Colleen Glenn

Scottie on the Analyst’s Couch: A View of 1950s Psychology in Vertigo

In addition to being one of the greatest mystery-suspense films of all time, Vertigo offers an insightful glimpse into the concerns and trends regarding mental health in the fifties. In scene two, after his colleague has fallen to his death because of Scottie’s slip on the rooftop, we learn Scottie has been diagnosed with acrophobia, the fear of heights. Yet the film goes on to probe far deeper into Scottie’s condition. After Madeleine’s death, Scottie suffers a complete blackout of memory and becomes catatonic, unable to talk. Institutionalized for his severe condition, the psychiatrist explains he is suffering from “acute melancholia together with a guilt complex.” In act three, Scottie’s obsession with Madeleine becomes even more deviant, as he stalks Judy and forces her to recreate herself as his dead lover. One could say that the entire plot of ‘Vertigo’ rests upon its main character’s fragile psychological state. After all, Scottie’s poor mental health is so apparent—and public—that Elster can not only target him for his nefarious scheme, but can also accurately predict Scottie’s inability to discover the ruse. This paper highlights the many discussions in the film around Scottie’s psychological issues. Earlier versions of the script—as well as letters between Hitchcock and his screenwriters—reveal fascinating attempts to account for the main character’s “acting as a stooge for the girl” (Hitchcock’s words, from a private letter). As my paper will show, Hitchcock was concerned about the extent to which it was necessary to account for Scottie’s phobia, and earlier versions of the script offer much more specific explanations for his debilitating condition. By focusing on the director’s and writers’ attempts to create a realistic portrait of a mentally-disturbed man, this paper will shed light on how neuroses and trauma were understood and treated in the fifties as well as offer us the opportunity to understand Scottie—and Hitchcock’s masterpiece—through a new lens.

About
Colleen Glenn is an Associate Professor at the College of Charleston, where she directs the film studies program and teaches film studies courses. Glenn’s research interests include star studies, masculinity studies, and film history. With Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Glenn edited a collection of essays on movie stars entitled ‘Star Bodies and the Erotics of Suffering’ (Wayne State UP, 2015). Glenn has published articles on Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, and Mickey Rourke. She is currently working on a monograph on Jimmy Stewart that deals with his post-WWII films and their relationship to war trauma.