Editing Family Plot (section)

==Production==
The film was adapted for the screen by [[Ernest Lehman]], based on [[Victor Canning]]'s 1972 novel ''[[The Rainbird Pattern]]''. Lehman wanted the film to be sweeping, dark and dramatic, but Hitchcock kept pushing him toward lightness and comedy. Lehman's screenplay earned him a 1977 [[Edgar Award]] from the [[Mystery Writers of America]].

The novel on which the film is based had earlier been rejected by Lehman, to whom it had been submitted as a potential project for him to either produce or direct, or both. Hitchcock's other collaboration with the screenwriter, ''[[North by Northwest]]'' (1959), was followed by several aborted projects. Lehman had incurred the director's anger by declining an offer to write the screenplay for ''[[List of unproduced Hitchcock projects#No Bail for the Judge (1958–1961)|No Bail for the Judge]]'', a thriller set in London intended to star [[Audrey Hepburn]], [[Laurence Harvey]] and actor [[John Williams (actor)|John Williams]]. Although Hitchcock eventually had a fine screenplay, and pre-production ([[location scouting]] and costumes) was at an advanced stage, the film was never made; Hepburn became pregnant and Hitchcock turned to another project, ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960), instead.
[[File:Hitch-at-work;1975-FamilyPlot;SF-On-Location.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Hitchcock at work on location in San Francisco for ''Family Plot'']]

By September 1973, Ernest Lehman had been persuaded to do the adaptation again — Hitchcock explained that he intended to keep only the bare-bones of Canning's novel and to relocate the story from England to California. One of the early decisions was to drop Canning's title and the project was branded ''Deceit''.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = McGilligan | first1 = Patrick | title = Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light | publisher = | pages = 716–17 | date = 2003 | isbn = }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Family Plot (1976) | url = https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Family_Plot_(1976) | website = The Hitchcock Zone | date = | access-date = 7 August 2022}}</ref> Partway through filming, ''Variety'' confirmed in mid-July 1975 that the film had been retitled ''Family Plot''.<ref>{{Citation | title = Pictures: Alfred Hitchcock's 53rd film | journal = Variety | publisher = Reed Business Information | volume = 279 | issue = 10 | pages = 36 | date = 7 August 2022 | orig-date = 16 July 1975 | language =  | url = | issn = 0042-2738 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Variety (1975) - Pictures: Alfred Hitchcock's 53rd film | url = https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Variety_(1975)_-_Pictures:_Alfred_Hitchcock%27s_53rd_film | website = The Hitchcock Zone | date = | access-date = 7 August 2022}}</ref>

Hitchcock, who often liked to specify the locales of his films by using on-screen titles or by using recognizable landmarks, deliberately left the story's location unspecific, using sites in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. The chase scene in the movie, which writer [[Donald Spoto]] called a spoof on car chases prevalent in films at the time, was filmed on the extensive Universal backlot. The restaurant used in the film was also built on the backlot and was shown on studio tours in 1975.

[[List of cameo appearances by Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcock's signature cameo]] in ''Family Plot'' can be seen 40 minutes into the film. He appears in silhouette through the glass door of the [[Registrar of Births and Deaths]].

Following ''Family Plot'', Hitchcock worked on the script for a projected spy thriller, ''[[The Short Night]]''. His declining health prevented the filming of the screenplay, which was published in a book during Hitchcock's last years. Universal chose not to film the script with another director, although it did authorize sequels to Hitchcock's ''Psycho''.

===Casting===
[[File:Alfred Hitchcock and Karen Black.jpg|thumb|upright|Alfred Hitchcock and Karen Black]]
{{More citations needed|date=July 2010}}
Hitchcock considered such actors as [[Burt Reynolds]] and [[Roy Scheider]] (for Adamson), [[Al Pacino]] (for George), [[Faye Dunaway]] (for Fran), and [[Beverly Sills]] and [[Goldie Hawn]] (for Blanche) for the film. [[Cybill Shepherd]] wrote in her memoir that she had hoped to play the part of Fran, which eventually went to [[Karen Black]]. High salary demands were partly responsible for his turning to other actors. Although [[Liza Minnelli]] was among the stars recommended to Hitchcock, he was especially delighted to work with [[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]] as the medium. He had previously tried to hire her for other film projects.

Hitchcock had earlier worked with [[Bruce Dern]] on episodes of ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' and on ''[[Marnie (film)|Marnie]]'' (1964), in which he had a brief role in a flashback playing a doomed sailor.

===Music===
For the score, Universal's music executive, [[Harry Garfield]], recommended [[John Williams]] to Hitchcock, following the [[Academy Award|Oscar]] and critical acclaim of his music score for ''[[Jaws (soundtrack)|Jaws]]''.

The film was the only Hitchcock production to be scored by [[John Williams|Williams]], who has stated that Hitchcock wanted choir voices for Madame Blanche to make her seem psychic towards the beginning, and that Hitchcock was at the scoring sessions most of the time and would often give him suggestions. For the scene in which Maloney suddenly disappears from Adamson's office, Hitchcock suggested that Williams stop the music when the camera cuts to the open window to indicate to the audience that Maloney has left through it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pmfz5/Composer_of_the_Week_John_Williams_(1932)_Americas_Composer/ |title=Composer of the Week: John Williams (1932-) 3 America's Composer |publisher=[[BBC Radio 3]] |access-date=October 6, 2013}}</ref> Hitchcock then went on to say, "Mr. Williams, murder can be fun", when he suggested that he should conduct the music lightly for a darker scene of the film. Williams stated that it was a great privilege, and that he had a wonderful working experience with the director.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

The complete soundtrack was not released upon the film's release date. Few themes from the film were released on John Williams and Alfred Hitchcock compilation albums. For years afterwards, the original soundtrack was not available, spawning many bootleg copies of the complete scoring sessions of the film over the internet. Finally in 2010, [[Varèse Sarabande]] officially released a limited edition of the complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 34 years after the film's initial release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.varesesarabande.com/servlet/the-260/Family-Plot/Detail |title=''Family Plot'' |publisher=[[Varèse Sarabande]] |access-date=October 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314214335/http://www.varesesarabande.com/servlet/the-260/Family-Plot/Detail |archive-date=March 14, 2012}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline  = ''Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
| title1    = The First Séance
| length1   = 5:29
| title2    = Blanche's Challenge
| length2   = 2:09
| title3    = The Mystery Woman
| length3   = 3:27
| title4    = The Rescue of Constantine / The Diamond Chandelier
| length4   = 2:21
| title5    = Kitchen Pranks
| length5   = 2:08
| title6    = The Shoebridge Headstone
| length6   = 2:23
| title7    = Maloney's Visit to the Jewelry Store / Maloney's Knife / The Stake Out
| length7   = 4:58
| title8    = The Second Séance
| length8   = 2:20
| title9    = Nothing Held Back
| length9   = 0:37
| title10   = The White Mustang
| length10  = 1:19
| title11   = Blanche and George
| length11  = 1:17
| title12   = Maloney's Exit
| length12  = 2:03
| title13   = Share and Share Alike
| length13  = 0:54
| title14   = The Mondrian Shot / The Revealed Identity
| length14  = 1:47
| title15   = The Search Montage
| length15  = 3:41
| title16   = Blanche's Arrival / Blanche's Note
| length16  = 2:29
| title17   = Blanche Gets the Needle
| length17  = 3:03
| title18   = Breaking Into the House
| length18  = 5:16
| title19   = The Secret Door / Blanche Wakes Up
| length19  = 1:39
| title20   = End Cast
| length20  = 4:14
| title21   = ''Family Plot'' Theme
| length21  = 2:38
| title22   = The Stonecutter
| length22  = 6:35
}}