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Arbogast's One-Liners

posted 5 years ago by ecarle (14979)
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I've been reading some reviews of Psycho as I surf the net and I noticed couple of funny descriptions(from 1960's original release yet) of Martin Balsam's Arbogast as:

"A know 'tall private eye." (Er..."know it all?")

"A wise acre private eye."

Since these were original reviews, Arbogast had not yet gotten his most frequent monicker throughout film history:

"A doomed private eye." (Second place: "An ill-fated private eye." And my spoiler favorite from a 1960 San Diego paper's spoiler filled review: "A private eye who gets closed...who is too dead to report in.")

Yes, in film history, Arbogast is a doomed private eye, but to most 1960 audiences, he is, indeed, a wise acre, a bit of a joker...and as William H. Macy(who played Arbogast in the remake said "possibly the best written character in Psycho."

I'd say that Arbogast's wise-acre characterization arrives the second he is shown on screen for the first time -- almost filling it, outside the hardware store and looking in the window. His face is intense, sure, and with his hat, he "means business" but there is something about his GAZE. He is sizing Sam and Lila up, he is trying to guess if one or both of them are in cahoots with Marion. He must HEAR some of their conversation(once he comes through the door) because his very first line is wise-acre and shrewd:

"Let's ALL talk about Marion, shall we?"

Yes that's a fairly funny guy, right off the bat, a bit false in his bonhomie, forcing himself on the conversation with two people who don't know him.

Which is why Lila says "I don't know you..."

And Arbogast's got the punchline, "Oh, I know you don't, because if you did, I wouldn't have been able to follow you."(A one-liner that ALSO covers a lot of plot: how'd Arbogast get here to Fairvale? He followed Lila. 'nuff said.)

Before that point, Arbogast faces down Sam's own confusion:

"Who are you, friend?"

with a mocking:

"My name is Arbogast...FRIEND. I'm a private investigator."

Arbo's mocking tone here sets HIS tone: Sam may be a foot taller and younger and stronger, but Arbogast has the authority of the law behind him(even if he's private heat) and he will assert his authority, and rapidly move on trying to "intimidate and control" his two suspects. (Which doesn't go too well -- to wit:

Arbogast: Miss Crane may I ask you a question? Did you come up here on a hunch?
Lila: Not even a hunch. Just hope.
Arbogast: Well, with a little checking, I COULD get to believe you(wise acre and intimidating)
Lila: (Angrily) I don't care whether you believe me or NOT!
(Arbogast shrugs. So much for that approach.)

When Lila tells Sam that Marion took the money on Friday (a week ago, actually) "and nobody's seen her since," Arbogast gets a funny line that's more knowledgable than non-sequitur:

"Oh, somebody's seen her. Somebody ALWAYS sees a girl with $40,000."

Correct-i-mundo. Her boss saw her. The highway cop saw her. California Charlie and his mechanic saw her.

As the brief (and concise, and kinda brilliant) hardware store scene winds down, Arbogast gets one rather profound line ("We're always quickest to doubt those who have a reputation for being honest") before ending his time with Sam and Lila by lightly insulting Sam: "She's not back there with the nuts and bolts, but where there's a boyfriend...."(Sam looks angry)..."She's here, in this town. Somewhere. I'll find her."

EVERYBODY in Psycho gets their share of witty lines, actually, even Sam ("I wonder where Norman Bates does his hermiting?") But Arbogast is kind of written in the supporting wiseacre tradition, with some hard-boiled private eye input as well(everybody from Philip Marlowe to Sam Spade to Peter Gunn had such one-liners before Arbo.)

Arbogast has fewer one-liners with Norman because he's trying to lure him in with friendliness rather than to dazzle him with light put downs. But near the end, he gets this exchange with Norman, and its a doozy:

Norman: Well, Mr. Arbogast, I have some work to do, if you don't mind.
Arbogast: Well...to tell you the truth...I DO mind. (Ouch.)
And then he continues almost trying to bring Norman over to his side in trying to understand:
"If it doesn't jell, it isn't aspic...and this ain't jelling. Its not coming together . Something's missing."

Indeed, something's missing.

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

On the porch for their final confrontation, Arbogast puts the needle in, deep:

"Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that this Marion Crane wanted you to gallantly protect her. You'd know you were being used, wouldn't you? You wouldn't be made a fool of?"

And Norman comes roaring back to Arbo's back hand:

Norman: But I'm not a fool! And I'm not capable of being fooled...not even by a woman.
Arbogast: I'm sorry. It wasn't a slur on your manhood. (Oh, yeah?)
Norman: Let's put it this way...she may have fooled me...but she didn't fool my mother.
Arbogast: (Triumphantly) Then your mother met her! Can I meet your mother?

Game, set, and match to Arbogast.

But he still loses. First, he's thrown out by Norman(which actually saves his life, but in the Psycho universe, Arbogast is still doomed.)

And later he gets killed.

Between, Arbogast gets his phone booth scene but, interestingly...no one liners. He is revealing to Lila that he is an honest man, and a caring man, and a professional man. And he's going back to the motel.

Arbogast gets roughly 20 minutes of screen time, and quite an arc. But he establishes himself with those one-liners first. And Psycho dearly needs them to stay adult, intelligent, and funny amidst all the horror.