The Anthony Perkins Legacy

April 4th marks the 83rd anniversary of the birth of Anthony Perkins.  While undoubtedly best known as Norman Bates, the career of Anthony Perkins is multifaceted and enduring.  Anthony continued the Perkins acting legacy as handed down from his father Osgood, whose roles were mainly in silent films before his untimely death.  Anthony Perkins set out to take Hollywood by storm from the start and did with diverse performances ranging from Friendly Persuasion (for which he received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination) to The Actress.  Perkins' early roles ranged from leading man in romantic pics like Goodbye Again to adventure outings like Green Mansions.  He was also adept at comedy, as proved by his work in Tall Story.  Tall Story cast Perkins as an honest if naïve basketball star courted by Jane Fonda.  That film also offered an early acting opportunity to Gary Lockwood, who appeared in it as a basketball player.



Anthony Perkins on the court in Tall Story.

During a sci-fi con I had the chance to meet Gary Lockwood and even share a meal with him.  It was fascinating to discuss his sci-fi work (in 2001 A Space Odyssey & Star Trek) and I couldn't help mentioning my interest in Tall Story and Anthony Perkins to him.  Upon reflection he mused that he didn't feel Anthony Perkins was properly utilized by Hollywood, which sought to manufacture him into a star.  Anthony Perkins was an ACTOR.  Perhaps this is a reason Perkins had better luck with starring roles in European films after Psycho.  It seems European cinema is more accepting of its lead actors disguising their appearance or star reputations for their parts, such as Laurence Olivier.  Hollywood wants easily prepackaged stars like John Wayne, whose mere name or image is a link to a specific film genre.  Perkins thrived in Europe and upon his return to the states became a marvelous character actor in supporting roles as witnessed in Murder on the Orient Express and Catch 22. 

At any rate I do think that Anthony Perkins' European films are just as good as his masterpiece outing as Norman Bates in Psycho.  Below are some of my favorites from Anthony Perkins' body of work.

FRIENDLY PERSUASION: Directed by William Wyler, this tale of Quaker life during the Civil War was Anthony Perkins' second film.  As the son of a successful farmer (played by Gary Cooper), Perkins had a role that allowed him to show both sensitivity and determination as he questions the moral ambiguity of participating in war.

PSYCHO: Alfred Hitchcock was determined to make a low budget black and white masterpiece in the style of the Hitchcock TV series - with an addition of sex and realistic violence.  Mutated from the story of real life serial killer Ed Gein, Psycho shocked audiences upon its release and still does.  Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates is highly sympathetic, despite his obvious nervous disposition and dark secrets.  Norman Bates was the role Perkins would become most identified with and would play three more times.

GOODBYE AGAIN: Anthony Perkins is a part of a three sided love affair.  The object of his affection is the older Ingrid Bergman, who although attracted to his youthful zest cannot bare to part from her less then sympathetic husband.  One of Perkins' first European films.


THE TRIAL: Director Orson Welles' version of the Franz Kafka novel finds Perkins as Joseph K.  Society seems out to get poor Joseph for something Joseph claims to be unaware of.  Is he guilty or not?  Depends on who you ask.  At any rate, the theme of one man lost in the mechanisms of society and the grandiose visuals of this film echo in later movies like Terry Gilliam's Brazil. 

EDGE OF SANITY: Anthony Perkins' later starring roles tended toward horror films, and in this genre effort he plays the iconic literary characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with gusto.  This version of the classic Robert Louis Stephens novel incorporated heavy drug use and Jack the Ripper.