"We all go a little mad sometimes". - Norman Bates, Psycho (1960)
In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Robert Bloch's pulp thriller novel, Psycho shocked audiences around the world. Taking horror out of the Gothic castles and forbidden planets, the story about a young motel owner who covers up the murders of his psychotic mother struck a nerve with movie goers and sky rocketed the careers of director Alfred Hitchcock and star Janet Leigh. But no one was affected by the film's success more than Anthony Perkins, the actor who will forever be known as the tortured Norman Bates.
Anthony Perkins was born on April 4, 1932. His father, stage and film actor James Ripley Osgood Perkins died when Perkins was five and his childhood was shadowed by an unstable relationship with his mother. Perkins' film debut was in 1953 in the film The Actress. Then three years later, Perkins stuck gold with his Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated role in the film Friendly Persuasion, making him Hollywood's hottest young star. He went on to star alongside Audrey Hepburn and Jane Fonda in subsequent films and hit the stage on Broadway. His performance in the play Look Homeward Angel caught the eye of screenwriter Joseph Stefano, who was adapting Robert Bloch's Psycho for the big screen. He began to mold his vision of Norman Bates after the talented Perkins, believing he was perfect for the role.
While Norman Bates in the novelization of Psycho was an overweight, middle-aged alcoholic with no redeeming qualities, Perkins' portrayal of Norman was a whole new character - young and goodlooking, seemingly innocent and trustworthy - making the revelation at the end of the film much more shocking.
While Norman seemed to be an unwilling accomplice to Mother's crimes, it just so happens that Mother has been dead for years. And her memory lives on in Norman, creating two different personalities, dueling it out in Norman's psyche.
The film was both a blessing and a curse to Perkins' career. Perkins became the victim of typecast. While appearing in hit films throughout the '60s and '70s such as Catch-22 and Murder on the Orient Express, Perkins career managed to stay afloat by returning to the role that made him famous. Under the masterful director of Richard Franklin (Road Games) and an excellent performance by its main player, Psycho II opened in the summer of 1983 and became the sleeper hit of the season. While the original film simply portrayed Norman as an unhinged mind, the sequel gave Perkins room to test his acting chops and turn Norman into a tragic hero, one who is constantly at war with himself.
This seemed to mirror Perkins' personal life, in which the actor lead a double life. One as a normal family man with a successful career and the other as a closet homosexual who was at war with his own identity.
Perkins' creative abilities continued to expand. Not only did her deliver an even more masterful performance as Norman Bates in 1986's Psycho III, but he used his talents to direct the film as well, delivering the ultimate character study on Norman Bates and now forever tying Perkins to the legacy of his on-screen persona.
Between the third film and the final chapter in the series - 1990's Psycho IV: The Beginning - Perkins tragically contracted the AIDS virus, putting his personal life in the spotlight. Just as the ending of Psycho IV brought closure to the character of Norman Bates, on September 12, 1992 passed away but not without confronting his own fears and learning to accept himself. In the end, Anthony Perkins left behind a legacy - much like Norman Bates - of great tragedy and triumph.
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