May 12, 2016

As horror fans, we tend to pick apart and analyze every single little detail of our favorite movies. And if that movie happens to be a part of a franchise, well then it’s only natural for us to try to find the common threads that connect the pieces of the series together. Case in point, here’s some continuity speculation. The following is completely unconfirmed, but I’m going to go ahead and assume this is the case.

In the PSYCHO franchise, one of my favorite characters is Sheriff John Hunt as played by the late, great Hugh Gillin, who is introduced in PSYCHO II, but also returns for PSYCHO III. In fact, one of my favorite suspenseful moments from the Anthony Perkins helmed third chapter in the PSYCHO saga is Sheriff Hunt picking up the bloody ice cube!

Now, in one of his earliest scenes in PSYCHO II, when Dr. Bill Raymond asks Sheriff Hunt if he’s familiar with Norman Bates, he replies, “very. I was deputy here when Sheriff Chambers arrested him years ago.” So from this one line of dialogue, the character of Sheriff Hunt was there in the original PSYCHO when Norman/Mother was brought in.

For fun, I went back to the end of the original PSYCHO and paid attention to that ending scene in the precinct. After Dr. Richmond (Simon Oakland) gives the whole diatribe about Norman and Mother, a police officer (deputy?) walks in and asks if he can bring Norman a blanket. Check out that scene below:

Just based on physical appearance, I’m willing to bet this is Deputy John Hunt, who eventually becomes Sheriff Hunt in PSYCHO II! Obviously, it’s not the same actor playing him. In the original PSYCHO, it’s Pat McCaffrie, but for continuity’s sake, I like to believe it’s intended to be the same character in the PSYCHO universe.

Also notable about that scene is the other guard on duty. That’s Ted Knight who would go on to have a big career on the television show TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT and the movie CADDYSHACK!

Just some fun PSYCHO tid-bit speculation for your day!