Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins

I grew up watching Anthony Perkins movies. I remember when he died and watching his last movie In the Deep Woods on television. This book is well researched, but it tends to focus on his private life. You'll see how hard he worked to keep the fact that he was gay hidden from Hollywood and his fans. If you like biographies about famous celebrities and gossip about their personal lives then this is a good read. If you are looking for information about his movies you should get the book More than a Psycho. This book is also available on amazon. There is a picture of the book below my review. Split image is a well researched book about Anthony Perkins private life. The author is a homosexual who refers to Anthony Perkins as his doppelganger. A doppelganger is a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person. The author does not look like Anthony Perkins. The only thing the author has in common with the writer is they are both gay. The writer never writes another book after this book. The author doesn't like his movies. So then, it appears to the reader that Winecoff is struggling to work out some issue with his own sexuality by writing the book.

I’m not a big fan of Anthony Perkins but I am of Old Hollywood so I got this to read and was not disappointed. First I didn’t know Anthony’s father was a film star too. He died when Anthony was but a baby and this definitely affected his life. Anthony grew up ostracized in school and was as a teenager feeling sexual urges for other men which he didn’t know how to handle. He was very close with his mother but they had a life hate relationship through out his life. He lived with other older women in his life but not sexually. His mother they feel was a lesbian as well. Anthony after stage success and later film success dated Tab Hunter and hide their relationship because back then it was not accepted matter of fact it was illegal. Anthony had this fight going on inside him about his sexuality and as a result got married during counseling sessions to quote fix this problem. He stayed married right up to his death which was from complications from AIDS and had two sons. Anthony in my opinion wasn’t a very nice person he to me was Norman Bates in real life. This movie role really affected later film parts because people kept associating he with this movie. I felt Charles Winecott did an excellent job and it was a good read and old Hollywood fans will appreciate this book.

Anthony Perkins will always be remembered for playing Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The movie turned out to be both the blessing and the curse of his career. Uncomfortable as a star, Perkins never attained the heights of stardom that many felt he would.After Fear Strikes Out and Psycho, Perkins seemed to be on his way to stardom. The 28-year-old Perkins, however, didn't make another film in the United States for the next eight years. Although he enjoyed working in Europe, he was poorly managed and the result was a string of unmemorable movies.The handsome Perkins, who was a homosexual, was shy, awkward, insecure, intense and uncomfortable around women. He was, however, also intelligent, witty and sensitive. Perkins didn't have his first sexual encounter with a woman until he was 39. Shortly afterwards, he surprised many people by marrying actress Berry Berenson, by whom he had two sons. Although married, Perkins continued his homosexual activities.Author Charles Winecoff says Perkins spent his life "trying to defend his false image." During the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood stars had to hide their homosexuality, or risk their careers. Perkins and Tab Hunter had a serious relationship.Perkins' later years were marked by drug use and roles in small-budget and little seen horror films, including three sequels of Psycho. Much of the time, he was unlikable and difficult to be around.On March 27, 1990, the National Enquirer revealed that Anthony Perkins had AIDS. He died Sept. 12, 1992, at age 60.Through extensive interviews with Perkins' friends and associates, Winecoff helps readers to better know and understand the star and his struggles.

My sister is a big fan of Anthony Perkins, so I purchased this book for her birthday. She loved it! She said, "It has great insight into his life that I had no idea about!"

The book arrived a day earlier and in immaculate condition. It was so nice of the seller to write a little note to me as well. I love the book! I love Anthony Perkins! A wonderful addition to my book collection. Thank you so much Mike!

Perkins lead an interesting life: this book is over written and gossipy!

Excellent biography with a balanced look at Perkins complicated life and relationships. Thoughtfully written, read it in two days!

Good read.

There are some actors who are type cast by just one role.Two that come to mind are Bela Lugosi for Dracula and Basil Rathbone for Sherlock Holmes.Anthony Perkins was typecast as Norman Bates.his subsequent performances all teneded to remind one of that memorable character.Some 20 years after he appeared in 3 sequels to Psycho.He often found it difficult to find work.Mind you he comes over as a rather odd person,which presumably didnt help.The author has done a very good job of researching his life.It is not easy to fill 460 pages on an actor such as Perkins.However by dint of a large number of interviews the author has managed to make this a most engrossing book about a rather sad man whose life was a mass of contradictions.

Very good

I read this book last year as a library borrow. I loved it. I thought it was one of my favourite books of the year. Thus I was so glad to have this chance to buy a copy of it. I think it will be a great add to my celebrity bio collection. I am grateful to Russell-books for sending it along so quickly.

Not much to commend this book other than the fact that Anthony Perkins didn't get on with Joan Fontaine. 'She was full of vile language', and they 'had no rapport at all.'