Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins

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Summary: The enigmatic Tony Perkins revealed...sort of
Review: 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.

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Summary: A must for Tony fans the world over![.]
Review: Is it any surprise that the brilliant actor who originated th ecreepy role of Norman Bates had a dark side? HELLO! Wake up, people! This is Tony Perkins, not Mickey Rooney! That said, let me add that I am just about THE biggest Tony Perkins lover on this side of the Atlantic - ever since I saw him in Tall Story when I was 11! I've been hooked ever since and this man is my drug![.] Anyway, yes this book is dark, but yes it has more info about His life than you are going to find ANYWHERE - and after you've read, you'll feel closer to Tony than ever![.] In ALL his complexity and love. And I mean ALL. This is Tony, people, not some airhead matinee idol. This is the one and only. This is the great. This is Tony Perkins. To love him is to love him with ALL his faults - and I mean ALL, people - AND his attributes. God bless him and his late wife.

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Summary: Grim portrait, perhaps not entirely accurate
Review: 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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Summary: A harrowing look at life inside the Hollywood closet
Review: Too often Hollywood biographies rely on the glossy, fabricated images of their subjects for inspiration. Not SPLIT IMAGE. This remarkable biography meticulously weaves together the very personal story of gay actor Anthony Perkins with the changing social climate of America from the 1950s right up to his death from AIDS in 1992; the book is rich in gossip and scandal (a requirement for any successful star bio) but also full of insights on the effect of the times on Perkins's own troubled psyche.Author Winecoff relentlessly probes the dark side of Perkins's self-made boy-next-door image, which was not only his calling card in surly Method-acting-inundated Hollywood, but also his own private survival mechanism as a young man leading a very severe double life.Nothing here is taken at face value. The author's research, which is vast, covers everything from Perkins's (single) mother's lesbianism and the actor's terrifying experiences at college where he endured a gay witchhunt (along with the older brother of actor George Hamilton) to his love affair with hunky Warner Bros contract player Tab Hunter - violently hushed up by Perkins's studio, Paramount (the two men were given strict orders not to be seen in public together) - to his reliance on homophobic psychoanalysis for confidence, and his eventual marriage (at age 43) to socialite Berry Berenson, with whom he had two sons. It is to Winecoff's credit that the Perkins-Berenson marriage is treated just as fairly as the actor's numerous gay love affairs. Perkins literally brainwashed himself into becoming a heterosexual, so hard was the pressure to conform not only in Hollywood but in America. One of the book's strengths is in subtly showing how one man's story is in fact the story of a nation, the psychiatric community, the gay community. etc. Add to all this fascinating stuff a tearful ending, and you've got what is without a doubt the most intelligent, passionate star biography in years.

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Summary: Tough love
Review: 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.