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Sharon Tate

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Actors, models and
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   Sharon Tate
   Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls (1967)
   Birth name    Sharon Marie Tate
   Born          January 24, 1943
                 United States Dallas, Texas, USA
   Died          August 9, 1969
   Official site http://www.sharontate.net/
   Notable roles "Jennifer North" in
                 Valley of the Dolls

   Sharon Marie Tate ( January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American
   film actress. During the 1960s she played small roles in television,
   before starting her film career. She appeared in several films that
   highlighted her physical beauty, and after receiving positive reviews
   for her comedic performances, was hailed as one of Hollywood's
   promising newcomers, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her
   performance in Valley of the Dolls in 1967. Tate's celebrity status
   increased following her marriage to the film director, Roman Polański,
   and fashion magazines began featuring her as a model and cover girl.
   Tate was murdered, along with four others, by followers of Charles
   Manson, at her Benedict Canyon home. She was eight and a half months
   pregnant at the time.

   A decade after the murders, her mother Doris Tate, appalled at the
   growing cult status of the killers and the possibility that any of them
   might be granted parole, joined a public campaign against what she
   considered to be shortcomings in the state corrections system. This was
   one of the catalysts which led to amendments to California criminal law
   in 1982, and allowed crime victims and their families to make victim
   impact statements during the sentencing of convicts and at their
   subsequent parole hearings. She became the first person to make such an
   impact statement under the new law, when she spoke at the parole
   hearing of one of her daughter's killers, Charles "Tex" Watson. She
   later said that she believed the changes in the law had afforded her
   daughter dignity which had been denied her before, and that she had
   been able to "help transform Sharon's legacy from murder victim to a
   symbol of victim's rights".

Early life and becoming an actress

   Sharon Tate was born in Dallas, Texas, the first of three daughters, to
   Paul Tate, a United States Army officer and his wife, Doris. At six
   months of age, Sharon Tate won the "Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas Pageant",
   but the Tates did not hold any showbusiness ambitions for their
   daughter. Paul Tate's military career progressed, and he was promoted
   and transferred several times. By the age of 16, Sharon Tate had lived
   in six different American cities, and because of the frequent moves and
   unsettled lifestyle, had found it difficult to maintain friendships.
   Her family described her as shy and lacking in self-confidence as a
   result, and as an adult Sharon Tate commented that people often
   misinterpreted her shyness and considered her to be aloof until they
   came to know her better.

   As she matured, people commented on her beauty; she began entering
   beauty pageants, winning the title of "Miss Richland, Washington" in
   1959. She spoke of her ambition to study psychiatry, and also stated
   her intention to compete in the "Miss Washington" pageant in 1960, but
   before she could follow either course of action, Paul Tate was
   transferred to Italy, taking his family with him.

   Upon her arrival in Verona, Sharon Tate learned that she had become a
   local celebrity due to the publication of a photograph of her in a
   bathing suit, which appeared on the cover of the military newspaper,
   Stars and Stripes. She discovered a kinship with other students at the
   American school she attended, recognising that their backgrounds and
   feelings of separation were similar to her own, and for the first time
   in her life began to form lasting friendships. Tate and her friends
   became interested in the filming of Adventures of a Young Man, which
   was being made nearby with Paul Newman, Susan Strasberg and Richard
   Beymer, and they obtained parts as film extras. Beymer noticed Tate in
   the crowd and introduced himself, and the two dated during the
   production of the film, with Beymer offering Tate encouragement to
   pursue a film career. In 1961, Tate was employed by the singer Pat
   Boone, and appeared with him in a television special he made in Venice.
   Tate (at right wearing a dark wig) as Janet Trego in a 1965 episode of
   The Beverly Hillbillies with Max Baer, Jr. and Nancy Kulp.
   Enlarge
   Tate (at right wearing a dark wig) as Janet Trego in a 1965 episode of
   The Beverly Hillbillies with Max Baer, Jr. and Nancy Kulp.

   Later in the year, when Barabbas was being filmed near Verona, once
   again Tate was cast as an extra. The actor Jack Palance was impressed
   with her appearance and her attitude, although her role was too small
   to judge whether she had talent. He arranged a screen test for her in
   Rome, but this did not lead to further work. Tate returned to the
   United States alone, saying she wanted to further her studies, but
   tried to find film work. After a few months, Doris Tate, who feared for
   her daughter's safety, suffered a nervous breakdown and Sharon Tate
   returned to Italy.

   The Tate family returned to the United States in 1962, and Sharon Tate
   moved to Los Angeles, California, where she contacted Richard Beymer's
   agent, Harold Gefsky. After their first meeting Gefsky agreed to
   represent her, and secured work for her in television and magazine
   advertisements. In 1963 he introduced her to Martin Ransohoff, director
   of Filmways, Inc., who signed her to a seven year contract. Tate was
   considered for one of the lead roles in the Petticoat Junction
   television series, but Ransohoff realized that she lacked the
   experience to handle an important role. He gave her small parts in Mr.
   Ed, and The Beverly Hillbillies to allow her to gain experience.

   During this time Tate met the French actor Philippe Forquet, and began
   a relationship with him. They became engaged, but the relationship was
   volatile and they frequently quarrelled. After a violent confrontation
   with Forquet, Tate required hospital treatment for her injuries, and
   subsequently ended the relationship.

   In 1964, she met Jay Sebring, a former sailor who had established
   himself as a leading hair stylist in Hollywood. Tate later said that
   Sebring's nature was especially gentle, but when he proposed marriage
   she would not accept. She said that she would retire from acting as
   soon as she married, and at that time she intended to focus on her
   career.

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 co-starring with David
   Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence and David Hemmings. Tate and
   Sebring travelled to London 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".

   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. 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 world and nightclubs; it was in one of these nightclubs
   that she met Roman Polanski.

   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 travelled 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.

   Tate returned to the United States to film Don't Make Waves with Tony
   Curtis, leaving Polanski in London. Tate played the part of "Malibu",
   and was the inspiration for the popular "Malibu Barbie" doll. 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".

   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 to star in the film 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.

   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.
   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 acknowledged that such a high profile role
   should further her career, she confided to Polanski that she did not
   like either the book or the script.

   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
   [Tate] like an imbecile, which she definitely was not, and she was very
   attuned and sensitive to this treatment." 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".

   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".
   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.

   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?" 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".

   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". 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."

   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". 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". 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". 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". 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".

Marriage to Roman Polanski

   In late 1967, Tate and Polanski returned to London, and were frequent
   subjects of newspaper and magazine articles. Tate was depicted as being
   untraditional and modern, with her assertion that couples should live
   together before they marry being quoted. They were married in London on
   January 20, 1968 with considerable publicity. The photographer Peter
   Evans later described them as "The imperfect couple. They were the
   Douglas Fairbanks/ Mary Pickford of our time... Cool, nomadic, talented
   and nicely shocking."

   While Tate reportedly wanted a traditional marriage, Polanski remained
   somewhat promiscuous and described Tate's attitude to his infidelity as
   "Sharon's big hang-up". He reminded Tate that she had promised that she
   would not try to change him. Tate accepted Polanski's actions, though
   confided to friends that she hoped he would change. Peter Evans quoted
   Tate as saying "We have a good arrangement. Roman lies to me and I
   pretend to believe him."

   Polanski encouraged Tate to end her association with Martin Ransohoff,
   and Tate began to place less importance on her career, until being told
   by Polanski that he wanted to be married to "a hippie, not a
   housewife". The couple returned to Los Angeles, and quickly became part
   of a social group that included some of the most successful young
   people in the film industry, including Steve McQueen, Warren Beatty,
   Mia Farrow, Peter Sellers, Jacqueline Bisset, Leslie Caron, Joan
   Collins, Joanna Pettet, Peter Fonda and Jane Fonda, older members of
   the Hollywood community such as Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner
   and Danny Kaye, musicians such as Jim Morrison and the four members of
   the Mamas and the Papas, and the record producer Terry Melcher and his
   girlfriend Candice Bergen. Jay Sebring remained one of Tate's and
   Polanski's most frequent companions. Polanski's circle of friends
   included people he had known since his youth in Poland and included
   Wojciech Frykowski, and his girlfriend, the coffee heiress, Abigail
   Folger. The Polanski residence was often filled with strangers, and
   Tate regarded the casual atmosphere as part of the "free spirit" of the
   times, saying that she didn't mind who came into her home as her motto
   was "live and let live". Her close friend, Leslie Caron, later
   commented that the Polanskis were too trusting, "to the point of
   recklessness" and that she had been alarmed by it.

   Tate's next film was The Wrecking Crew (1969), a comedy in which she
   played Freya Carlson, an accident prone spy, who was also a romantic
   interest for the star Dean Martin, as 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. Vincent Canby writing for the New
   York Times criticised the film but wrote "The only nice thing is Sharon
   Tate, a tall, really great-looking girl". Martin commented that he
   intended to make another "Matt Helm" film, and that he wanted Tate to
   reprise her role.

   Around this time Tate began to receive acknowledgement as a promising
   newcomer. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as "New Star of
   the Year - Actress" for her Valley of the Dolls performance, losing to
   Katharine Ross for The Graduate. She placed fourth behind Mia Farrow,
   Judy Geeson and Katharine Houghton for a "Golden Laurel" award as the
   year's "Most Promising Newcomer" with the results published in the
   Motion Picture Exhibitor magazine. She was also runner-up to Lynn
   Redgrave in the Motion Picture Herald's poll for "The Star of
   Tomorrow", in which box-office drawing power was the main criterion for
   inclusion on the list. These results indicated that her career was
   beginning to accelerate and for her next film, Tate negotiated a fee of
   $150,000.

   Tate became pregnant near the end of 1968, and in February 1969 she and
   Polanski moved to 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon. The house had
   previously been occupied by their friends, Terry Melcher and Candice
   Bergen. Tate and Polanski had visited it several times, and Tate was
   thrilled to learn it was available, referring to it as her "love
   house".

   Encouraged by the positive reviews her previous comedic performances
   had received, Tate deliberately chose another comedy, The Thirteen
   Chairs, as her next project, but she also explained that her decision
   was based largely on the fact that she would co-star with Orson Welles.
   In March, 1969 she travelled to Italy to commence filming, while
   Polanski travelled to London to begin working on The Day of the
   Dolphin. Frykowski and Folger moved into the Cielo Drive house.

   After completing The Thirteen Chairs, Tate joined Polanski in London.
   She posed for the photographer Terry O'Neill in their apartment in
   casual domestic scenes in which she was seen opening baby gifts, and
   she also completed a series of glamour photographs for the British
   magazine Queen. Interviewed by a journalist in late July, Tate was
   asked if she believed in fate, and replied, "Certainly. My whole life
   has been decided by fate. I think something more powerful than we are
   decides our fates for us. I know one thing – I've never planned
   anything that ever happened to me."

   She returned from London to Los Angeles, on July 20, 1969, traveling
   alone on the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. Polanski was due to return on
   August 12 in time for the birth, and he asked Frykowski and Folger to
   stay in the house with Tate until then.

Murder

   On August 8, 1969, Tate was two weeks away from giving birth. She
   entertained two friends for lunch at her home, actress Joanna Pettet
   and Barbara Lewis, confiding in them her despair at Polanski's delay in
   returning from London. In the afternoon Polanski phoned her. Her
   younger sister Debra also called to ask if she and their sister Patti
   could spend the night with Tate. Tate explained that she was tired and
   refused. In the evening she went to her favorite restaurant, El Coyote,
   with Sebring, Frykowski and Folger, returning at approximately 10.30
   p.m.

   During the night they were murdered by members of Charles Manson's
   "Family" and their bodies discovered the following morning by Tate's
   housekeeper, Winifred Chapman. Police arrived at the scene to find the
   body of a young man, later identified as Steven Parent, shot to death
   in his car, which was in the driveway. Inside the house, the bodies of
   Tate and Sebring were found in the living room; a long rope tied around
   each of their necks connected them. On the front lawn lay the bodies of
   Frykowski and Folger. All of the victims, except Parent, had been
   stabbed numerous times. The coroner's report for Tate noted that she
   had been stabbed sixteen times, and that "five of the wounds were in
   and of themselves fatal".

   Police took the only survivor at the address, the caretaker William
   Garretson, for questioning. Garretson lived in the guesthouse which was
   located on the property, but a short distance from the house, and not
   immediately visible. As the first suspect, he was questioned and
   submitted to a polygraph test. He said that Parent had visited him at
   approximately 11.30 p.m. and left after a few minutes. Garretson said
   he had no involvement in the murders, and did not know anything that
   could help the investigation. Police accepted his explanation and he
   was allowed to leave.

   Polanski had been informed of the murders and returned to Los Angeles,
   where police, unable to determine a motive, questioned him about his
   wife and friends. The funerals for each of the five victims were held
   on Wednesday August 13. Sharon Tate was interred in the Holy Cross
   Cemetery, Culver City, California, with her son, Paul Richard Polanski,
   in her arms. The funerals of Tate and Sebring were separated by several
   hours to allow mourners to attend both.

   Life Magazine devoted a lengthy article to the murders and featured
   photographs of the crime scenes. Polanski was interviewed for the
   article and allowed himself to be photographed in the living room where
   Tate and Sebring had died, Tate's dried blood clearly visible on the
   floor in front of him. Widely criticised for his actions, he argued
   that he wanted to know who was responsible and was willing to shock the
   magazine's readers in the hope that someone would come forward with
   information.

   Curiosity about the victims led to Tate's films being released again,
   and they achieved greater popularity than they had in their initial
   screenings. Some newspapers began to speculate on the motives for the
   murders. One published photographs of Tate, allegedly taken at a
   Satanic ritual, but which were later proven to have been production
   photographs from Eye of the Devil. Friends spoke out against the
   portrayal of Tate by some elements of the media. Mia Farrow said she
   was as "sweet and pure a human being as I have ever known", while Patty
   Duke remembered her as "a gentle, gentle creature. I was crazy about
   her, and I don't know anyone who wasn't". Polanski berated a crowd of
   journalists at a press conference, saying that many times they had
   written that Tate "was beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful woman in the
   world. But did you ever write how good she was?". Peter Evans later
   quoted the actor Laurence Harvey, who commented on Polanski immediately
   after the murders, "This could destroy Roman. Marriage vows mean
   nothing to him but few men have adored a woman as much as he adored
   Sharon."

   Polanski later admitted that in the months following the murders he
   suspected various friends and associates, and his paranoia only
   subsided when the killers were arrested. Newspapers reported that many
   Hollywood stars were moving out of the city, while others were reported
   to have installed security systems in their homes. The writer Dominick
   Dunne later recalled the tension, writing "The shock waves that went
   through the town were beyond anything I had ever seen before. People
   were convinced that the rich and famous of the community were in peril.
   Children were sent out of town. Ours went to my mother-in-law's. Guards
   were hired. Steve McQueen packed a gun when he went to Jay Sebring's
   funeral."

Arrest and trial of the Manson Family

   In November 1969, while in prison in connection with a car theft, Susan
   Atkins boasted to an inmate that she was responsible for the murder of
   Sharon Tate. This led to her arrest, along with the accomplices she
   named, Charles Manson, Charles "Tex" Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel and
   Linda Kasabian. Atkins also revealed that the murders of Leno and
   Rosemary LaBianca in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, on the night after the
   Tate murders, were also committed by "Family" members, and she
   incriminated Leslie Van Houten as a participant in the second murder.

   Offered immunity from prosecution for testifying before a Grand Jury,
   Atkins presented her version of events, and candidly stated that she
   had stabbed Tate because she was "sick of listening to her, pleading
   and begging, begging and pleading". When she refused to cooperate
   further, the offer of immunity was withdrawn and made to Kasabian
   instead. As Kasabian had not taken part in any of the murders, and by
   several accounts had challenged Manson over the killings, the offer of
   immunity to her was seen as more acceptable, particularly by the
   prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, who commented that he was relieved the
   offer was withdrawn from Atkins.

   On June 15, 1970, Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten were sent
   to trial while Watson remained in Texas fighting attempts to extradite
   him. The details of the trial were reported throughout the world.
   Kasabian proved to be a reliable and consistent witness. She told of a
   hippie group and its leader Charles Manson, a thwarted musician who
   believed a race war was imminent. He believed the music of The Beatles
   warned of the coming holocaust, which he referred to as Helter Skelter,
   after The Beatles' song, and also believed that only the "chosen", his
   "family", would survive. Briefly associated with Terry Melcher, Manson
   had believed Melcher would foster his musical aspirations but when this
   failed to happen he was infuriated and felt betrayed. Manson believed
   that he would bring about the race war by having his followers
   slaughter wealthy people in their homes and cast suspicion on black
   militant groups such as the Black Panthers. He had been to the Cielo
   Drive address, and although he knew Melcher had moved, the house
   represented his rejection by the show business establishment. He
   instructed Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Kasabian to go to the house
   "and kill everyone there".

   The testimony of Kasabian, combined with Atkins' Grand Jury testimony
   provided a detailed explanation of the events, many of which were made
   public for the first time. When the group entered the grounds of the
   property, they were seen by Steven Parent, who was leaving in his car.
   Watson shot Parent several times, before ordering Kasabian to remain
   outside and keep watch while the others entered the house. The four
   occupants of the house were tied together at gun point, and when Jay
   Sebring urged the intruders to consider Tate's pregnancy and not harm
   her, Watson shot him. Wojciech Frykowski and Abigail Folger each
   escaped, running in different directions onto the front lawn, where
   each of them was overtaken and killed. Tate begged for the life of her
   child, even suggesting that the group take her away with them and allow
   her to give birth before murdering her. As they rejected her
   suggestion, she pleaded with them to cut the baby from her body before
   they killed her. Atkins had testified before the Grand Jury that she
   replied to Tate, "Look bitch, I have no mercy for you. You're going to
   die and you'd better get used to it". Atkins and Watson then stabbed
   her to death. Atkins took a towel and mopped up some of Tate's blood,
   and used the towel to write the word "PIG" on the front door.

   The defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death on March 29,
   1971. Watson was tried separately after extradition from Texas.
   Psychiatrists testified that he appeared to be feigning insanity, and
   while he admitted his role in all of the killings, he refused to
   acknowledge his responsibility, and was widely quoted by the press when
   he blandly stated that he had not noticed that Sharon Tate was
   pregnant. He was found guilty and sentenced to death on October 21,
   1971. The death sentences were later automatically commuted to life in
   prison after the California Supreme Court's People v. Anderson decision
   resulted in the invalidation of all death sentences imposed in
   California prior to 1972. As of 2006, Manson, Watson, Atkins,
   Krenwinkel and Van Houten remain incarcerated, each having failed to
   obtain parole more than a dozen times since becoming eligible.

Legacy

   In the early 1980s, Stephen Kay, who had worked on the murder trial,
   became alarmed that Leslie Van Houten had gathered 900 signatures on a
   petition which supported her parole. He contacted Doris Tate who said
   she was sure she could do better, and the two mounted a publicity
   campaign that led to the collection of more than 350,000 signatures
   supporting the view that parole should be denied. Van Houten had been
   considered as the most likely of the killers to achieve parole;
   however, following the efforts of Kay and Tate, her petition was
   denied. Doris Tate became a vocal advocate for victim's rights and in
   discussing her daughter's murder and meeting with other crime victims,
   began to assume the role of a counsellor, using her profile to
   encourage public discussion and criticism of the corrections system.

   For the remainder of her life she strongly campaigned against the
   parole of each of the Manson killers, and she worked closely with other
   victims of violent crime. On several occasions she confronted Charles
   Watson at parole hearings, explaining, "I feel that Sharon has to be
   represented in that hearing room. If they're [the killers] pleading for
   their lives, then I have to be there representing her." Addressing
   Watson directly, during her victim impact statement in 1984, she said,
   "What mercy, Sir, did you show my daughter when she was begging for her
   life? What mercy did you show my daughter when she said 'give me two
   weeks to have my baby and then you can kill me'.... When will [Sharon]
   come up for parole? Will these seven victims and possibly more walk out
   of their graves if you get paroled? You cannot be trusted."

   In 1992, President George H. W. Bush recognized Tate as one of his
   "thousand points of light" for her volunteer work on behalf of victims'
   rights. By this time Tate had been diagnosed with a malignant brain
   tumour and her health and strength were failing, and her meeting with
   Bush marked her final public appearance. When she died later in the
   year her youngest daughter Patti continued her work. She contributed to
   the foundation in 1993 of the "Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau", a
   non-profit organization which aims to influence crime legislation
   throughout the United States and to give the victims of violent crime
   greater rights and protection. In 1995, the "Doris Tate Crime Victims
   Foundation" was founded as a non-profit organization to promote public
   awareness of the judicial system and to provide support to the victims
   of violent crime. Patti Tate also confronted David Geffen and board
   members of Geffen Records in 1993 over plans to include a song written
   by Charles Manson on the Guns N' Roses album The Spaghetti Incident.
   She commented to a journalist that the record company was "putting
   Manson up on a pedestal for young people who don't know who he is to
   worship like an idol".

   After Patti's death from breast cancer in 2000, her older sister Debra
   continued to represent the Tate family at parole hearings. Of the
   killers, Debra Tate has said "They don’t show any personal
   responsibility. They haven’t made atonement to any one of my family
   members." She has also unsuccessfully lobbied for Sharon Tate to be
   awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

   Colonel Paul Tate preferred not to make public comments, however he was
   a constant presence during the murder trial, and in the following years
   attended parole hearings with his wife, and wrote letters to
   authorities in which he strongly opposed any suggestion of parole. He
   died in May, 2005.

   Roman Polanski gave away all of his possessions after the murders,
   unable to bear any reminders of the time he referred to as "the
   happiest I ever was in my life". He remained in Los Angeles until the
   killers were arrested and then travelled to Europe. His 1979 film Tess
   was dedicated "For Sharon", as Tate had read Thomas Hardy's Tess of the
   d'Urbervilles during her final stay with Polanski in London, and had
   left the book for him to read, with the comment that it would be a good
   story for them to film together. He tried to explain his anguish after
   the murder of his wife and unborn son in his 1984 autobiography Roman
   by Polanski and wrote, "Since Sharon's death, and despite appearances
   to the contrary, my enjoyment of life has been incomplete. In moments
   of unbearable personal tragedy some people find solace in religion. In
   my case the opposite happened. Any religious faith I had was shattered
   by Sharon's murder. It reinforced my faith in the absurd".

   In July, 2005 Polanski successfully sued the magazine Vanity Fair for
   libel after they wrote that he had attempted to seduce a woman on his
   way to Tate's funeral. Among the witnesses who testified on his behalf
   were Debra Tate and Mia Farrow. Describing Polanski immediately after
   Tate's death, Farrow testified, "Of this I can be sure – of his frame
   of mind when we were there, of what we talked about, of his utter sense
   of loss, of despair and bewilderment and shock and love – a love that
   he had lost." At the conclusion of the case, Polanski read a statement,
   saying in part, "The memory of my late wife Sharon Tate was at the
   forefront of my mind in bringing this action."

   The murders committed by the Manson "Family" have been described by
   social commentators as one of the defining moments of the 1960s. Joan
   Didion wrote, "Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the
   Sixties ended abruptly on August 9, 1969, ended at the exact moment
   when word of the murders on Cielo Drive travelled like brushfire
   through the community, and in a sense this is true. The tension broke
   that day. The paranoia was fulfilled."

   Sharon Tate's work as an actress has been reviewed in the years since
   her death with modern film writers and critics such as Leonard Maltin
   writing that she displayed potential as a comedienne. A restored
   version of The Fearless Vampire Killers more closely resembles
   Polanski's intention, and the film and Tate's performance have received
   praise with Maltin describing the film as "near-brilliant". Tate's work
   in Don't Make Waves and The Wrecking Crew have been described by Maltin
   as containing her two best performances, and the best indicators of the
   career she might have established. Eye of the Devil with its
   supernatural themes, and Valley of the Dolls, with its overstated
   melodrama, have each achieved a degree of cult status.

   Tate's biographer, Greg King, holds a view often expressed by members
   of the Tate family, writing in Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders
   (2000), "Sharon's real legacy lies not in her movies or in her
   television work. The very fact that, today, victims or their families
   in California are able to sit before those convicted of a crime and
   have a voice in the sentencing at trials or at parole hearings, is
   largely due to the work of Doris [and Patti] Tate. Their years of
   devotion to Sharon's memory and dedication to victim's rights... have
   helped transform Sharon from mere victim, [and] restore a human face to
   one of the twentieth century's most infamous crimes."

Filmography

   Year Title Role Other notes*
   1962 Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man uncredited
   1962 Barabbas uncredited
   1963 The Beverly Hillbillies Janet Trego occasional appearances from
   1963 until 1965
   1964 The Americanization of Emily Beautiful Girl uncredited
   1967 The Fearless Vampire Killers Sarah Shagal
   1967 Eye of the Devil Odile de Caray
   1967 Don't Make Waves Malibu
   1967 Valley of the Dolls Jennifer North
   1968 Rosemary's Baby Girl at Party uncredited
   1969 The Wrecking Crew Freya Carlson
   1969 The Thirteen Chairs Pat released posthumously
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