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Title: Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins by Charles Winecoff ISBN: 0-9672822-3-3 Publisher: Lightning Bug Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.71 (17 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: The enigmatic Tony Perkins revealed...sort of
Comment: Best known, of course, as Norman Bates in the original Psycho, Tony Perkins remains one of those iconic stars who somehow remains a mystery himself. Though this biography (the first in-depth look at his life to be published after his death from AIDS in the early '90s) doesn't offer a lot of insight into what made him tick, it still reveals that Perkins was more than just Norman Bates and that he had the talent to create more characters than just the jittery motel owner. Ultimately, Split Image becomes a listing of the events of Perkins' life. Luckily, Perkins lived a pretty interesting life.
When this book first came out, it got a lot of attention because of its revelations concerning Perkins' secret homosexual life style and his affair, in the 1950s, with fellow matinee idol Tab Hunter. (Though its indicative of the book's rather strangely reserved style that at no point is it directly said that Hunter and Perkins were lovers. Instead, its merely insinuated or left assumed -- much like the tabloids that hounded Hunter and Perkins for most of their secret relationship.) Despite a few generic comments about the difficulty of living a lie, the book doesn't really give any insight on what it was like to be in the Hollywood closet in the '50s and early '60s. While we learn about Perkins attempts to hide his sexuality, we never really learn how he felt about the deception. Nor do we ever really gain any insight into his later marriage to Berry Berenson and whether it was a marriage of convenience or if Perkins and Berenson truly were in love. Even Perkins claims to have outgrown his past homosexuality is merely reported on without any further commentary on the validity of the claim.
However, this book is invaluable for revealing that Tony Perkins actually did have a life when he wasn't Norman Bates. For instance, if not for this book, I would have never have known that, even after his reputation started to decline, Perkins was a respected and distinguished theater director. I wouldn't have known that he was once something of a Broadway musical store. These are all images that run counter to the image of Perkins as a cross-dressing mass murderer and Winecoff is to be commended for showing us that while Norman Bates may have been created from parts of Tony Perkins, Tony Perkins was never Norman Bates. Instead, he was a talented man who created one of the most recognizable, powerful performances in the history of film and as a result of his grand accomplishment, he suffered for the rest of his life. Its a compelling story and even if Winecoff doesn't get under the surface of this split image, it remains a fascinating portrait of a classic enigma.
Rating: 5
Summary: Tough love
Comment: Yes, this biography of a sometimes talented actor - limited by his own hand - is often hard to read, even harsh. But in the end, this reader anyway was left feeling strangely wistful, as if the time had come to say goodbye to an old, difficult, contentious friend. In that respect, I feel the book is quite honest and ultimately empathetic. Perkins' life was certainly controversial, and he clearly dropped friends along the way as it suited his changing needs. But the author conveys the goodness and strength of Perkins' final years with his family, despite his illness and his myriad secrets. I knew several people who knew Perkins, and this book comes about as close as their accounts while illuminating more. A very complex puzzle.
Rating: 2
Summary: Grim portrait, perhaps not entirely accurate
Comment: This book makes Anthony Perkins appear as a self-centered, mean, drug addict who had little good in him at all. The book goes into paintstaking detail about a lot of really ugly aspects of this man's life. The author appears to have gone out of his way to make Perkins look like an absolute idiot in every way possible. He succeeds. The man is completely unlikable if this book is the only thing you read. The book is written in a very gossipy fashion, which might turn some people off, content aside.
While I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the book, it seems extremely one-sided. I cannot imagine Perkins could have been this bad. I cannot figure out whether the author had a vendetta against Perkins, or no good stories were told because those closest to Perkins who knew those good facts declined to participate in the book. There is ample evidence for either proposition. Though he denies this, the author really appears to dislike Perkins and enjoys ridiculing him. The author even has a hard time admitted that Perkins was, in fact, a great actor. It's like the author feels forced to mention after smearing him about some off-stage antic, that Perkins actually was good in a production. Regardless of his personal life, it cannot really be disputed that Perkins was a top actor, not even for a second. But why would one write a biography of someone you don't like?
None of Perkins' family or friends participated in this book. Whether this made the author angry and he turned it into a hatchet job (it is a hatchet job) for revenge, or whether Perkins really was this horrible, we will never know. The alternative is, his family could have made it a more balanced book as they may have known an entirely different man, and their non-involvement in this book left it lop-sided. Those who liked Perkins or were friendly with him did not contribute to this book. It shows.
Whatever was going on, this is a must-read for any fan. Be warned, however, it is a very negative portrait that I do not think is entirely accurate. What is in the book I do believe to be true, but it is not balanced with anything. Was there anything to balance these recounts? We will never know.
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Title: Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star by William J. Mann ISBN: 0140275681 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Sal Mineo: His Life, Murder, and Mystery by H. Paul Jeffers ISBN: 0786707771 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles by David Thomson ISBN: 0679772839 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro by Andre Soares ISBN: 0312282311 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969 by William J. Mann ISBN: 0142001147 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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