Adorable Story #97: Janet Leigh

A Life in Cinema

“I stopped taking showers and I only take baths now.”

— Janet Leigh

1957: Janet Leigh in a promotional photo shoot for the movie Jet Pilot. Producer Howard Hughes’ constant re-editing would cause the film to be delayed almost eight years before being released.

Janet Leigh was one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons. Her talent, charisma, and beauty cemented her as a beloved figure in American cinema. Janet’s career is perhaps best remembered for her unforgettable role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), which earned her critical acclaim and a permanent place in cinematic history.

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Table of Contents: Early Years / Hollywood / Psycho / Personal Life / Relationship With Tony Curtis / Career After Psycho / Television / Later Years / Did you know?

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Early Years

Janet Leigh was born Jeanette Helen Morrison on July 6th, 1927, in Merced, California, but she spent most of her childhood in Stockton, California.

She was the only child of Frederick Robert Morrison, who worked as a factory worker and later managed a ranch, and Helen Lita Morrison, who held various jobs, including working as a seamstress. As a young girl, Janet was academically gifted and skipped several grades in school.

She attended Stockton High School, where she graduated at just 16 years old. After high school, she enrolled at College of the Pacific (now the University of the Pacific) in Stockton, where she studied music and later switched to psychology.

Her upbringing was modest, and she grew up during the Great Depression: though she had no aspirations of becoming an actress during her early years, her natural beauty and intelligence would soon draw her into the spotlight.

Hollywood

Janet Leigh’s path to stardom was quite serendipitous.

In 1945, during a ski trip to the Sierra Nevada mountains with her family, a photograph of 18-year-old Janet taken by her father caught the attention of actress Norma Shearer, a major star of the 1930s and 1940s.

She was struck by Janet’s beauty and poise and recommended her to MGM Studios, where Janet was soon signed to a contract without any prior acting experience. Studio executives were impressed not only by her looks but also by her intelligence and eagerness to learn.