Horror History: Superior PSYCHO, Anthony Perkins Would’ve Been 89 Today
Today would have been Anthony Perkins‘ 89th birthday. The star of Hitchcock’s Psycho (and also its cinematic sequels), Perkins passed away at the age of 60 in 1992.
Anthony Perkins scored a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for Friendly Persuasion. His other films include Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express, Catch-22, Les Misérables, and Disney’s cult classic sci-fi flick, The Black Hole.
Though his career was extensive and diverse, for us horror fans, he’ll always be synonymous with Psycho! For a comprehensive yet compact overview of his life, peep the short documentary “The Life and Sad Ending of Anthony Perkins” below.
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If it’s been a while, give the trailer and also the synopsis for Alfred Hitchock’s infamous adaptation of author Robert Bloch’s Psycho (released in 1960) a spin below.
Synopsis:
Secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 from her employer to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin). Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel. There she meets the polite but also highly strung proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a young man with an interest in taxidermy and also a difficult relationship with his mother.
The masterpiece of a motion picture sports a near-perfect 96% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: Infamous for its shower scene but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn’t just create modern horror, he validated it.
Trivia:
Anthony Perkins and also Janet Leigh didn’t mind being stereotyped forever for their participation in Psycho. They said they would rather be stereotyped and remembered forever for this classic movie than not be remembered at all. (Source)
When Norman first realizes there has been a murder, he shouts, “Mother! Oh God! God! Blood! Blood!” Sir Alfred Hitchcock had the bass frequencies removed from Anthony Perkins’ voice to make him sound more like a frightened teenager. (Source)
Are you also a fan of Anthony Perkins? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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