Lila Loomis ( née Crane) is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''; she is the sister of

Norman Bates Norman Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch as the main antagonist in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''. He has an alter, Mother, who takes from the form of his abusive mother, and later victim, Norma, wh ...

's victim

Marion Crane Marion Crane (known in the original novel as Mary Crane), also under the alias Marie Samuels, is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''. She is portrayed by Janet Leigh in the 1960 ...

. She is revealed as the real protagonist of the novel in the final chapters, after several false protagonists, including her sister, get murdered. Lila is portrayed by

Vera Miles Vera June Miles ( née Ralston, born August 23, 1929) is an American retired actress who worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock, most notably as Lila Crane in the classic 1960 film '' Psycho'', reprising the role in the 1983 sequel '' Psycho II ...

in the 1960 film version (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) and by

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...

in the 1998 version. Additionally, Lila appears in Bloch's 1982 sequel novel '' Psycho II'', and the unrelated 1983 sequel film of the same name, in which she serves as an antagonist.

Fictional biography

Lila Crane is the younger sister of

(

Janet Leigh Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, ...

). After Marion steals $40,000 from her boss, George Lowery (

Vaughn Taylor Vaughn Joseph Taylor (born March 9, 1976) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, Taylor was raised in Augusta, Georgia, from infancy. After attending Hephzibah High Sch ...

), she plans to run off from

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

, to the (fictional) small town of Fairvale, California, where her boyfriend Sam Loomis (

John Gavin John A. Gavin (born Juan Vincent Apablasa; April 8, 1931 – February 9, 2018) was an American actor who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971–73), and the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86). Among the films he appeared ...

) lives so she could marry him. Lila travels to Fairvale to meet Sam, hoping that Marion would be there with him and the money. She planned to convince Marion to return the money to her employer, so that he won't press charges. Upon arriving in Fairvale, she learns from Sam that he has not seen Marion for days; she has disappeared. Shortly after her arrival, a private investigator hired by Marion's employer, Milton Arbogast (

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Yo ...

), also comes into contact with her and Sam. Arbogast searches local hotels, eventually coming to the Bates Motel. After calling to update Lila and Sam about tracing Marion to the motel, he disappears as well. This prompts Sam and Lila to pose as a married couple in order to get a room at the motel to investigate without arousing the suspicion of the owner,

(

Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller '' Psycho'', which made him an influentia ...

). Lila makes her way to Norman's house while Sam distracts him. When Norman realizes what Lila is up to, he knocks Sam unconscious and runs after her. When she enters the fruit cellar, she makes a ghastly discovery: the corpse of Norman's

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

, whom Norman claimed was alive. A moment later, Norman enters dressed in his mother's clothes and a wig, wielding a kitchen knife. He attacks her, but Sam tackles him to the ground and disarms him. A psychiatrist later tells her that Norman — who murders people while under the control of an alternate personality taking the form of his mother, whom he murdered years earlier — killed her sister and Arbogast. In '' Psycho II'', Norman is released from the mental institution he was placed in at the end of the first film after 22 years. Lila (now Lila ''Loomis'', having married Sam) petitions to keep Norman locked up; however, the petition is unsuccessful and Norman is released. Norman gets a job at a local diner, where he meets a coworker, a young woman named Mary (

Meg Tilly Meg Tilly (born Margaret Elizabeth Chan on February 14, 1960) is an American-Canadian actress and writer. For her role in the 1985 film ''Agnes of God'', she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting A ...

). Later, it is revealed that Mary is Lila's daughter, and that they are trying, by dressing up as Norman's mother and leaving notes and calls claiming to be her, to drive him insane and get him recommitted. While this is unfolding, Norman's motel manager and a teenage boy making out with a girl in Norman's fruit cellar are murdered by someone who looks like Norman in his "Mother" guise. Later, Mary, who has grown to care about Norman, tells Lila that she is backing out of their plan. Lila angrily rebukes her daughter, and sneaks to Norman's fruit cellar to put on her "Mother" costume. In the process of doing so, she is murdered by the figure who appears to be "Mother". Mary is later killed in a standoff with police, who exonerate Norman. It is revealed later that Emma Spool (

Claudia Bryar Hortense "Claudia" Bryar (née Rizley; May 18, 1918 – June 16, 2011) was an American actress. She is best known for portraying Emma Spool in the film '' Psycho II'' (1983). Early years Bryar was one of seven children of Ruby Elaine (née Seal ...

), Norman's maternal aunt, killed Lila and the others. Spool says that she is Norman's real mother, and that she killed people who had "wronged him". The following sequel reveals that she is in fact Norman's aunt, who has deluded herself into believing he is her child.

Novels

The character of Lila Crane is basically the same, as is the plot events, in Robert Bloch's novel '' Psycho''. However, the plots of '' Psycho II'' the book and '' Psycho II'' the movie are nothing alike. In the ''Psycho II'' novel, there are no mentioned plans of releasing Norman from the institution. Instead, he escapes and travels to Fairvale, intent on murdering Sam and Lila Loomis. The book's climax reveals that Norman was killed in a car accident before he could get to them, however, and that Sam and Lila were actually murdered by Norman's psychiatrist, Dr. Adam Claiborne, who assumed Norman's identity.

Comic books

Lila appears in the 1992 three-issue

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

adaptation of the 1960 film '' Psycho'', released by

Innovation Publishing Innovation Publishing (also known as Innovation Books and the Innovative Corporation) was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising US ...

Portrayals

Lila Crane/Loomis was portrayed by

in the 1960 film ''Psycho'' and its 1983 sequel, '' Psycho II''.

portrayed the character in the 1998 remake.

Appearances

Novels

* '' Psycho'' (1959) * '' Psycho II'' (1982) * '' Psycho House'' (1990, mentioned only)

Films

* '' Psycho'' (1960) * '' Psycho II'' (1983) * ''

Psycho III ''Psycho III'' is a 1986 American slasher film, and the third film in the ''Psycho'' franchise. It stars Anthony Perkins, who also directs the film, reprising the role of Norman Bates. It co-stars Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, and Roberta Maxwell. ...

'' (1986, mentioned only) * '' Psycho'' (1998)

Comics

* ''Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho'' (1992)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Lila Female characters in literature Fictional characters from Arizona Literary characters introduced in 1959 Characters in American novels of the 20th century Fictional amateur detectives Fictional vigilantes Final girls Psycho (franchise) characters Fictional murdered people