it tells the story of a young woman, played by janet leigh, who steals money from her workplace and runs away. when she stops at a motel for the night she is murdered by the hotel's owner, played by perkins. the owner has dissociative identity disorder and is obsessed with his dead mother. the movie is famous for the unexpected death of leigh's character early in the movie in the 'shower scene' which has in turn become very famous in popular culture. it is now known as the first "slasher movie" and one of hitchcock's greatest movies.