Italian postcard. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Publicity still for Eye of the Devil (J. Lee Thompson, 1966).
Chinese postcard. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski in Dance of the Vampires / Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (Roman Polanski, 1967).
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin. Photo: Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, and Barbara Parkins in Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967).
The Swinging Sixties
Sharon Marie Tate was born in Dallas in 1943. Sharon was the eldest of three daughters to Colonel Paul James Tate and his wife Doris Gwendolyn Willett. At just six months old, Sharon took part in the Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas Pageant, a beauty contest for babies. Paul Tate was promoted and transferred several times. From 1948 to 1955, the family lived in Pasadena, Texas, and from 1955 to 1959 in Richland, Washington. There, Sharon attended Chief Joseph Junior High School and subsequently Columbia High School. In 1960, the family moved to Verona in Italy. Her mother, Doris, spent most of her time promoting her daughter’s image in beauty contests, and later as an actress in minor roles. In the spring of 1960, aged seventeen, she appeared on the front cover of the army magazine Stars and Stripes, photographed in a black swimsuit, wearing a cowboy hat, straddling a US Army missile. This photograph made her a local celebrity. She soon learnt to speak Italian fluently. At the American High School in Vicenza, she was cast as Juliet in the school’s production of 'Romeo and Juliet'.
The gorgeous Tate appeared on the 32nd episode of the third series of The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, a variety show hosted by Pat Boone from 1957 to 1960. The episode was filmed in Venice, on St Mark’s Square, and was broadcast on 5 May 1960. These experiences made her want to pursue a career in show business. Sharon worked as a fashion model and appeared as an extra in a few films, including Les trois mousquetaires / The Three Musketeers (Bernard Borderie, 1961) and Barabbas (Richard Fleischer, 1961). She and her friends also attended the filming of Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (Martin Ritt, 1962), starring Richard Beymer, Diane Baker and Paul Newman. One of the film’s scenes required a large crowd. The production team therefore asked the young people of Vincenza to take part in the shoot. On the set, Tate was noticed by Beymer. He introduced himself to her and invited her to lunch with the cast. A romance then blossomed between them during the film’s production in Verona. She graduated from American High School in 1961. During her graduation dinner, she announced she intended to continue her acting career. At that time, her father was offered a transfer to San Pedro, south of Los Angeles. Sharon left for her home country a few months before her parents did, to meet Richard Beymer's agent, with whom she continued their romance in Los Angeles. She secured a flat in a building managed by Richard Beymer’s mother.
In Hollywood, Sharon Tate met Beymer’s agent, Hal Gefsky. He was captivated by Tate’s beauty and agreed to help her, whilst her parents provided financial support. During the summer of 1962, she filmed adverts for Chevrolet cars and for Santa Fe cigarettes. In 1963, Gefsky introduced her to Martin Ransohoff, director of Filmways, Inc., who signed her to a seven-year contract. As she was not yet 21, her parents authorised her contract by placing her under a court-appointed guardian. Her first small role was that of the secretary Janet Trego in the television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1963-1965), in which she appeared in 15 episodes. Ransohoff let the timid Tate gain experience in small, uncredited roles in The Americanization of Emily (Arthur Hiller, 1964) starring James Garner and Julie Andrews, and The Sand Piper (Vincente Minnelli, 1965) alongside Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
In late 1965, he gave her a larger film role in his production Eye of the Devil (J. Lee Thompson, 1966), alongside David Niven and David Hemmings. Ransohoff arranged the production of a short documentary called All Eyes on Sharon Tate, to be released at the same time as Eye of the Devil. In 1964, she had met the famous Hollywood hairdresser Jay Sebring. They dated, but when he proposed marriage, she declined. She co-starred with Tony Curtis and Claudia Cardinale in the beach film Don’t Make Waves (Alexander Mackendrick, 1967). The Malibu Barbie doll is said to have been based on her character in this film. Her best-known film is possibly Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967), a film version of Jacqueline Susann's best-selling novel chronicling the rise and fall of three young women in show business. Barbara Parkins and Patty Duke played the other two. The three lead actresses were castigated in numerous publications, but Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised Tate as "a wonder to behold", and she earned a Golden Globe nomination.
That same year, she appeared in what turned out to be her best film, Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers / Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967). In this gothic tale, a noted professor (Jack McGowran) and his dim-witted apprentice (Polanski) fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while they are on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress (Tate). As filming progressed, Polanski praised her performances and the confidence of the shy Tate grew. They began a relationship, and Tate moved into Polanski's London apartment after filming ended. Jay Sebring travelled to London, where he insisted on meeting Polanski. Although friends later said he was devastated, he befriended Polanski and remained Tate's closest confidant. Sebring would later be murdered alongside her. On 20 January 1968, Tate and Polanski were married in London. He was dressed in 'Edwardian finery' while she was attired in an off-white taffeta minidress. The reception at the Playboy Club in Mayfair was highly publicised. It reflected the cultural effervescence of London during the Swinging Sixties, with celebrity guests dressed in pop and Victorian-style outfits, dancing to psychedelic music.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 406. Tony Scotti and Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967).
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 407. Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967). Collection: Alina Deaconu.
Portuguese postcard by Fantasporto. Sharon Tate and Ferdy Mayne in Dance of the Vampires / Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (Roman Polanski, 1967).
A Norman-style 'love house', complete with a swimming pool and guest quarters
Back in the U.S., Sharon Tate played a bit part in her husband's first Hollywood film, the Horror classic Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968). For the lead role, the production team had chosen Mia Farrow. Her next film was the campy adventure-comedy The Wrecking Crew (Phil Karlson, 1968) starring Dean Martin as the spy Matt Helm. She performed her own stunts and was taught martial arts by Bruce Lee. The film was successful and brought Tate strong reviews, with many reviewers praising her comedic performance. In late 1968, Tate discovered she was pregnant. She and Polanski then began looking for a larger house. In February 1969, the couple moved into a beautiful Norman-style residence, complete with a swimming pool and guest quarters at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, a part of Los Angeles overlooking Beverly Hills and Bel Air. This house, built in 1942 for the French actress Michèle Morgan, had previously been occupied by Terry Melcher, the son of Doris Day, and his girlfriend Candice Bergen. Tate called it the ‘Love House’. In March 1969, Sharon travelled to Italy and France to star in her final film, the Italian comedy Una su Tredici / 12 + 1 / The 13 Chairs (Nicolas Gessner, Luciano Lucignani, 1969) with Vittorio Gassman and Orson Welles. She was already pregnant at the time, and her wardrobe had to be altered to conceal her pregnancy during filming. After filming had finished, she stayed for a while with Polanski, who was working in London on preparations for the film The Day of the Dolphin. In July 1969, Sharon set off for America on a cruise ship to prepare for the impending birth. Roman stayed behind and was due to fly to Los Angeles a few weeks later, in time for the birth.
On the night of 8–9 August 1969, four followers of cult leader Charles Manson (Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian) broke into the home of Polanski and Tate. Manson is said to have ordered them to murder music producer Terry Melcher, who had refused to record an album with Manson. Melcher had lived in the house, but had moved away. Upon arrival, Watson’s first action was to cut the telephone cables. The first victim was 18-year-old Steven Parent, a young man who had just been visiting the house’s caretaker, William Garretson, and was about to drive away. Inside, screenwriter Wojtek Frykowski, who was asleep on a sofa, was first woken up. His hands were tied. Next, Jay Sebring, Frykowski's fiancée Abigail Folger, a heiress to a wealthy coffee merchant, and Sharon Tate were dragged from their beds. Because Jay Sebring protested against the rough treatment of Tate, he was shot dead by Watson. Frykowski managed to free himself and ran towards the front door, but was caught up with by Watson on the lawn, stabbed with a knife and shot. In total, Frykowski was shot twice, struck thirteen times on the head with a revolver and stabbed 51 times with a knife. Abigail Folger also tried to flee, but was tackled and stabbed by Patricia Krenwinkel. Krenwinkel and Watson killed Folger with a total of 28 stab wounds. Tate begged for mercy, offering to serve as a hostage, but she too was killed by sixteen stab wounds. In her final moments, she cried out for her mother. Her unborn son, who was later named Paul Richard, after Sharon’s father and Roman’s father, did not survive either. With a towel soaked in Tate’s blood, Watson wrote the word ‘Pig’ on the front door, apparently a reference to the Beatles song 'Piggies'.
Sharon Tate was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. Tate and Polanski’s son was buried in his mother’s arms. Her final film, 12+1, was released posthumously in 1969. Linda Kasabian was the only member of the Manson clan who did not take part in the massacre, and she later became the key witness in the trial of Charles Manson and his cult, the Manson Family. Thanks to Susan Atkins’s loose tongue, the Charles Manson Family could be prosecuted. In the meantime, they had continued their killing spree and murdered supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. These murders, which were initially mistaken for ritual killings, caused a great deal of public outrage in the United States. President Richard Nixon also came under fire for declaring Manson guilty even before the trial had concluded. The perpetrators were indeed found guilty in 1971 and sentenced to death by gas chamber.
Sharon's mother, Doris Tate, and her sisters, Patti and Debra, played a crucial role in bringing her murderers to justice. She sought and secured an amendment to California’s criminal legislation regarding the parole system. Since the adoption of this measure, victims of a criminal offence are called upon to testify during the review of an application for the offender’s release. Most US states have adopted this provision. Just one year after the murderers' conviction, the death penalty was abolished in California, and all sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. The perpetrators remained in prison, but have been eligible for early release since 1976. All their applications have been rejected to date. In September 2009, Susan Atkins died in prison from the effects of a brain tumour. Although her lawyers attempted to secure her release so she could die in freedom, Atkins was not granted permission to do so. Charles Manson died in November 2017 from internal bleeding at the age of 83. Watson and Krenwinkel are still in prison. Tate and Polanski’s house at 10050 Cielo Drive was demolished in 1994.
Sharon Tate's work as an actress has been reassessed since her death, with contemporary film writers and critics, such as Leonard Maltin, describing her potential as a comedian. A restored version of The Fearless Vampire Killers more closely resembles Polanski's intention. Numerous tributes have been paid to the actress. One of the most beautiful is Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), in which Margot Robbie portrayed Sharon Tate. The magnificent epic presents an alternative, fictional version of the events leading up to Tate’s murder, in which the murder does not take place. When Sharon Tate visits a screening of The Wrecking Crew, the audience in the cinema enjoys her performance, and she is filled with pride. The scene humanises her, makes her a person, rather than the victim she had become.
Vintage postcard by Swiftsure Postcards, no. 67/21, 2000.
Vintage postcard by Swiftsure Postcards, no. 67/5, 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch, French and English) and IMDb.
