The Lonely Man

In the public's eyes Anthony Perkins and Norman Bates are the same person. Perhaps more than any other quality actor in history, Perkins career was in equal parts created and destroyed by a single role. Psycho is one of the greatest films Hollywood has ever produced, but it is a terrible mistake to suggest that Perkins never did anything else.

Tony went on to work with the likes of Welles, Chabrol, and Clement, as well as starring in one of my all-time favourites, Pretty Poison.

Before the Bates Motel, Perkins made two westerns: The Tin Star, and The Lonely Man. Years later he would join the cast of The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, one of John Huston's more interesting efforts.

Because I live in suburban hell I have yet to uncover a copy of The Tin Star, but I recently had an opportunity to view The Lonely Man. While only moderately successful as a "moody western," The Lonely Man, conceived as a Jack Palance vehicle, seems in retrospect to be a key role in Perkins career, leading directly to Norman Bates.

The role of Riley Wade is rather out of place in the old west: a sullen, whiny, self-interested, immature young man. Stunted by the perceived mistreatment and murder of his mother, Perkins resents the world to the point of exclusion. He is incapable of developing normal relationships. He carries around a picture of his dead mother and tells anyone who'll listen that she was the finest woman to ever walk the earth. Riley spouts out the kind of comments common to western tough-guys, but Perkins puts a masterful twist on the words, turning them into the pathetic, misguided rebellion one might expect from a confused teenager.

In Riley Wade, Perkins displays all of the assets required to bring one of the screen's most famous characters to life. Surely, Alfred Hitchcock must have taken note.

The Lonely Man is supposed to be Jack Palance's film, but due to a mediocre script and some excellent performances, he is dominated by the supporting cast. Along with Perkins, a young ingenue named Elaine Aiken shows tremendous range. She looks like Eva Marie Saint without makeup and rides a mean mustang. I've done a little research on Ms. Aiken, and near as I can tell, her only other role of note is Danny Noonan's mother in Caddyshack. Go figure.

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