Synopsis
In 1960 Anthony Perkins portrayal of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock s Psycho destroyed his burgeoning career as a romantic leading man. His performance became a landmark in motion picture history -- creating an image that paralleled an off-screen life equally as secretive & conflicted. His constant struggle with his homosexuality resulted in a desperate search for acceptance. His attempts to create a new image for himself as a conventional family man were cut short by his death from AIDS in 1992. This biography includes interviews with more than 300 of Perkins friends, co-stars, relatives, & lovers, & is filled with anecdotes about Orson Welles, Audrey Hepburn, Rock Hudson, etc. Photos.
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Review
Though Anthony Perkins played roles as diverse as a lawman of the old West in The Tin Star and Eugene Grant in the play Look Homeward Angel, he is best remembered for his performance as the maniacal son of a monstrous mother in Psycho. In Split Image, Charles Winecoff explains how Psycho pigeon-holed Perkins into similar roles and stagnated his professional life. His private life was equally vexatious--his father died when he was 5 and his mother controlled his finances until she died. He was married for 19 years but remained an active homosexual, engaging in a lifestyle that ultimately led to his death from AIDS in 1992.
About the Author
Charles Winecoff is a graduate of UCLA film school. He currently lives in New York City.
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