Marion Crane

Marion Crane

Marion Crane
Aliases:	Mary Crane ^[1]
Franchise:	Psycho film series
Notability:	Main character
Type:	Murder victim
Gender:	Female
Location:	Phoenix, Arizona
Relatives:	Lila Crane Sam Loomis Mary Samuels
Status:	Deceased
Died:	1960
Introduction:	Psycho (1960)
Actor:	Janet Leigh Anne Heche Rihanna

Marion Crane is a fictional murder victim and a major character in the Psycho film series. Originally played by actress Janet Leigh, she appeared in the 1960 suspense thriller Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In the 1998 remake of Psycho by Gus Van Sant, the part of Marion Crane was played by actress Anne Heche. A version of Marion Crane also appeared in the Bates Motel television series on A&E. She was played by pop singer Rihanna and appeared in episode 5x05, "Dreams Die First".

Biography[]

Marion Crane worked at Lowery Real Estate in Phoenix, Arizona. She was carrying on an affair with a married man named Sam Loomis. Desperate to get out of her mediocre life and run away with Sam, she embezzled a large sum of money from her company, bought a new car and began driving east.

Marion ended up renting a room at the Bates Motel - a small business off the beaten track. She attracted the attention of the motel's manager, Norman Bates, who took a liking to her, and gave her the key to a "special room". This room included a peep-hole so Norman could spy on her.

Norman Bates was mentally insane, and believed that the voice of his deceased mother was speaking to him. To fully realize the hallucination, Norman took to dressing up as his mother and conducted activities as if he were she. Feeling that Marion was an unsavory woman, "Mother" decided to do away with her. Dressed up in a dress and a wig, and wholly embracing the "Mother" persona, Norman Bates stabbed Marion Crane multiple times in the shower until she was dead. Afterward, he cleaned up the murder scene, secured Marion's body in the trunk of her car, and disposed of the vehicle in a nearby swamp.

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Marion Crane was created by director Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay writer Joseph Stefano based on concepts originally developed by author Robert Bloch.
Marion Crane is quite possibly the most famous fictional murder victim of all time.
In the 1959 novel Psycho by Robert Bloch, Marion Crane is identified as Mary Crane.
Marion's surname, "Crane", is a species of bird. Norman Bates makes several comments comparing women to birds. There are also stuffed birds in the office of his motel, foreshadowing Marion's final fate.
In the 2012 biopic film Hitchcock, actress Scarlett Johansson plays the role of Janet Leigh with scenes involving her portrayal of Marion Crane.
Marion Crane appears on the cover to Psycho #2 by Innovation Comics, published in February, 1992.
In the novel, Mary Crane is decapitated, whereas in the original movie she is stabbed to death.
On the Bates Motel television series, Marion Crane worked for R.A. Bloch Realty, which is named after author Robert Bloch.
In the Bates Motel television series, the producers truly flip the script on viewers expectations and allow Marion to live!

Appearances[]

Films

Comics

Psycho Vol 2 1
Psycho Vol 2 2

External Links[]

References[]

↑ Psycho (novel); Robert Bloch (1959). Simon & Schuster.

[1] Psycho (novel); Robert Bloch (1959). Simon & Schuster.

[1]