Years active: 1961 - 1969 (started around 18 years old; 8 years in the business)
About Sharon Tate
For those not in the know, Sharon Tate was probably the best-known of the five victims of the infamous Tate-Lobianca killings that took place in 1969 in Beverly Hills, perpetrated by members of Charles Manson's "family" and undoubtedly orchestrated by Charles himself. Tate was an up-and-coming beauty, most famous at the time for VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, with a variety of lesser roles in film and television including a small part on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES as a secretary. She deserved to live, and she certainly deserves to be remembered, though I wish I could do more for her legacy than a small tribute page.
At least Charles Manson has at lost gone to his reward (as of 2017), a failed songwriter who wanted to export his whack, "Helter-Skelter" vision of the world and orchestrate a race war between blacks and whites in this country (clearly, ol' Charlie was at least a full suit short of a complete deck). At the time of this shocking crime, Sharon was married to director Roman Polanski and was 8 1/2 months pregnant.
It was the arrest of Manson family members on other charges that ultimately led to a breakthrough in the case and led to the cult members being charged in the matter.
The house was razed and another erected on its site, while Roman went on to other forms of notoriety. (Date rape, anyone? Which is the least of it...) (He now lives the life of a fugitive from justice in Europe.) Ugly case, but I think a decent argument can be made for the events of 1969 having unhinged him a bit. Doesn't excuse his own crime, of course, but I think I can see these events sending almost anyone off the rails in some unexpected way.
