Norman Bates

Norman Bates

Background

Norman Bates owns Bates Motel outside Fairvale, California. His wife is Elisabeth Jekyll. His father died when he was young and after his mother remarried, he murdered her and her new husband out of jealousy. Norman's hobby is taxidermy.

During the events of Psycho (1960) played by Anthony Perkins

Marion Crane honks her car horn and Norman runs out of the house and tells her all their rooms are available as the highway moved and no one comes around anymore. She signs in under the name Marie Samuels from Los Angeles and he gives her the key to room 1. Norman invites Marion to eat dinner with him and then goes back to the house. Marion hears an old woman's voice yelling at Norman and accusing him of having dirty thoughts about Marion. Norman brings Marion a tray of sandwiches and they eat in his parlor. He tells her about his hobby of taxidermy and that he doesn't have any friends. He tells her that he thinks everyone is in their private trap. He continues that his mother is mentally ill and then takes offense when Marion suggests he put her in a mental institution and says everyone goes a little mad sometimes.

Marion tells Norman goodnight and accidentally tells him her real name. Norman removes a painting from the office and peeps on Marion as she is undressing. As Marion is showering, she is stabbed to death by Norman wearing a dress and wig with a knife. Norman, who is back at the house, starts screaming about his mother being covered in blood and runs to Marion's room. He sees her dead body and then cleans up the area, wraps Marion's body in the shower curtain and puts her body and her things in the trunk of her car. He then pushes the car into the swamp on the property and it sinks beneath the surface. A week later, Arbogast drives up to Bates Motel. He starts questioning Norman and shows him a photo of Marion. Norman says he hasn't seen her and Arbogast starts to pick out inconsistencies in Norman's story. Arborgast leaves when Norman says he doesn't want to talk to him anymore. Arbogast drives back to the motel and walks into the house. As he gets to the top of the stairs, Norman, again wearing the wig and dress, stabs him with a knife and he falls down the stairs to his death.

Deputy Sheriff Al Chambers calls Norman and Norman tells him Arbogast went to the motel and then left. Norman walks to a room and says he has to take his mother away. A woman's voice angrily says she will not be put in the fruit cellar, but Norman carries a body down the stairs. The next day, Lila Crane and Sam Loomis drive to the motel and get a room from Norman. Norman and Sam get into a fight and Norman hits Sam in the head with a jar and runs to the house. Lila sees Norman running to the house and hides in the fruit cellar. She finds what appears to be Mrs. Bates sitting in a chair, but when she turns the chair around, it is the mummified corpse of Norman's mother. She screams and Norman, dressed in the dress and wig and carrying a knife charges at her. Sam grabs Norman and stops him. Later at the County Court House, as Norman sits in a room, his mother's voice talks in his mind and proclaims their innocence and blames Norman.