Buzz
Prepare your taxidermy and loofahs: The unnervingly polite motel owner Norman Bates returns to haunt your showers tonight on A&E’s Bates Motel. While Anthony Perkins’ iconic performance is unforgettable (and Vince Vaughn’s attempt less so), the origins of Norman Bates might be a mystery to you. Here’s a deep dive into the twisted tale of Norma and Norman Bates.
The True Story Behind Norman Bates
Indeed, Norman Bates was inspired by a real person, but rest assured, he’s not managing any quaint motels today. In 1957, Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, resided in Weyauwega, Wisconsin, near where the infamous serial killer and cannibal Ed Gein was apprehended, just 35 miles away. Bloch claimed he didn’t directly model his character on Gein but was influenced by the case’s broader context. It was only later, as more gruesome details emerged, that Bloch realized “how closely the fictional character I’d crafted mirrored the real Ed Gein in both actions and underlying motives.”
An unusual bond with a domineering, verbally abusive mother? Absolutely. A father who passed away? Confirmed (and, in Gein's case, a suspiciously deceased sibling as well). A meticulously maintained shrine dedicated to his mother after her death? Indeed. A fascination with macabre crossdressing? Certainly. Gein even crafted garments from women's skin. The infamous Plainfield Ghoul was said to possess a Bates-like demeanor: outwardly polite and approachable, yet with an unsettling undertone. “If all our patients were like him, we’d have no trouble at all,” remarked the superintendent of the Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
The True Inspiration Behind Norma Bates
While it remains a topic of debate, some of Bloch’s friends and colleagues suggest that Norma Bates was inspired by a mutual acquaintance. Calvin Beck, a magazine publisher and editor, was constantly shadowed by his overbearing mother. “She once told me she attended his college classes, sitting right beside him,” recalled Noel Carter, wife of author Lin Carter. “As she spoke, I couldn’t help but think, ‘He must want to kill her!’” When Mrs. Beck couldn’t physically accompany her son, she reportedly called him “nearly every hour” to check in. Calvin’s appearance also mirrored Bloch’s description of Norman Bates: overweight, unkempt, and with an overall “unhealthy” aura.
Bonus: The Unexpected Humor of Norman Bates
Despite eventually growing weary of being typecast as Norman-esque characters, Anthony Perkins embraced self-parody. During a 1976 appearance on SNL, he quipped, “Are you motel material? Let’s find out with this quick quiz. Question one: A guest loses her room key. Do you, A, provide a spare key? B, let her in with your master key? Or C, hack her to death with a kitchen knife?”
In 1990, he returned to the role for an unexpected venture—a commercial for General Mills Oatmeal Crisp.
