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The Couch
First Published: 1962 Publisher: Gold Medal Books Format: Paperback |
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Summary: novelization of Bloch’s own 1962 original screenplay concerning Charles Campbell, a serial killer who, all the while undergoing psychiatric treatment, randomly murders victims with an icepick.
Bloch: “Dealing as it [the film] did with a psychiatrist and his patient, I was hard put to avoid static scenes and lengthy dialogue. In order to counterbalance the confrontations between the shrink and the shrinkee, I decided to present a number of intervening sequences from the patient’s point of view. Since the patient was, happily, a homicidal maniac, his point of view could become quite interesting, particularly when he hallucinated. The front office didn’t object to his delusions but had none themselves when it came to considering the budget limitations for one of Brynie Foy’s B pictures. Jack Warner having taken off for Europe, director Owen Crump had no one he could appeal to and the psychotic fantasies of dummies in store windows coming to life and Los Angeles in apocalypse were removed.”—Once Around the Bloch
So, when I was asked to novelize my screenplay, I put back my fantasy-and-hallucination material and also explored the murderer’s mind more deeply.”—Robert Bloch Companion
Bloch: “Dealing as it [the film] did with a psychiatrist and his patient, I was hard put to avoid static scenes and lengthy dialogue. In order to counterbalance the confrontations between the shrink and the shrinkee, I decided to present a number of intervening sequences from the patient’s point of view. Since the patient was, happily, a homicidal maniac, his point of view could become quite interesting, particularly when he hallucinated. The front office didn’t object to his delusions but had none themselves when it came to considering the budget limitations for one of Brynie Foy’s B pictures. Jack Warner having taken off for Europe, director Owen Crump had no one he could appeal to and the psychotic fantasies of dummies in store windows coming to life and Los Angeles in apocalypse were removed.”—Once Around the Bloch
So, when I was asked to novelize my screenplay, I put back my fantasy-and-hallucination material and also explored the murderer’s mind more deeply.”—Robert Bloch Companion
Bibliography
US: Gold Medal Books; pb 1962
UK: Frederick Muller Ltd; pb 1962
Germany: Desch; ("Das Grauen vor der Tur: Drei Kriminalromane"); hc 1967 *
Germany: Desch ("Die Couch"); pb 1967
US: Scream Press (in the omnibus collection, Unholy Trinity); hc 1986
France: Clancier - Geunaud; ("PSYCHOPATHE"); pb 1988
* An original German omnibus collection which includes Bloch's The Couch ("Die Couch,") as well as "Das Grauen vor der Tur" (The Horror at the Door) by John Blackburn, and "Der Strick vor der Tur" (The Rope in Front of the Door) by Dolores Hitchens.
UK: Frederick Muller Ltd; pb 1962
Germany: Desch; ("Das Grauen vor der Tur: Drei Kriminalromane"); hc 1967 *
Germany: Desch ("Die Couch"); pb 1967
US: Scream Press (in the omnibus collection, Unholy Trinity); hc 1986
France: Clancier - Geunaud; ("PSYCHOPATHE"); pb 1988
* An original German omnibus collection which includes Bloch's The Couch ("Die Couch,") as well as "Das Grauen vor der Tur" (The Horror at the Door) by John Blackburn, and "Der Strick vor der Tur" (The Rope in Front of the Door) by Dolores Hitchens.