Anthony Perkins died in 1992
Anthony Perkins was an actor, director, singer and Academy Award nominee, but one role overshadowed much of his career: he played Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Perkins was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for only his second screen role. In 1956, he appeared in Friendly Persuasion, playing the son of leading man Gary Cooper.
He appeared in Fear Strikes Out (1957), portraying baseball player Jimmy Piersall, and showed off his range in the comedy The Matchmaker (1958), alongside Shirley Booth and Shirley MacLaine. He also joined the star-studded cast of On the Beach, which featured Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire.
His portrayal of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s acclaimed thriller Psycho remains his most famous role. Widely regarded as one of Hitchcock’s greatest films, its infamous shower scene and distinctive soundtrack have become ingrained in popular culture. Perkins later reprised the role in several sequels.
His later films included the Disney science-fiction adventure The Black Hole and Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, which featured Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael York and Wendy Hiller.
Perkins died at his home on September 12, 1992, from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 60. He had been diagnosed with HIV during the filming of Psycho IV: The Beginning in 1990.
After his death, reports indicated that Perkins had relationships with men before meeting and marrying photographer Berinthia Berenson in his forties. Among those reported to have been former partners were actor Tab Hunter, artist Christopher Makos, dancer Rudolf Nureyev and composer Stephen Sondheim.
Perkins met Berenson in 1972 and married her the following year. They went on to have two sons and remained married until Perkins’ death.
Berenson died nine years later as a passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11, one of the aircraft hijacked during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which crashed into the World Trade Center.
Entertainer Maurice Chevalier was born in 1888
Entertainer Maurice Chevalier was born on this day in 1888. Born in Paris, he made his name in musical comedy from an early age.
He first gained acclaim as a singer and mimic at L’Alcazar in Marseille in 1909, launching a career in music halls and cabaret.
Chevalier served in the French Army during the First World War. He was wounded by shrapnel in the first few weeks of combat and became a prisoner of war, spending almost two years in a German prison camp. During his captivity, he learned to speak English from fellow prisoners.
After the war, he discovered jazz and ragtime and performed in London before touring the United States. In America, he met composers Irving Berlin and Ira Gershwin and began appearing in Hollywood films.
In 1930, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances in The Love Parade and The Big Pond. His success in musical films also made him one of the era’s most popular recording artists.
One of his best-known roles was in the 1934 film adaptation of the operetta The Merry Widow. Disillusioned with Hollywood, he returned to France in the mid-1930s.
During the Second World War, Chevalier remained in France and reluctantly agreed to perform for French prisoners of war in exchange for the release of several prisoners.
After the war, he was accused of collaboration and some critics called for his execution. Although he was acquitted by a French court, the controversy cast a shadow over his career.
In the mid-1950s, he returned to the United States on a national tour. Soon afterwards, he also returned to making films, and his later work includes some of his most memorable performances. His first Hollywood film in more than 20 years was Billy Wilder’s Love in the Afternoon, which starred Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn.
He then appeared in Gigi and Fanny with Leslie Caron, Can-Can with Frank Sinatra and Panic Button with Jayne Mansfield. Chevalier’s final contribution to film was providing the title song for Disney’s 1970 animated feature The Aristocats.
Throughout his life, Chevalier battled depression and attempted suicide in March 1971. He survived the attempt but suffered liver and kidney damage from the overdose.
Later that year, as his condition declined, doctors attempted surgery in an effort to prolong his life. Chevalier suffered a heart attack during the procedure and died on New Year’s Day 1972.
Chevalier was married twice. French actress Yvonne Vallée was his wife from 1927 to 1932, while Nita Raya was his wife from 1937 to 1945. Both marriages ended in divorce.
Some biographers have suggested that Chevalier may have been bisexual, citing alleged same-sex encounters during the First World War and claims of a long-term relationship with his valet, Felix Paquet. These accounts remain a matter of historical interpretation.
OIP Staff
Do you need support?
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:
QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.
DISCHARGED: 9364 6909 / waamh.org.au / wearedischarged@gmail.com
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au
Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au
