife Maud's indentation on the bed like
mother's in PSYCHO (1960).
4:53 Ned Flanders fixes his girl friend Rachel's hair like his dead
wife's. In
VERTIGO (1958), James Stewart has Judy Barton changer her hair like
Madeline's.
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR XV (Season 15, Episode 1)
Norman MacLeod's Dialogue Sound Editor credit is listed as "Norman
"Bates" MacLeod," parodying the character of Norman Bates in the film
PSYCHO (1960).
Jim Reardon's Supervising Director credit is listed as "Jim Rear
Window," parodying the title of REAR WINDOW (1954).
V.1.6 March 11 /2005
Best wishes,
Vic Evans (marmalade_man[NOSPAM]@yahoo.com
Remember to take the [NOSPAM] out when emailing me