| Psycho character |
| . |
| Norman Bates |
| Aliases |
"Norma" Bates, "Normal" Bates |
| Gender |
MaleMale refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
|
| Born |
April 20, 1932 |
| Died |
December 7, 1991 (age 59) |
| Race |
European AmericanA European American is a person who resides in the United States and is either from Europe or is the descendant of European immigrants or founding colonists. Spanish Americans are the earliest European American group, with a continuous presence since 1565...
|
| Relationships |
Mrs. Norma Bates 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...
(mother)
Mrs. Emma SpoolMrs. Emma Spool is a fictional character in the Psycho film series, created by Tom Holland for the screenplay of the 1982 sequel to the 1960 film Psycho, Psycho II. More attention is given to her character in Psycho III, although she's a corpse...
(aunt)
John Bates (father)
Dr. Constance "Connie" Forbes-Bates(wife) |
| Enemies |
Women |
| M.O. Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "method of operating". The plural is modi operandi...
|
Stabbing victims to death while wearing his mother's clothing. |
| Weapon of Choice: |
Kitchen knifeA 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, there are also many specialized knives that are designed for specific tasks...
|
| Portrayed by: |
Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and its three sequels.-Early life:...
(Psycho - Psycho IV: The Beginning)
Oz PerkinsOsgood Robert "Oz" Perkins II is an American actor.He was born in New York City, New York, the elder son of the actor Anthony Perkins and the photographer and actress Berry Berenson, who was killed in the 9-11 attacks...
(Psycho II, reflection)
Kurt PaulKurt Paul is an American actor and stuntman.He was 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 at the end...
(Bates Motel)
Henry ThomasHenry Jackson Thomas, Jr. is an American actor and musician. He has appeared in more than 40 films and is best known for his role as Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.-Personal life:...
(Psycho IV: The Beginning, flashbacks)
Ryan Finnigan (Psycho IV: The Beginning, flashbacks)
Vince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before experiencing wider recognition with the 1996 movie, Swingers...
(Psycho: 1998 remake) |
Norman Bates is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
created by writer
Robert BlochRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction.Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction . He was one of the youngest members of the...
as the central character in his novel
Psycho. The character is based on real-life murderer
Ed GeinEdward Theodore "Ed" Gein was an American murderer and grave robber. His crimes, which he committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, garnered widespread notoriety after authorities discovered Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from...
.
Fictional character biography
Both the novel and
Alfred HitchcockSir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British filmmaker and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in his native United Kingdom in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's
1960 film adaptationPsycho is an American suspense/horror movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, which was in turn inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein....
explain that Bates suffers severe emotional abuse as a child at the hands of his mother, Norma, who preaches to him that sex is evil and that women (except herself) are whores. The two of them live alone together in an unhealthy state of emotional dependence after the death of Bates's father. When Bates is a teenager, his mother takes a lover, making him insanely jealous. Bates then
murderMurder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s both of them with
strychnineStrychnine is a very toxic , colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion. The most common source is from the seeds of the...
and preserves his mother's corpse. Bates develops
dissociative identity disorderDissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment...
, assuming his mother's personality, repressing her death as a way to escape the guilt of murdering her. He inherits his mother's house, where he keeps her corpse, and the family
motelA motel is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having direct access to an open parking area.Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, a portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel, referred initially to a type of hotel consisting of a single building of connected rooms...
in Fairvale, California.
Bloch sums up Bates' multiple personalities in his stylistic form of
punA pun, or paronomasia, is a form of word play that deliberately exploits ambiguity between similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect...
s: "Norman", a child dependent on his mother; "Norma", a possessive mother who kills anyone who threatens the illusion of her existence; and "Normal", a (barely) functional adult who goes through the motions of day-to-day life.
Bates is finally arrested after he murders a young woman named Mary Crane (called Marion Crane in the film) and Milton Arbogast, a private investigator sent to look for her. Bates is declared
insaneInsanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
and sent to an institution, where the "mother" personality completely takes hold; he essentially
becomes his mother.
Bates dies in Bloch's 1982
sequelPsycho II is a 1982 novel that Robert Bloch wrote as a sequel to his 1959 novel Psycho. The novel was completed before the screenplay was written for the unrelated 1983 film Psycho II. According to Bloch, Universal Pictures loathed the novel, which was intended to critique Hollywood splatter films...
to his novel.
Film sequels
In the sequel to the original film, Bates is released from the institution 22 years later, seemingly cured, and he meets Mary Loomis — Marion Crane's niece — whom he falls in love with. However, a series of mysterious murders occurs, as well as strange appearances and messages from "Mother", and Norman slowly loses his grip on
sanitySanity refers to the soundness, rationality and reasonableness of the human mind. A person is sane if they are rational. In modern society, the terms have become exclusively synonymous with compos mentis , in contrast with non compos mentis, or insane.- Legal status :In criminal and mental health...
. The mysterious appearances and messages turn out to be a plot by
Lila LoomisLila Crane is a fictional character from the 1959 Robert Bloch novel Psycho and its 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film adaptation. Additionally, she appears in Robert Bloch's sequel novel and the unrelated sequel film of the same name.- Fictional biography :Lila Crane is the sister of Marion Crane...
, the sister of Marion, to drive him insane again in order to get him recommitted, due to her eternal grudge against Norman for murdering her sister in the first place. The actual murders turn out to be the work of his aunt — Norma's sister,
Emma SpoolMrs. Emma Spool is a fictional character in the Psycho film series, created by Tom Holland for the screenplay of the 1982 sequel to the 1960 film Psycho, Psycho II. More attention is given to her character in Psycho III, although she's a corpse...
— who shares the family's history of
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time and...
and claims to be Norman's
real mother. Before Norman discovers this, however, Mary Loomis is shot dead by the police during a confrontation with Norman, and Spool murders Lila. When Spool tells Norman that she is his mother, he kills her and
embalmsEmbalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for display at a funeral. The three goals of embalming are thus sanitization, presentation and preservation of a dead body to achieve this effect...
her body while assuming the "Mother" personality once again.
In the
third filmPsycho 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...
, Norman continues to struggle, unsuccessfully, against "Mother"'s dominion. He also finds another love interest named Maureen Coyle, who eventually dies at "Mother"'s hand. In the film Mrs. Spool's body is first discovered by sleazy musician Duane Duke, whom Norman kills when Duke tries to use the discovery to
blackmailBlackmail is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand made upon the victim is met. This information is usually of an embarrassing and/or socially damaging nature...
Bates. Tracy Venable, a reporter interested in Norman's case, finds out the truth about Spool. "Mother" orders Norman to kill Venable, but in the end he attacks "Mother"'s corpse violently, attempting to break free of her control, as well as getting revenge as "Mother" for killing Maureen. He is again institutionalized. During the last few minutes of the movie, the reporter tells Norman that Emma Spool was his aunt, not his mother, and had killed his father. Apparently, she had fallen for Norman's father and, when Norma Bates had given birth to Norman,
kidnappedIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or asportation of a person against the person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
the child, believing he was her son. Norman is then sent back to the institution.
In the
final sequelPsycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 made-for-television prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho which was broadcast on the Showtime cable network on November 10, 1990. The film stars Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey and CCH Pounder....
, however, the revelations of
Psycho III are effectively
retconRetroactive continuity is the deliberate changing of previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change is informally referred to as a "retcon", and producing a retcon is called "retconning"...
ned. (Bates' father is explained as having been stung to death by
beeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s). In this film, Bates had been released from the institution, and is married to one of the hospital's nurses. When his wife becomes
pregnantPregnancy is the carrying of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, inside the uterus of a female. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets. Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies. Obstetrics is the surgical field...
, however, he lures her to his mother's house and tries to kill her; he wants to prevent another of his "cursed" line from being born into the world. (The film implies that Bates' mother suffered from
schizophreniaSchizophrenia , from the Greek roots skhizein and phrēn, phren- is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality...
and passed the illness on to him). He relents at the last minute, however, when his wife professes her love for him. He then burns the house down in an attempt to free himself of his past. During the attempt, he is tormented by
hallucinationA hallucination, in the broadest sense, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid, substantial, and...
s of "Mother" and several of his victims; He almost dies in the flames before willing himself to get out, apparently defeating his illness at long last.
In the
pilot episodeA television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes. Networks use pilots to...
of the failed TV series
Bates MotelBates Motel is a 1987 television movie about Alex West, a mentally disturbed youth who was committed to an asylum after killing his abusive stepfather. There he befriends Norman Bates and ends up inheriting the infamous Bates Motel...
, Bates is never released from the institution after his first incarceration. He befriends Alex Kelly, a fellow inmate who had murdered his stepfather, and
willsA will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his estate and provides for the transfer of his property at death. For the devolution of property not disposed of by will, see inheritance and intestacy...
ownership of the titular motel to him before dying of old age.
Characterization
The characterization of Bates in the novel and the movie differ in some key areas. In the novel, Bates is in his mid-to-late 40s, short, overweight, homely, and more overtly unstable. In the movie, he is in his early-to-mid-20s, tall, slender, and handsome. Reportedly, when working on the film, Hitchcock decided that he wanted audiences to be able to sympathize with Bates and genuinely like the character, so he made him more of a "boy next door." In the novel, Norman becomes Mother after getting drunk and passing out; in the movie, he consumes no alcohol before switching personalities.
Portrayals
Bates was portrayed by
Anthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and its three sequels.-Early life:...
in Hitchcock's seminal
1960 film adaptationPsycho is an American suspense/horror movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, which was in turn inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein....
of Bloch's novel and its three sequels. He also portrayed Norman Bates, albeit more lightheartedly, in a 1990 oatmeal commercial.
Vince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before experiencing wider recognition with the 1996 movie, Swingers...
portrayed Bates in
Gus Van SantGus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American film director, screenwriter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his...
's
1998 remakePsycho is a American horror film produced and directed by Gus Van Sant for Universal Pictures, a remake of the 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
, while
Kurt PaulKurt Paul is an American actor and stuntman.He was 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 at the end...
took on the role in
Bates Motel.
Henry ThomasHenry Jackson Thomas, Jr. is an American actor and musician. He has appeared in more than 40 films and is best known for his role as Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.-Personal life:...
played a younger version of the character in
Psycho IV: The BeginningPsycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 made-for-television prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho which was broadcast on the Showtime cable network on November 10, 1990. The film stars Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey and CCH Pounder....
.
Comic books
Norman appears in the 1992 three-issue
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
adaptation of the first
Psycho film released by
Innovation PublishingInnovation Publishing was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising US$400,000 to finance its launch...
. Despite being a
colorizedFilm colorization is any process that add color to black and white, sepia or monochrome moving-picture images. It may be done as a special effect, or to modernize black and white films, or to restore color films...
adaptation of the Hitchcock film, the version of Norman present in the comics resembles the one from Bloch's original novel: an older, overweight, balding man. Comic artist Felipe Echevarria has explained that this was due to Perkins' refusal to allow his likeness to be replicated for the books, wanting to disassociate himself with Norman Bates.
Reception
Norman Bates is ranked as the second greatest villain on the
American Film Institute'sThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
list of the top 100 film heroes and villainsAFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains is a list of the 100 greatest movie heroes and villains chosen by American Film Institute in June 2003. It is part of the AFI 100 Years… series. The series was first presented in a CBS special hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger...
, behind
Hannibal LecterHannibal Lecter, M.D. is a fictional character in a series of novels by author Thomas Harris. Lecter is introduced in the thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. This novel and its sequel, The Silence of the Lambs, feature Lecter as one of two primary...
. His line "A boy's best friend is his mother" also ranks as number 56 on the institute's
list of the 100 greatest movie quotesPart of the AFI 100 Years... series, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. The American Film Institute revealed the list in June of 2005 in a three-hour television program on CBS...
.