Sharon Tate was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood’s most promising newcomers. At present, the actress left us. But her movies alive here among us. Today, let’s explore the facts related to the actress through this article.
Sharon Tate’s 1969 Murder Began a Sorry Chapter in Hollywood History
Source: @cnn.com
Sony opens Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” on July 26, close to the 50th anniversary of the murder of Sharon Tate and four others. A front-page Variety story on Aug. 11, 1969, two days after the killings, said police described the scene as “a ritualistic mass murder.” Showbiz has since then offered many tasteless depictions of the killings via low-budget exploitation films and TV offerings. Even with a “classy” production like the 1976 “Helter Skelter,” Variety reported that Lorimar intended to “spice up” the four-hour miniseries for overseas by adding more violence and sex.
In November 2018, Debra Tate (Sharon’s sister) wrote a piece for Variety’s special issue on criminal justice reform, American (In)Justice. A victims’ rights activist, she lamented Hollywood’s glamorizing of the Manson family and urged no parole for its remaining members in prison. She offered a few details from 1969 that served as a reminder: No matter how awful the descriptions, the real thing was much worse.
In the weeks after the murders, Variety reported on updates in the police investigation of the Aug. 9 murders on Cielo Drive, and the killings the following day of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Police didn’t immediately link the two crimes.
The media was obsessed with the killings, often trying to blame the victims, as if their lives were filled with drugs and debauchery. For example, on Aug. 27, Variety reported that Life entertainment editor Dan Merriman had commissioned a series of “think pieces” for the magazine, including one that would address the murders and “their ramifications on the whole Hollywood drug scene.” Print and broadcast journalists, as well as talk-radio callers, offered theories trying to connect the Satan worshippers in “Rosemary’s Baby” with the lifestyle of Tate’s husband, director Roman Polanski.
Five months after the killings, Variety reported that New American Library was rushing to print a book “The Killing of Sharon Tate,” written by newspaper reporter Lawrence Schiller and one of the accused women (Susan Atkins). A blurb on the book promised that reading it would require “A strong stomach and an overwhelming curiosity.”
Other low-lights, as reported in Variety:
- Jan. 20, 1971: A story said the film “The Other Side of Madness” “presents a lengthy, graphic reenactment of the Sharon Tate murders in such detail that lawyers for Charles Manson have expressed amazement at the accuracy of depicted events.”
- Sept. 1, 1971: A review of a drama “Sweet Savior” said the film “capitalizes on the Sharon Tate tragedy in an offensive grab for quick box office. Events are keyed to the more publicized aspects of the killings, though hyped with an inordinate amount of exploitation material.”
- Jan. 12, 1972: A review of the New York production “22 Years” said playwright Robert Sickinger “compiled loosely knit scenes based on accounts of the slayings. The result is a listless theater with dull B.O. potential.”
The fascination never went away. In 2004 CBS offered a new miniseries of “Helter Skelter,” again based on the book by Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi. In his May 13, 2004, Variety review, Brian Lowry said the new edition was timely “due to the enduring fascination with Manson along with media hysteria.” Lowry said this three-hour version made clear that Manson was impatiently waiting for a race war between blacks and whites, so he decided “to trigger those events through a series of disturbingly random murders, hoping blacks will be blamed.”
Several years after the killings, Polanski lamented the media hysteria to the New York Times. “What happened was reviewed in terms of my films,” he said. “Suddenly Sharon became responsible for her own death. The press was despicable. They sensationalized something that was already sensational. They were criminal.”
In her recent Variety piece, Debra Tate said: “Members of the Manson Family have left a permanent stain on our culture. The entertainment industry has helped them reach almost mythic status by churning out seemingly never-ending anniversary shows, recordings of Manson’s music, books, television programs, movies, and documentaries.”
She pointed out the dangers of this, including the fact that young white supremacists admire Manson, who died in prison in November 2017. Her website is NoParoleForMansonFamily.com.
Source: @thelily.com
Who are the parents of Sharon Tate?
Recalling her early life, Sharon Tate was born in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is American by nationality and belongs to white ethnicity and faith in Christianity. Her birth sign is Aquarius. She is the daughter of Paul James Tate, a US army colonel, and Doris Gwendolyn. She has two siblings named Debra and Patricia Tale. As a serving officer of the United States Army, Sharon’s father got transferred frequently. As a result, Sharon had to move to different cities along with her family during her growing years.
By the age of 16, Sharon Tate had lived in six cities and attended several schools along the way. She studied at the Chief Joseph Junior High School (presently Chief Joseph Middle School) between September 1955 to June 1958, Columbia High school in Richland, Washington from September 1958 to October 1959 (Now known as Richland High School). She attended Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas from late 1959 to April 1960, and the Vicenza American High School in Vicenza, Italy from April 1960 to June 1961. She completed her graduation from the latter school in 1961.
Source: @biography.com
When did Sharon Tate pursue her acting career?
- While still studying in Vicenza High School of Italy, Sharon Tate, along with her friends appeared as an extra in the film ‘Adventures of a Young Man’ written by Ernest Hemingway, directed by Martin Ritt, and produced by the 20th Century Fox production house. The main cast of the film included the likes of Richard Beymer, Paul Newman, and Susan Strasberg.
- Beymer persuaded her to pursue a film acting career. Sharon made her television debut in 1960 appearing in an episode of the television series ‘The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom’ along with singer Pat Boone. In the same year, she was again hired as an extra in the film ‘Barabbas.’
- Sharon finally returned to the United States along with her family in 1962. She straightaway moved to Los Angeles to further her nascent film career. She came in contact with Harold Gefsky, who was working as the agent of Richard Beymer. Gefsky helped her in securing work in television and magazine advertisements.
- She landed a recurring but small role in the American TV series ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ and another small role in the TV show ‘Mister Ed.’ She was all along working with Filmways Inc. director Martin Ransohoff, and he was skeptical about her ability to successfully master large roles.
- After working in two of Ransohoff’s produced films viz., ‘Americanization of Emily’ (1964) and ‘The Sandpiper’ (1965) in minor roles, Sharon got her first big break in yet another Ransohoff produced the film ‘The Eye of the Devil.’ The film was a crime/horror movie directed by J Lee Thompson and was released in 1966. David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, and David Hemmings were the other famous actors cast in the movie.
- After the success of ‘The Eye of the Devil,’ Sharon found another significant role in the film ‘Valley of the Dolls,’ directed by Mark Robson and released in 1967. The film was an adaptation of a 1966 novel of the same name. The film was a commercial success and Sharon was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her exciting performance as the Most Promising New Comer.
- In 1967, Sharon Tate was cast by the legendary director Roman Polanski in his film ‘The Fearless Vampire Killers.’ Though initially impatient with the acting of Sharon owing mainly due to his perfectionist nature, Polanski later started appreciating her performance.
- Polanski himself appeared in the movie as an innocent young man who was one of the main characters in the movie. Her next film was ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ an American comedy, which was directed by Phil Carlson. The film could not generate much revenue and had mostly negative reviews.
- The last film of her short career is the 1969 comedy, ‘The Thirteen Chairs,’ where she played the lead role. The film was released after her untimely and tragic murder.
Who is Sharon Tate married to?
Reflecting on her personal life, Sharon was a married woman before her death. She was married to Roman Polanski on January 20, 1968. There are no proper updates regarding her spouse and children on the internet or social media. She was pregnant at the time of her murder.
How much is Sharon Tate’s net worth?
As an actress, Sharon gains a lot of fame from her career and fortune as well. According to various online sources, her estimated net worth said to be $1 million at the time of her death. However, her salary is yet to be disclosed.
How tall is Sharon Tate?
Observing her body physics, Sharon stands a height of 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs around 50 Kg. She has light ash blonde hair and hazel brown eyes. Her body measures 32-26-32 inches and used to wear a 32B bra size. Further, her shoe size is 6 (UK).
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