Kaleidoscope Frenzy

From Alfred Hitchcock Wiki

[edit] Introduction

An original screenplay about a necrophiliac serial killer in New York City. Hitchcock approached many writers including Samuel Taylor and Alec Coppel, but in the end engaged an old friend, Benn Levy to flesh out his sketchy idea.

The story would have revolved around a young, handsome bodybuilder (inspired by Neville Heath) who lures young women to their deaths. The New York police set a trap for him; a policewoman posing as a potential victim. The script was based around three crescendoes dictated by Hitchcock: the first was a murder by a waterfall; the second murder would take place on a mothballed warship; and the finale, which would take place at an oil refinery with brightly colored drums.

Hitchcock showed his script to his friend François Truffaut. Though Truffaut admired the script, he felt uneasy about its relentless sex and violence. Unlike "Psycho", these elements would not be hidden behind the respectable veneer of murder mystery and psychological suspense; the killer would be the main character, the hero, the eyes of the audience.

Universal wasn't keen on the film either, despite Hitchcock's assurances that he would make the film for under a million dollars with a cast of unknowns (though David Hemmings and Michael Caine had been suggested as leads). The film – alternately known as "Frenzy" or the more "sixties"-ish "Kaleidoscope" – would not be made, but some of the ideas – and the title – would be recycled into his 1972 thriller "Frenzy".

(Wikipedia)