Psycho II character
Emma Spool
Aliases	Mrs. Spool
Gender	Female Female Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
Born	1915
Died	November 21, 1982
Race	Caucasian Caucasian Caucasian may refer to:*Anything from the Caucasus region**Peoples of the Caucasus or Caucasian peoples, humans from the Caucasus region**Languages of the Caucasus, languages spoken in the Caucasus region...
Relationships	Mrs. Norma Bates Norma Bates (Psycho) Mrs. Norma Bates is a fictional character in the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch and the Universal Studios Psycho franchise starring Anthony Perkins, Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III, Psycho IV: The Beginning and the TV spin-off Bates Motel...  (sister) Norman Bates Norman Bates Norman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho, and portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the main antagonist of the 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock...  (nephew) John Bates (brother-in-law)
Enemies	Warren Toomey Lila Loomis John Bates Norma Bates Mary Loomis
M.O. Modus operandi Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...	Kills everyone who hurts her “son” (actually nephew)
Weapon of Choice:	Kitchen knife Kitchen knife A kitchen knife is any knife that is intended to be used in food preparation. While much of this work can be accomplished with a few general-purpose knives – notably a large chef's knife, a tough cleaver, and a small paring knife – there are also many specialized knives that are designed for...
Portrayed by:	Claudia Bryar Claudia Bryar Claudia Bryar was an American actress who mostly specialized in television. Active from the 1950s to the 1980s, she is perhaps best known for her role as Mrs...  (Psycho II) Kurt Paul Kurt Paul Kurt Paul is an American actor and stuntman. He is perhaps best known for his work within the Psycho movie franchise, where he performed as a stunt double for Anthony Perkins in Psycho II and Psycho III, and played "Mother" in all of the scenes of Psycho III except when Perkins' face was visible...  (Psycho II, stunt-in for murder scenes)

Mrs. Emma Spool is a fictional character in the Psycho

Psycho (1960 film)

Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...

film series, created by Tom Holland

Tom Holland

Tom Holland may refer to:*Tom Holland , American film director*Tom Holland , British author*Tom Holland , British actor*Tom Holland , English footballer...

 for the screenplay of the 1982 sequel to the 1960 film Psycho, Psycho II. More attention is given to her character in Psycho III

Psycho III

Psycho III is a 1986 sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The film stars Anthony Perkins , Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. The screenplay is written by Charles Edward Pogue...

, although she's a corpse. She was played by Claudia Bryar

Claudia Bryar

Claudia Bryar was an American actress who mostly specialized in television. Active from the 1950s to the 1980s, she is perhaps best known for her role as Mrs...

.

Biography

Emma Spool was the sister of Norma Spool

Norma Bates (Psycho)

Mrs. Norma Bates is a fictional character in the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch and the Universal Studios Psycho franchise starring Anthony Perkins, Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III, Psycho IV: The Beginning and the TV spin-off Bates Motel...

, about eight years younger than her, and she was also the aunt of Norman Bates

Norman Bates

Norman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho, and portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the main antagonist of the 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock...

. Both were probably born in Fairvale. Spool obviously shared her sister’s mental disorder that ran in the family. The Psycho films don’t give much clues on her childhood, but mostly give mention to her actions from Norman’s birth and on.

Norma Spool eventually met John Bates, who also seemed to have started an affair with Emma too, who was obviously in love with him. Unfortunately, Norma stole Bates away from her sister, thus becoming Mrs. Norma Bates. Emma, infected from birth with her mental problems, became insanely jealous of the couple and while her insanity grew worse, she seemed to start having a desire for a baby.

Norman (born in 1934 when Emma Spool was just becoming an early adult) was the couple’s first baby and named after his mother. Spool, more furiously jealous than ever and her insanity in the worst level, killed Mr. Bates in a jealous rage (by bee sting

Bee sting

A bee sting is strictly a sting from a bee . In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Some people may even call the bite of a horse-fly a bee sting...

s as revealed in Part 4

Psycho IV: The Beginning

Psycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 made-for-cable-television horror film that serves as both the third sequel and a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho, as it includes both events after Psycho III while focusing on flashbacks of events that took place prior to the original film...

) and kidnapped 5-year-old Norman, assuming in her demented mind that he was the baby she and Bates had together. Emma Spool was eventually captured and institutionalized, and Norman was returned to Norma Bates. Due to his extremely young age, since he was still a baby, Norman wasn’t able to remember his father or his aunt Emma. Norman was raised by a clinging, demanding Norma Bates (whom he always referred to as “Mother”) who described to him the evil of women and sex. He was probably never told about his aunt Emma.

In 1949, Norman (age 15), jealous of his mother who eventually got a boyfriend named Chet Rudolph, poisoned them both but later, under the pressure of his guilty feelings, he stole her corpse, stuffed it, and eventually created a second persona in his mind, speaking and thinking for his dead Mother, giving her his half life. Assuming the persona of Mother, he murdered two young girls named Holly and Gloria, probably aroused sexually by them. The murders went undiscovered.

In 1959, Norman was institutionalized

Institutionalized

Institutionalized may refer to:* The act of being placed in a psychiatric hospital* "Institutionalized" , a song on Suicidal Tendencies 1983 titular album* Institutionalized , a 2005 rap album by American rapper Ras Kass...

 and around the same time Emma Spool, was released after twenty years. Adopting the alias “Mrs. Spool”, she got a job as a waitress in a diner, owned by Harvey Leach, and rented an apartment owned by the landlord Lou. She decided to wait for Norman, still thinking he is her son. In 1975, Leach retired and the diner was bought by Ralph Statler. Mrs. Spool became the cook.

In 1982, Mrs. Spool, urges Ralph Statler to make Norman (who was released from the institution) the cook’s helper in the diner

Diner

A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...

. Statler accepts and Norman meets with Mrs. Spool, although she seems to be reluctant to tell him that she is his “mother”, but she keeps behaving extremely nice to him. Very soon, Mrs. Spool’s sanity begins to crack up again, and she murders Warren Toomey, Norman’s motel manager, who repeatedly taunts heavily Norman’s recovered sanity. Mrs. Spool then murders Josh, a young boy, a punishment because he intruded her “son’s” house in order to have sex

Sex

In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...

 with his girlfriend and smoke pot. When she discovers that Lila Loomis

Lila Crane

Lila Loomis is a fictional character from the 1959 Robert Bloch novel Psycho and its 1960 film adaptation. Additionally, she appears in Bloch's sequel novel and the unrelated sequel film of the same name.- Fictional biography :...

 was trying to drive Norman crazy again (by making phone calls and dressing up as Mrs. Bates and appearing in the window of Mother’s bedroom), Mrs. Spool sneaks behind her in the basement of the house, where Lila came to dress up as Mother again, and brutally murders her by shoving her knife

Knife

A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...

 in Lila’s mouth.

Mrs. Spool then calls Norman, but still not telling him her name, and reveals to him that Mrs. Bates was not his real mother but she was. Eventually, Mrs. Spool visits Norman in person, and reveals to him that she had him when she was very young and out of wedlock. She was put away by the state and Norma took Norman in her care. Mrs. Spool, while telling him this, is unaware she is actually sipping tea which Norman has poisoned. The poison takes effect and Mrs. Spool begins to cough. Norman picks up a nearby shovel, hits her on the head, and she is smashed to the floor, where she slowly dies.

Norman takes his new “Mother” upstairs, and basically repeats what he did with his real Mother (Norma): he speaks in Mrs. Spool’s voice and answers in his own. A month goes by, and Mrs. Spool’s murder remains undiscovered and she is thought missing. “Mother” (Norman dressed as Mother, assuming her persona) begins killing the girls Norman is aroused by, and a reporter named Tracy Venable is sure that Norman is the one responsible for the disappearances, although he is protected by the sheriff and his love interest, Maureen. Actually, Norman doesn’t know himself that he murders. His mind blacks out when he becomes Mother.

First a young musician desperate for money called Duane Duke who is helping out at the motel discovers the truth about Mrs. Spool. Norman kills Daune when he tries to use Norman's secret to extort money from him. Tracy eventually discovers the truth behind Mrs. Spool’s disappearance and her history, and rushes to tell Maureen, who has returned to Norman to apologize for abandoning him when she learned his past. Maureen is accidentally killed by Norman, and he, utterly distraught, vows revenge to his Mother. Tracy confronts “Mother”, and stalking her through the house, Tracy reveals to Norman what Mrs. Spool did: she murdered his father, kidnapped him when he was a baby, and all of these because she thought she was his mother, when Norma Bates really was his actual mother. Mother’s voice commands Norman to kill Tracy when she enters Mother’s bedroom and discovers Spool’s corpse, but instead, Norman fights back his fears and violently attacks Mrs. Spool’s corpse, thus killing her for the second time. Norman, free of the Mother nightmare, is arrested. While in the police car, he takes out the trophy from his battle with Mother: Mrs. Spool’s severed rotten hand. He caresses it, celebrating his victory and freedom in silence bearing an evil smile.

Meaning of the ending of Psycho III

In the first film, Norman is dominated by his dead mother Norma. As in the ending of Psycho

Psycho (1960 film)

Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...

, Dr. Richmond states that the battle of the two personalities (Norman's personality and that of his mother) has ended and the stronger personality (the Mother) has won.

In Psycho II, Norman is cured but is in danger of falling under the domination of his mother again. When he is convinced his mother is dead, he realizes that Norma Bates wasn't his true mother and that Emma Spool is. By killing her in the end of "Psycho II", he restarts again the same problem he had in the first Psycho. Now, dominated by Emma Spool, the ending of Psycho II allows Psycho III

Psycho III

Psycho III is a 1986 sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The film stars Anthony Perkins , Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. The screenplay is written by Charles Edward Pogue...

to feature in a similar way the events of the first film. But this time in Psycho III, Norman manages to win the second battle in his mind: by killing the already dead Mrs. Spool, the stronger personality is now his own personality and not that of his mother's. Now, completely cured of the Mother-domination-illness, Norman takes Mrs. Spool's hand as the trophy for winning the second battle. As Norma smiled in the ending of the original film after she has won the battle, Norman smiles this time since he is the winner of the battle that holds the judgment of his sanity. Norman cannot be dominated ever again.

Continuity

While Psycho III

Psycho III

Psycho III is a 1986 sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The film stars Anthony Perkins , Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. The screenplay is written by Charles Edward Pogue...

was the one that actually ended the Psycho series (Norman finally defeating his mother), the later sequel-prequel Psycho IV: The Beginning

Psycho IV: The Beginning

Psycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 made-for-cable-television horror film that serves as both the third sequel and a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho, as it includes both events after Psycho III while focusing on flashbacks of events that took place prior to the original film...

did not give much mention the two previous sequels (Norman briefly mentions killings taking place 4 years ago and the total he gives of his murder victims as 12 would include those killed by Norman in the first two sequels.), and Mrs. Spool is never mentioned in it, although her actions, since The Beginning is a prequel, are mentioned in Psycho III.

Mrs Spool is also said to have killed Norman's father in Psycho III. In Psycho IV, Norman's father is shown as having died of multiple bee stings. While it is still possible that this 'accident' could have been arranged by Emma Spool, no such indication is made.

Behind the scenes

• For the murder of Mrs. Spool in Psycho II (being hit with a shovel on the head), a special effects dummy was used that is seen in the interview of Andrew London (editor of Psycho II) on the official website of the Psycho movies. Although the Spool dummy can be seen for a brief second, Claudia Bryar did Mrs. Spool dying on the floor after being hit.

Other notes

The role of Mrs. Spool was one of the few of Claudia Bryar had in theatrical films. Most of her career as an actress was built by her roles in many TV series. Claudia Bryar was aged 64 during the filming. Both Claudia Bryar (Mrs. Spool) and Chris Hendrie (Deputy Mike Pool in "Psycho II") were cast in the TV series Dallas. Also, she and co-star of Psycho II Vera Miles

Vera Miles

Vera Miles is an American film actress who gained popularity for starring in films such as The Searchers, The Wrong Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Psycho and Psycho II.-Early life:...

 appeared together ten years before Psycho II in the TV movie Jigsaw (1972).

Mrs. Spool was also played by Kurt Paul

Kurt Paul

Kurt Paul is an American actor and stuntman. He is perhaps best known for his work within the Psycho movie franchise, where he performed as a stunt double for Anthony Perkins in Psycho II and Psycho III, and played "Mother" in all of the scenes of Psycho III except when Perkins' face was visible...

, who was Claudia Bryar's stunt-in for the murder scenes of Lila, Josh and Toomey.

Claudia Bryar, in the TV series

Television program

A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

 Leave it to Beaver

Leave It to Beaver

Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...

episode "Three Boys and a Burro", she plays a character named Mrs. Bates.

Claudia Bryar and Virginia Gregg

Virginia Gregg

Virginia Gregg Burket was an American actress best known for her many roles in radio dramas.Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, Virginia Gregg was the daughter of musician Dewey Alphaleta and businessman Edward William Gregg.-Radio:Gregg was a prolific radio actor, heard on such programs as The...

, the actress who voiced "Mother" in all Psycho sequels co-starred in the episode A.P.B. of the series The Fugitive

The Fugitive (TV series)

The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...

, Gregg as Mrs. Ross and Bryar as the Housekeeper 1.

External links

• Pictures of Mrs. Spool on “Cinemorgue”
• Analysis of the Mothers in the Psycho franchise