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ByDeborah Kennedy/June 14, 2019 11:01 am EST
Sharon Tate, the brown-eyed ethereal star of '60s cult classics Valley of the Dolls and Eye of the Devil, is perhaps better known for how she died than how she lived. On August 9, 1969, three members of the infamous Manson Family entered Tate's sprawling French country-style home in the Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles and brutally slaughtered everyone inside, including Tate's former lover and hairstylist to the stars, Jay Sebring; screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski; Frykowski's girlfriend, Angela Folger, heiress to the Folger coffee fortune; and Tate's unborn son. At the time of the murders, Tate, wife to director Roman Polanski, was almost nine months pregnant. She and the other victims had been stabbed multiple times. A fifth victim, 18-year-old Steven Parent, was shot to death in the driveway.
The grisly murders shocked and stunned L.A.'s glitterati, and Tate became a symbol of everything that was both enchanting and lethal about America's free love decade. But she wasn't simply a symbol, and she wasn't just a pretty face, either. She was a complicated human being with a layered personal history and talents that went far beyond her captivating smile and voluptuous body. The fact that she continues to fascinate filmgoers 50 years after her death — Quentin Tarantino has made her fate the centerpiece of his movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — is testament to Sharon Tate's unique and lasting contributions to American popular culture.
An Army brat who stood out
Tate's father, Paul, was a colonel in the U.S. Army, so the family packed up every couple years, moving from Army base to Army base, town to town. As a young girl and teen, Tate lived in six different cities, and, according to Sharon Tate: Recollection, a book of vignettes about Tate's life compiled by her sister, Debra, Sharon blamed her shyness and inability to make friends on her family's itinerant lifestyle. People often confused Sharon Tate's shyness for aloofness, but nearly everyone who knew her swears she was as sweet-natured as she was beautiful.
Eventually, the family settled in Verona, Italy, where Sharon, having gotten a part as an extra on the film Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, was picked out of the crowd by actor Richard Beymer. For a short time, Tate dated Beymer, who'd made a name for himself the previous year playing Tony in the 1961 film version ofWest Side Story, andhe encouraged Tate to pursue acting, introducing her to his agent and helping her find roles.
Later, when Tate's acting career was more established, she was thankful for having grown up in a strict, military household. Recollectionclaims she credited her father's insistence on proper behavior with preparing her for a life in show business: "I never resented his authority," she said. "In fact, I'm thankful for my strict upbringing; I feel it has helped me learn discipline — and that's very important in this business."
She was a beauty queen from the start
Tate was still in diapers when her beauty began to impress the public. At the tender age of six months, she took top honors in the "Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas" competition. According to the Too Young To Die episode about Sharon, her mother, Doris, was the driving force behind the beauty competitions, and in 1959, Sharon won five different pageants in one year, including Miss Tri-Cities, Miss Frontier Days, Miss Autorama, and Miss Water Follies. In her winning turn as a contestant in the Miss Richland pageant in Washington state, Tate told the judges she planned to go on to study psychiatry in college. She also hoped to compete for the Miss Washington title, but her father was ordered to Italy before she could.
Her beauty was recognized across the pond as well. Her Italian schoolmates named her homecoming queen and Italy's most beautiful American.Perhaps most noteworthy was her winning turn as Miss Stars and Stripes when she was in her late teens, which culminated in her straddling a missile in a bathing suit and cowboy hat. The picture graced the cover of Stars and Stripesmagazine. Her austere, by-the-book father was not thrilled.
The Wicca-d Witch
Tate's first major role was that of a witch in the British occult horror film, Eye of the Devil. The movie tells the story of a young couple hoping to restore a vineyard to its former glory. Tate's character convinces the couple that grape vines will only respond to blood sacrifice. To make Eye of the Devil more, ahem, realistic, the filmmakers brought in a Wiccan high priest and his wife, Alex and Maxine Sanders, as consultants. In her autobiography,Fire Child, Maxine Sanders claims that Tate was fascinated by Wicca's neopagan rituals and became an adherent of sorts.
Whether or not Tate was really into Wicca, it cannot be denied that 1960s America was obsessed with the occult. Author R. Gary Pattersoneven notes that the Sanderses may have been in contact with aspiring Satanists living in the United States and that there might have been a link between Maxine Sanders and Tate's eventual murderers. Patterson writes that, prior to Tate's death, Maxine Sanders lent a book on blood sacrifice to one of her followers. When she got the book back, Sanders noticed that that someone had scribbled "kill the pig" in the margins. Sanders apparently didn't think much of the note until after Tate's murder: Tate's blood was used to write "pig" on the front doorof her house.
Her big break came courtesy of a Frankenstein monster mask
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Sharon Tate and Polish director Roman Polanski's relationship got off to a fittingly strange start. They first met over an uncomfortable dinner with producer Martin Ransohoff, after which Polanski invited Tate to his apartment. Having left her alone for several minutes, he reappeared wearing a Frankenstein's monster mask. Tate let out a "bloodcurdling"scream, and that scream convinced Polanski, who would later go on to direct Rosemary's Baby, that he should cast her as the lead in his new horror comedy, The Fearless Vampire Killers.
Meeting Polanski, falling in love with him, and eventually marrying him turned out to be a mixed blessing for Tate, who was nine years younger than her very powerful husband and was often intimidated and controlled by him. Tate, a product of a conventional family, wanted at least the semblance of a traditional marriage. Polanski, on the other hand, wanted the freedom to pursue other women, and rumors abounded about his infidelities and escapades.
In his biography of the starlet, Sharon Tate: A Life, Ed Sanders quoted Tate as having said, "We have a good arrangement. Roman lies to me and I pretend to believe him." Not exactly a fairy tale, but what do you expect when your relationship begins with a wail of terror?
A real-life Barbie
Sharon's sister Debra insists that Tate's character in the 1967 Tony Curtis-helmed beach romp "Don't Make Waves" inspired toy maker Mattel's Malibu Barbie. Mattel has never confirmed the rumor, but Tate's character, clad in a beige bikini for the majority of the film, was named "Malibu." Coincidence? Probably not.
Don't Make Waves manages in just a few short hours to touch on nearly every trope of mid-century California beach bum cinema. Bodybuilders, spiritual gurus, and bikinis are everywhere. There's even a mudslide that leads to each character ending up with the right girl/guy. In spite of all the attention the movie brought, not to mention the auditions and roles and endorsements it helped her land, Tate reportedly despised the film, which was based on Ira Wallach's 1959 novel, Muscle Beach.
The cheesy script could not blunt Tate's undeniable appeal. As Malibu, she begins the film saving a drowning Curtis with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Later, she takes a short but memorable turn on the trampoline. Perhaps that's where The Man Show got the idea. As is the case with Malibu Barbie's backstory, we may never know.
Sharon Tate and the Tess of the D'Urbervilles connection
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Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski only made one film together — 1967's The Fearless Vampire Killers — but Tate had hoped they would make more. Prior to her death, she gave Polanski her copy of Thomas Hardy's novelTess of the D'Urbervilles, telling him they should pair up and make a movie adaptation of the book.
It was an eerily prescient wish. Tess Durbeyfield's tragic arc shares a great deal in common with the tumultuous lives of Tate and Polanski. The novel tells the story of a young milkmaid who is raped and impregnated her evil employer, later abandoned by her well-meaning husband, and eventually imprisoned for killing her rapist. The resulting baby dies soon after it is born. Similarly, Tate, a beautiful innocent, married Polanski, by all accounts a serial philanderer, when she was just 25 and was killed a year later. Her unborn son likewise died in the attack. Furthering the eerie — and deeply troubling — coincidences, in 1977, Polanski pleaded guilty to raping a teenager. Having fled to France to avoid jail time, Polanski eventually put out Tess, his retelling of Hardy's story, casting Nastassja Kinski in the lead role and dedicating the film to Tate.
You just can't make this stuff up. Or you can, if your name is Thomas Hardy.
Her father went undercover to solve her murder
Sharon Tate's shockingly violent murder went unsolved for several weeks, and during that time her family lived in limbo, traumatized not only by the loss of their beautiful daughter and sister but by the sheer brutality of her killing and the police's seeming inability to solve the crime.
Tate's grief-stricken father, Paul, a former Army colonel, used his background in military intelligence to try to close the case himself, even going so far as to dress up in hippie outfitsto hunt down the perpetrators. Paul was, according to his daughters, a firm and unyielding parent. California hippie was not a role that came naturally to him. Still, he was willing to do whatever it took to bring his daughter's killers to justice.
Law enforcement eventually pinned the killings on Manson Family members Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel, and so while it's true that Paul Tate's detective work failed to produce any solid leads, it was clearly a labor of love.Incidentally, Sharon's son was posthumously named Paul Richard Polanski, in honor of her and Polanski's fathers.
Her mother was a pioneer in the victims' rights movement
Sharon's murder at the hands of the Manson clan obviously had a profound impact on her family. Her mother was perhaps the most changed by the tragedy. An Army wife, pageant mom, and beauty salon owner, Doris Tate went on to become a leading voice in the victims' rights movement, founding COVER, the Coalition on Victim's Equal Rights, and advocating for the use of victim impact statements in sentencing hearings.
For several years after Sharon's death, Doris Tate was a recluse, struggling with grief and depression. Then Doris got word that Leslie Van Houten, a Manson Family member convicted in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, was hard at work trying to amass the signatures needed to be granted parole, and Doris launched her own campaign to make sure Van Houten remained in prison. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush honored Doris Tate and her work as a victim's rights advocate as part of his "Thousand Points of Light" initiative.Doris Tate died that same year of a brain tumor.
A deadly address
The French country-style house at 10050 Cielo Drive where Tate and her friends were murdered has a fascinating history all its own. Designed for the actress Michele Morgan, it saw a number of famous inhabitants, including Lillian Gish, Henry Fonda, and Carey Grant. Prior to Tate's residency, it was occupied by actress Candice Bergen and Terry Melcher, the son of Doris Day. Then Bergen and Melcher broke up, Doris talked Melcher into living with her for a while — partially because she was worried about Charles Manson, who kept hanging about the Cielo Drive house — and Tate and Polanski moved in.
Charles Manson, at one time an aspiring musician, targeted the occupants of the home because he'd been spurned by Melcher, whom he'd hoped would produce his debut album. Furious at Melcher for turning him away, Manson convinced three of his followers — Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel — to kill everyone in the house. The murders were astoundingly brutal. The pièce de résistance? The word "pig" scrawled on the front door in Sharon Tate's blood.
In 1994, the home was bulldozed, but not before Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails could record his triple platinum albumThe Downward Spiralthere. Perhaps it will come as no surprise to fans that Reznor made sure to grab that door, the one that had "pig" written on it, on his way out.
The curse of Rosemary's Baby
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RomanPolanski's film of Ira Levin's much-lauded book came out in 1968 to a chorus of critical acclaim. So far so good for a movie about a woman unwittingly giving birth to the devil's child in order to jump-start her husband's floundering acting career. Then the creepy coincidencesbegan. First, the film's composer, Krzysztof Komeda, fell off a cliff and went into a coma, dying shortly thereafter. Next and not nearly as dramatic, the film's producer, William Castle, suffered a horrible attack of kidney stones, during which he is reported to have hallucinated and hollered for Rosemary to drop the knife. (His career took a nose dive after that.) Finally, Polanski really wanted Tate for the role of Rosemary, but Mia Farrow got the part instead and Tate was murdered just a year after the movie was released. Stabbed to death, no less, and heavily pregnant.
According to Too Young To Die, Polanski told a number of friends that, just before Tate left him for Los Angeles, he had a premonition that he would never see her again. Perhaps it was paranoia brought on by making one of the more disturbing films of the late '60s (which is really saying something). Or maybe he was cursed with second sight.
Sharon Tate reincarnated?
In the 1990s, a woman named Rosie Blanchard began harassing Sharon Tate's mother, Doris, and sister Patti, claiming to be the reincarnation of Sharon. When Patti asked Blanchard to stop spreading such a harmful fiction, Blanchard changed her story and began insisting that, in fact, she was Sharon Tate's daughter.
Blanchard found an unexpected ally in William Garretson, who had been the teenage caretaker of Tate's house at the time of her death and the first suspect taken into custody for the killings. Initially, Garretson swore he slept through the murders, and police did end up letting him go when forensic evidence cleared him of having any role in the crime. Years later, Garretson changed his story, saying what really happened was Tate actually gave birth to a child shortly before she was killed, only to have that child whisked away by a bunch of men in black suits. That child, Garretson said, grew up to be Rosie Blanchard. Garretson and Blanchard married shortly after Blanchard initiated contact with the Tate family. Yeah, that's a weird one.
She's still haunting us, 50 years after her death
Sharon Tate was well on her way toward achieving muse status when she was killed, and long after her death, she continues to inspire writers, directors, and designers alike.
Mad Menfans will remember Megan Draper's T-shirt from "The Better Half" episode, an obvious nod to Sharon Tate's titillating 1967Esquirespread in which she wore a sopping wet shirt with a red star on it. In a show lauded for its beautiful and period-accurate costumes, Megan's shirt causedquite a stir, leading many loyal watchers to speculate that Don's aspiring actress wife was either doomed or dead already, a lovely figment of her husband's disturbed imagination.
From the small screen to the silver, Quentin Tarantino'sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodexplores Tate's LA life from the perspective of her neighbor, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is Rick Dalton, an aging movie star, to Margot Robbie's Tate. Tarantino has described the movie as a love letter to 1960s Hollywood.Last and definitely least, there's the Hilary Duff horror vehicle,The Haunting of Sharon Tate, another take on Tate's murder that is by all reports terrible, likeEye of the Devil, in which Tate played a witch bent on blood sacrifice.
FAQs
What exactly did Charles Manson do? ›
Charles Manson, (born November 12, 1934, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—died November 19, 2017, Kern county, California), American criminal and cult leader whose followers carried out several notorious murders in the late 1960s. Their crimes inspired the best-selling book Helter Skelter (1974). See also Tate murders.
What really happened to Sharon Tate? ›Sebring was shot and stabbed to death. Frykowski and Folger managed to free themselves and flee the house, but both were chased down and killed by Krenwinkel and Watson. Finally, Atkins and/or Watson fatally stabbed Tate. As they left, Atkins used Tate's blood to write the word “PIG” on the front door.
What did Charles Manson get charged with? ›Various members of his cult confessed, and Manson and five others were indicted on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. In January 1972, Manson and three others were found guilty, and on March 29 all four were sentenced to death.
What color was Sharon Tate hair? ›Sharon Tate Quick Info Height 5 ft 6 in Weight 53 kg Date of Birth January 24, 1943 Zodiac Sign Aquarius Hair Color Blonde Sharon Tate was a flourishing American actress and model who appeared in shows and movies like The Beverly Hillbillies, The Fearless Vampire Killers, and The Wrecking Crew.
What was Charles Manson's IQ? ›For the federal crime of driving a stolen car across state lines, Manson was sent to Washington, D.C.'s National Training School for Boys. On arrival he was given aptitude tests which determined that he was illiterate, but had an above-average IQ of 109. His case worker deemed him aggressively antisocial.
What was Charles Manson's last words before he died? ›12, shortly before a hospitalization that eventually lead to his death — the cult leader told his friend, “Gone in the sky, the dead but never die.” After the eerie quote, he told his pal that he has “love for all,” before the call was cut out by the prison where he has been for nearly 30 years.
How many murders did Manson Family commit? ›Charles Milles Manson (né Maddox; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969.
Who snitched on Charles Manson? ›The group consisted of approximately 100 followers, who lived an unconventional lifestyle and frequently used psychoactive drugs like Benzedrine (amphetamine) as well as hallucinogens such as LSD.
Did any of the Manson Family get released? ›In addition, Krenwinkel was also convicted of the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, while Atkins was also convicted of murdering Gary Hinman. Only one member of the Manson Family has been convicted of murder and later released: Steve "Clem" Grogan.
What personality type was Sharon Tate? ›
Sharon Tate is an ESFJ personality type. Sharon Tate, as an ESFJ, tends to be natural leaders, as they are typically very good at taking charge of situations and getting people to work together. They're typically friendly, kind, and empathetic, commonly misidentified as ardent crowd boosters.
Did Margot Robbie wear Sharon Tates clothes? ›According to Phillips, the yellow hot pants outfit Robbie wears in the film is also an original pair that Sharon Tate was known to have worn.
What ethnicity was Sharon Tate? ›Sharon Marie Tate was born on January 24, 1943, in Dallas, Texas, the eldest of three daughters to Colonel Paul James Tate, a United States Army officer, and his wife, Doris Gwendolyn (née Willett). The family is of English, Swiss, and French descent.
What is Lady Gaga's IQ? ›One thing that many may not know is that gaga actually has an impressively high IQ of 166 which means that she falls into the exceptionally gifted category — just like Ashton Kutcher, Quentin Tarantino, and Matt Damon.
Was Ted Bundy's IQ high? ›A test result revealed that Ted Bundy's IQ was 136, which is considered "gifted." The University of Washington awarded him a psychology bachelor's degree. He used cunning to lure his victims in close by tricking them, including making up injuries and passing for a police officer.
What is IQ of Bill Gates? ›Bill Gates IQ was set at 160 IQ, which put him ahead of Warren Buffet and Elon Musk in the most recent rankings.
Who was supposed to be at the Tate House? ›Steve McQueen, one of Hollywood's iconic leading men, narrowly avoided murder at the hands of Manson Family members the night of Sharon Tate's death. The actor, who died in 1980 at the age of 50, was meant to attend a dinner with his friend, hairdresser Jay Sebring, at the home of Tate in 1969.
How much is Charles Manson's estate worth? ›Manson died at age 83 in 2017 while serving life in prison. His estate includes guitars, artwork, photographs, clothing and original songs — three of which were recorded by Guns 'N Roses, Marilyn Manson and The Beach Boys. The estate is estimated to be worth between several hundred thousand to a million dollars.
Who died because of Charles Manson? ›On August 8 and 9, 1969, Tex Watson took Manson followers Patricia Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins, and Linda Kasabian to the house on Cielo Drive, where all of them — except Kasabian, who was horrified — proceeded to kill Tate and four guests: Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent, an 18-year-old ...
Who is the biggest serial killer of all time? ›- Jack the Ripper. ...
- Jeffrey Dahmer. ...
- Harold Shipman. ...
- John Wayne Gacy. ...
- H.H. Holmes. ...
- Pedro Lopez. ...
- Ted Bundy.
What serial killer has the most kills? ›
Serial killers with the highest known victim count. The most prolific modern serial killer is arguably Dr. Harold Shipman, with 218 probable murders and possibly as many as 250 (see "Medical professionals", below).
Who is still in jail from the Manson Family? ›Bruce Davis was not involved in the Tate or LaBianca murders, but was convicted for his role in the murders of Gary Hinman and Donald Shea. He is currently in prison at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo where he acts as a minister in the prison chapel. He has also gotten married and fathered one child.
What did Susan Atkins say to Sharon Tate? ›[Miss Tate]. She said, 'Please don't kill me,' and I told her to shut up and I threw her down on the couch.” “She said, 'Please let me have my baby,'” Miss Atkins went on “Then Tex came in and he said, 'Kill her,' and i killed her.
Is Lynette Squeaky Fromme still alive? ›...
| Squeaky Fromme | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lynette Alice Fromme October 22, 1948 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Red |
| Criminal status | Paroled |
But what about cult leader Charles Manson's actual family — and specifically, his children? Manson, who died in 2017, had at least three biological sons, according to Newsweek: Charles Manson Jr., Charles Luther Manson, and Valentine Michael Manson.
What did Charles Manson do to his mom? › Does the Spahn Ranch still exist? ›It is no longer in use. After Spahn's death and a wildfire that destroyed the main ranch house and outbuildings, the land was incorporated into the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.
Is Charles Manson's son still alive? › Who is the Manson parole girl? ›Following the 2009 death of fellow Manson cult member Susan Atkins, Krenwinkel is now the longest-incarcerated female inmate in the California penal system. Admitted to prison in April 1971, she has been continuously incarcerated for more than 50 years. Krenwinkel was granted parole on May 26, 2022.
What personality type is Marilyn Monroe? ›As an ISFP, Marilyn tends to be creative, unconventional, and empathetic. Marilyn generally has a strong grasp of their senses and often has very vivid memories.
What is Oprah's Myers Briggs Type? ›
Oprah's Myers-Briggs Personality Type: ENFJ. Oprah has the ease, warmth and confidence of an extravert. From the start of her career, she was comfortable tackling public mediums like talk radio and television, and one of her first gigs involved interviewing locals for a Baltimore TV station.
What personality type was Lady Gaga? ›As an INFJ, Lady Gaga tends to be determined, reserved, and altruistic. Lady Gaga is likely an idealist and is passionate about making the world a better place and close relationships.
Who owns Sharon Tates wedding dress? ›Sharon Tate's wedding dress is now under the same roof as tons of creepy Charles Manson memorabilia ... as "Ghost Adventures" star Zak Bagans adds to his Haunted Museum. We're told he bought Sharon's wedding dress for $56,000 at auction back in November.
What is Margot Robbie allergic to? ›Margot Robbie detailed her unusual allergy while filming Birds of Prey. The star is allergic to egg whites, noting that they give her migraines.
What color was Sharon Tates eyes? ›As beautiful as she was kind, actress Sharon Tate left a mark on the world. She was known for her large hazel eyes, wispy eyelashes, minimal makeup style, which allowed her natural beauty to shine, and the kind, cheerful spirit of someone who enjoyed walking the streets of LA barefoot.
Who was the father of Sharon Tate's baby? ›Both mother and baby are now deceased. The father was Roman Polanski.
Is Marilyn Manson ethnicity? ›He is of English, German, Irish, and Polish descent, and has also claimed that his mother's family (who hailed from the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia) had Sioux heritage. As a child, he attended his mother's Episcopal church, though his father was a Roman Catholic.
What did the Manson family do to people? ›In 1969, Family members Susan Atkins, Tex Watson, and Patricia Krenwinkel entered the home of Hollywood actress Sharon Tate and murdered her and four others. Linda Kasabian was also present, but did not take part. Members of the Manson Family also committed a number of other murders, assaults, petty crimes, and thefts.
Who is the most popular serial killer? ›- Jack the Ripper. ...
- Jeffrey Dahmer. ...
- Harold Shipman. ...
- John Wayne Gacy. ...
- H.H. Holmes. ...
- Pedro Lopez. ...
- Ted Bundy.
The five perpetrators – Atkins, Krenwinkel, Manson, Van Houten, and Watson – were each tried and convicted for their roles in the Tate–LaBianca murders.
How many murders did Manson family commit? ›
In all, Manson and his followers were convicted of nine murders — the Tate and LaBianca attacks plus the slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman and ranch hand Donald “Shorty” Shea.
Why did the Manson Family start killing? ›However, there is some evidence to the contrary. In late 1969 Manson Family member Susan Atkins—a participant in the Tate murders—claimed that the cult murdered Tate “because we wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice.” Watson made similar claims.
Did the Manson Family cut the baby out? ›“She was nine months pregnant, and there was an X cut on her stomach.” In fact, however, the coroner's testimony at the murder trial would make clear that she received multiple chest wounds, including around the breast, but it was not “cut off” and her stomach was not carved.