How come Frenzy (1972) wasn't more of a success for Hitchcock?

[ironpony]

I guess one complaint about the movie is the music is not good really, as it isn't near in the same league as music in Hitchcock's movies composed by Bernard Hermann for example.

[banjomike]

Once Hitchcock moved to America and began making Hollywood films, there was always quite a lot of upper-crust stylishness in his characters.
His leading ladies were highly glamorous and extra-beautiful, there was always some high priced sports car that was being driven, glamorous architecture, etc. His leading men were all just as glamorous, clever, and smartly turned out.

And there was always quite a lot of pillow talk, implied sex, and sexual attraction going on, but kept carefully within the boundaries of the movie censors. Right to the edge of censorship, but never over the edge.

A lot of this was present even in Psycho, even when all the leading roles were working-class people. And after Psycho, these elements continued in his late films.

But not in Frenzy. None of his characters had a bit of glamor to them. They were all rather grubby and were plainly Brit working stiffs. Even his nude scenes were repellent and disgusting, rather than sexy. And Frenzy was a pretty disgusting movie that was more shocking than titillating. It had none of Hitchcock's clever double-entendre sex appeal that Rear Window, North By Northwest, Vertigo, or the other of his most popular flicks had.

I think the lack of the typical Hitchcock style, which was probably his intention, worked against Frenzy. Movie goers didn't want to see nasty people doing nasty things to each other in a Hitchcock film. They wanted some posh.

Bernard Hermann's music scores were also a big element in the Hitchcock style. They worked so well together Hermann became instinctual in understanding exactly what to do musically to amplify every scene.
When they had a bitter parting, no one ever was able to replace Hermann.

It's interesting that his very last film, The Family Plot, went back to his old style, though it was more subdued.

[ironpony]

Yeah that's true, good point. One thing I like about the movie is that it really makes me think when it's over, where as a movie like North by Northwest, which so many fans love, never makes me think after every time I watch it. It's a fun movie no doubt, but every time it's over, I just think of it as popcorn and enjoyed it, but I move on, without giving it another thought, but strangely, this movie is one of his most well cherished, compared to other ones that are not, like Frenzy.

[OzzyRules]

My guess is that people were getting tired of him by then. I was surprised by this because I didn't know that he even made any films in the 1970's.

But the lack of interest didn't last long. A new generation of people would become fascinated by his films within a few years.