# How big a star was Sharon Tate when she was killed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387 "2019-08-09T03:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/1 "2019-08-09T03:06:11Z")
What star(s) today have a comparable level of fame? Was Tate an A-lister at the time? B-lister? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/2 "2019-08-09T03:16:43Z")
My understanding is she was just getting to the point where she was getting leading roles (such as _Valley of the Dolls_), after several years of bit parts and TV roles (she had a recurring role as Mr. Drysdale’s secretary on _The Beverly Hillbillies_). Bear in mind that she was only 26 when she was killed. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/3 "2019-08-09T03:22:40Z")
After appearing in _ **Valley of the Dolls** _, she was called “the most beautiful woman in Hollywood,” so she definitely had a bright future ahead of her. Why Manson and any of his followers escaped execution is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/4 "2019-08-09T04:10:41Z")
[Earlier thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=867433). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/5 "2019-08-09T04:14:00Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > After appearing in _ **Valley of the Dolls** _, she was called “the most beautiful woman in Hollywood,” so she definitely had a bright future ahead of her. Why Manson and any of his followers escaped execution is beyond me. Many of them were sentenced to death but the death penalty was briefly abolished and all death sentences were reduced to life in prison. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/6 "2019-08-09T04:35:51Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > After appearing in _ **Valley of the Dolls** _, she was called “the most beautiful woman in Hollywood,” so she definitely had a bright future ahead of her. Why Manson and any of his followers escaped execution is beyond me. He and several of his followers were sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court (the US, I think; it may have been the state supreme court) ruled the then-death penalty was unconstitutional, and their sentences were commuted to life in prison. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/7 "2019-08-09T04:55:58Z")
Sorry, see hajario ninja’d me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/8 "2019-08-09T05:15:50Z")
Yeah, I was aware of the ban, but it still amazes me. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/9 "2019-08-09T14:55:17Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > He and several of his followers were sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court (the US, I think; it may have been the state supreme court) ruled the then-death penalty was unconstitutional, and their sentences were commuted to life in prison. Well, Charlie and Susan are dead, theres no doubt the rest will die in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/10 "2019-08-09T18:47:03Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Well, Charlie and Susan are dead, theres no doubt the rest will die in prison. Somehow I missed hearing that Manson is dead. Good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/11 "2019-08-09T18:55:12Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > He and several of his followers were sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court (the US, I think; it may have been the state supreme court) ruled the then-death penalty was unconstitutional, and their sentences were commuted to life in prison. It was the U.S. Supreme Court - and not only that, but under California law at the time, the sentences were reduced to life _with the possibility of parole_. This is why you occasionally heard about Charles Manson and Sirhan B. Sirhan getting parole hearings. (Sirhan gets his next hearing in 2021.) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/12 "2019-08-09T20:24:56Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Well, Charlie and Susan are dead, theres no doubt the rest will die in prison. Here’s a recent [update](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-07-30/where-are-they-now-charles-mansons-family-decades-after-horrific-murders) on some of the figures involved in the matter. Leslie Van Houten has been recommended for parole several times but then overruled by two different governors. She is long overdue for release. Ditto Bruce Davis. The politicians bowed to the worst of the crowd mentality who thinks that everyone ever involved in a murder always does life. Not remotely true. So these people are stuck with their actions of long ago and if they weren’t associated with Manson would have been released years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/13 "2019-08-09T23:20:48Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The politicians bowed to the worst of the crowd mentality who thinks that everyone ever involved in a murder always does life. Not remotely true. So these people are stuck with their actions of long ago and if they weren’t associated with Manson would have been released years ago. My ass bleeds for them. I’m against the death penalty, but all for murderers spending the rest of their lives in prison. These people murdered over and over again with no hesitation. Think it was just the Tate-LoBianco murders? What about Gary Hinman? Shorty Shea? Ronald Hughes? One of them tried to assassinate a president. Let 'em rot. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/14 "2019-08-10T00:01:31Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > My ass bleeds for them. > > I’m against the death penalty, but all for murderers spending the rest of their lives in prison. These people murdered over and over again with no hesitation. Think it was just the Tate-LoBianco murders? What about Gary Hinman? Shorty Shea? Ronald Hughes? One of them tried to assassinate a president. Let 'em rot. Hell, one of the defense lawyers during the trial ended up dead. These people had abandoned all respect for life by the time they were rounded up. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/15 "2019-08-10T00:25:35Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > …One of them tried to assassinate a president… As a reference to Ms. Fromme, it is more accurate to say she was convicted of attempting to assassinate the president, though her actual intent seemed otherwise. > **[Squeaky Fromme | Assassination attempt on President Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynette_Fromme#Assassination_attempt_on_President_Ford)** > > On the morning of September 5, 1975, Fromme went to Sacramento's Capitol Park, ostensibly to plead with President Gerald Ford about the plight of the California redwoods, dressed in a red robe and armed with a Colt M1911 .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. The pistol's magazine was loaded with four rounds, but there was no round in the chamber. When Fromme pointed the gun at Ford she was immediately restrained by Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf. As she was apprehended, she reportedly yelled "i... As for Ms. Tate, I think this video related to the movie _Don’t Make Waves_ (1967) does a good job of summing up her career in Hollywood up to that point. Although this movie is almost inconceivably awful, its legacy apparently includes Ms Tate’s character being the inspiration for Malibu Barbie. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IjipvoT1dPg/hqdefault.jpg "MALIBU AT DAYBREAK and the movie "Don't Make Waves"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjipvoT1dPg) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/16 "2019-08-10T01:26:16Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > After appearing in _ **Valley of the Dolls** _, she was called “the most beautiful woman in Hollywood,” so she definitely had a bright future ahead of her. Actually being the most beautiful woman in Hollywood doesn’t last all that long before she is replaced by someone else called that. There have been a lot of beautiful women who have made a splash in Hollywood–then quickly disappear into very minor roles. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/17 "2019-08-10T01:39:01Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Hell, one of the defense lawyers during the trial ended up dead. These people had abandoned all respect for life by the time they were rounded up. And google tells me that Ronald Hughes, who Two Many Cats mentioned, was that very lawyer. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/18 "2019-08-10T01:56:15Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Actually being the most beautiful woman in Hollywood doesn’t last all that long before she is replaced by someone else called that. There have been a lot of beautiful women who have made a splash in Hollywood–then quickly disappear into very minor roles. There’s no way of telling of course, but Sharon was by all accounts blissful about having a baby. She may have just given Hollywood up completely to be a Mom. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/19 "2019-08-10T02:25:45Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > There’s no way of telling of course, but Sharon was by all accounts blissful about having a baby. She may have just given Hollywood up completely to be a Mom. I read recently a tawdry story that said that Polanski forced her into threesomes, and he didn’t want the baby. It makes me wonder if she would have stayed with him. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387/20 "2019-08-10T03:47:02Z")
Sort of a side note: I’m not old enough to remember the Ford Administration (I was still in utero at the time of the Tate/LaBianca murders). Does anyone who is old enough to remember know why he seemed to anger women so much? He’s the only US President to have women try to assassinate him, and two tried in under a month. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-a-star-was-sharon-tate-when-she-was-killed/838387.md?page=2)