Sharon Tate

Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small roles in television, before starting her film career. She appeared in several films that utilised her physical beauty, and after receiving positive reviews as a light comedienne was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers. Tate's celebrity status and role as a style icon of the "Swinging Sixties" increased after fashion magazines began featuring her as a model and cover girl. Married to the film director Roman Polanski, Tate was eight months pregnant when she, along with four others, was murdered in her Benedict Canyon home by followers of Charles Manson.

Movie career

Tate continued to ask Ransohoff to cast her in a film; by 1965 she had been under contract for two years, and had only some minor television appearances to her credit. After she auditioned unsuccessfully for role of Liesl in the film version of The Sound of Music, Ransohoff allowed her to appear in the film Eye of the Devil (known during production by the title Thirteen) co-starring with David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasance and David Hemmings. Tate and Sebring travelled to London, England to begin preparation for the filming. As part of Ransohoff's promotion of Tate, he organised for a short documentary to be produced which would be released at the same time as Eye of the Devil. Titled All Eyes on Sharon Tate it included an interview with Eye of the Devil director J. Lee Thompson, who expressed his initial doubts about Tate's potential with the comment "We even agreed that if after the first two weeks Sharon was not quite making it, that we would put her back in cold storage", but added that he soon realized Tate was "tremendously exciting". {{mn|GregKing|1}}

Related Topics:
1965 - Audition - The Sound of Music - Eye of the Devil - David Niven - Deborah Kerr - Donald Pleasance - David Hemmings - London, England - Documentary - J. Lee Thompson

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She played the part of Odile, a witch who exerts a mysterious power over a landowner, played by Niven, and his wife, Kerr. Although she did not have as many lines as the other actors, Tate's performance was considered crucial to the film, and she was required more than the other cast members, to set an ethereal tone. Niven described her as a "great discovery", and Kerr said that with "a reasonable amount of luck", Tate would be a great success. {{mn|GregKing|1}} In interviews, Tate commented on her good fortune in working with such professionals in her first film, and said that she had learned a lot about acting simply by watching Kerr at work. Much of the filming took place in France and Sebring returned to Los Angeles to fulfil his business obligations. After filming completed Tate remained in London where she immersed herself in the fashion and nightclubs; it was in one of these nightclubs that she met Roman Polanski.

Related Topics:
France - Roman Polanski

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Tate and Polanski later agreed that neither of them had been impressed by the other when they first met. Polanski was planning The Fearless Vampire Killers, which was being co-produced by Ransohoff, and had decided that he wanted the red-headed actress Jill St. John for the female lead. Ransohoff insisted that Polanski cast Tate, and after meeting with her, he agreed that she would be suitable on the condition that she wore a red wig during filming. The company travelled to Italy for filming where Tate's fluent Italian proved useful in communicating with the local crewmembers. A perfectionist, Polanski had little patience with the inexperienced Tate, and said in an interview that one scene had required seventy "takes" before he was satisfied. In addition to directing, Polanski also acted in the film, playing one of the main characters, a guileless young man, who is intrigued by Tate's character and begins a romance with her. As filming progressed, Polanski began to offer encouragement for her performance and her confidence grew. They began a relationship, and Tate moved into Polanski's London apartment after filming completed. Jay Sebring flew to London where he insisted on meeting Polanski. Although his friends later said he was devastated, he befriended Polanski and remained Tate's closest confidante. Polanski later commented that Sebring was a lonely and isolated person, who viewed Tate and Polanski as his family. {{mn|RomanPolanski|2}}

Related Topics:
The Fearless Vampire Killers - Jill St. John

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Tate returned to the United States to film Don't Make Waves with Tony Curtis, leaving Polanski in London. The film was intended to capitalize on the popularity of "beach" movies and the music of such artists as the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. Tate's character, billed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer publicity as "Malibu, Queen of the Surf", wore little more than a bikini for most of the film. Disappointed with the film, she began referring to herself sarcastically as "sexy little me". Before the film's release, a major publicity campaign resulted in photographs and life sized cardboard figures of Sharon Tate being displayed in cinema foyers throughout the United States, and a concurrent advertising campaign by Coppertone featured Tate. The film opened to poor reviews and mediocre ticket sales and Tate was quoted as confiding to a reporter, "It's a terrible movie", before adding, "sometimes I say things I shouldn't. I guess I'm too outspoken". {{mn|GregKing|1}}

Related Topics:
Don't Make Waves - Tony Curtis - Beach Boys - Jan and Dean - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Coppertone

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Polanski returned to the United States, and was contracted to direct the film version of Ira Levin's novel Rosemary's Baby. He later admitted that he had wanted Tate for the title role, and had hoped that someone would suggest her, as he felt it inappropriate to make the suggestion himself. The producers did not suggest Tate, and Mia Farrow was cast. Tate provided ideas for some of the key scenes, including the scene in which the protagonist, Rosemary, is impregnated. She also appeared, uncredited, as a guest during a party scene. A frequent visitor to the set, she was photographed there by Esquire magazine and the resulting photographs generated considerable publicity for both Tate and the film.

Related Topics:
Ira Levin - Rosemary's Baby - Mia Farrow - Esquire

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A March 1967 article about Tate in Playboy Magazine commenced with, "This is the year that Sharon Tate happens..." and in addition to an article about Tate, included six nude and partially nude photographs taken by Roman Polanski during filming of The Fearless Vampire Killers. {{mn|GregKing|1}} Tate was optimistic – Eye of the Devil and The Fearless Vampire Killers were each due for release, and she had been signed to play a major role in the film version of Valley of the Dolls. One of the all-time literary bestsellers, the film version was highly publicised and anticipated, and while Tate stated that she could not believe her luck, she confided to Polanski that she did not like either the book or the script.

Related Topics:
1967 - Playboy Magazine - Valley of the Dolls

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Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins and Judy Garland were cast in the other major roles. Susan Hayward replaced Garland a few weeks later when Garland was dismissed. The director Mark Robson was highly critical of the three principal actresses but according to Duke, directed most of his criticism at Tate. Duke later said Robson "continually treated like an imbecile, which she definitely was not, and she was very attuned and sensitive to this treatment." {{mn|GregKing|1}} Polanski later quoted Robson as saying to him "That's a great girl you're living with. Few actresses have her kind of vulnerability. She's got a great future". {{mn|RomanPolanski|2}}

Related Topics:
Patty Duke - Barbara Parkins - Judy Garland - Susan Hayward - Director - Mark Robson

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In interviews during production, Tate expressed an affinity for her character, Jennifer North, an aspiring actress who was admired only for her body. Some magazines commented that Tate was viewed similarly and Look Magazine published an unfavourable article about the three lead actresses, describing Tate as "a hopelessly stupid and vain starlet". {{mn|GregKing|1}} Tate, Duke and Parkins developed a close friendship which continued after the completion of the film, and despite the difficulties she had endured, Tate promoted the film enthusiastically. She frequently commented on her admiration for Lee Grant, with whom she had played several dramatic scenes.

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A journalist asked Tate to comment on her nude scene, and she replied, "I have no qualms about it at all. I don't see any difference between being stark naked or fully dressed – if it's part of the job and it's done with meaning and intention. I honestly don't understand the big fuss made over nudity and sex in films. It's silly. On TV, the children can watch people murdering each other, which is a very unnatural thing, but they can't watch two people in the very natural process of making love. Now, really, that doesn't make any sense, does it?" {{mn|GregKing|1}}

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An edited version of The Fearless Vampire Killers was released, and Polanski expressed disgust at Ransohoff for "butchering" his film. Newsweek called it "a witless travesty", and it was not profitable. Tate's performance was largely ignored in reviews, and when she was mentioned, it was usually in relation to her nude scenes. Eye of the Devil was released shortly after, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer attempted to build interest in Tate with its press release describing her as "one of the screen's most exciting new personalities". The film failed to find an audience, and most reviews were indifferent, neither praising nor condemning it. The New York Times wrote that one of the few highlights was Tate's "chillingly beautiful but expressionless performance". {{mn|GregKing|1}}

Related Topics:
Newsweek - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - New York Times

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The All Eyes on Sharon Tate documentary was used to publicize the film. Its fourteen minutes consisted of a number of scenes depicting Tate filming Eye of the Devil, dancing in nightclubs and sightseeing around London, and also contained a brief interview with her. Asked about her acting ambitions she replied, "I don't fool myself. I can't see myself doing Shakespeare". She spoke of her hopes of finding a niche in comedy, and in other interviews she expressed her desire to become "a light comedienne in the Carole Lombard style". {{mn|GregKing|1}} She discussed the type of contemporary actress she wanted to emulate and explained that there were two in particular that she was influenced by, Faye Dunaway and Catherine Deneuve. Of the latter, she said "I?d like to be an American Catherine Deneuve. She plays beautiful, sensitive, deep parts with a little bit of intelligence behind them." {{mn|PhotoScreen|3}}

Related Topics:
Shakespeare - Carole Lombard - Faye Dunaway - Catherine Deneuve

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Later in the year, Valley of the Dolls opened to almost uniformly negative reviews. Bosley Crowther for The New York Times said that "all a fairly respectful admirer of movies can do is laugh at it and turn away". {{mn|NewYorkTimesValleyoftheDolls|4}} Newsweek wrote that the film "has no more sense of its own ludicrousness than a village idiot stumbling in manure", but in a later article about rising actresses wrote "Astoundingly photogenic, infinitely curvaceous, Sharon Tate is one of the most smashing young things to hit Hollywood in a long time".{{mn|NewsweekValleyoftheDolls|5}} The three lead actresses were castigated in numerous publications, including The Saturday Review, which wrote, "Ten years ago.. Parkins, Duke and Tate would more likely have been playing the hat check girls than movie-queens; they are totally lacking in style, authority or charm". {{mn|GregKing|1}} The Hollywood Reporter provided Tate with some positive comments, and wrote "Sharon Tate emerges as the film's most sympathetic character... William Daniels' photographic caress of her faultless face and enormous absorbent eyes is stunning". {{mn|GregKing|1}} Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times described Tate as "a wonder to behold", but after describing the script of one of her scenes as "the most offensive and appalling vulgarity ever thrown up by any civilization", concluded that as a result, "I will be unable to take her any more seriously as a sex symbol than Raquel Welch". {{mn|RogerEbertValleyoftheDolls|6}}

Related Topics:
Bosley Crowther - The Hollywood Reporter - William Daniels - Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times - Sex symbol - Raquel Welch

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