Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 - August 9, 1969). During the 1960's she played in many small television roles before appearing in films. She contacted Richard Beymer's agent, Harold Gefsky, who agreed to represent her and found work for her in television and magazine advertisements. She was thought of as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers.
In 1963, she was introduced to Martin Ransohoff, director of Filmways, Inc., who signed her to a seven-year contract. She was considered for the role of Billie Jo Bradley, on CBS's sitcom, Petticoat Junction, but Ransohoff, believed that she lacked confidence and the role was given to Jeannine Riley. Ransohoff had Tate perform in other small parts on the TV shows: Mister Ed and the very cute, The Beverly Hillbillies episode 1964 "Giant Jackrabbit .
(pictured above)Sharon Tate (at right wearing a dark wig) as Janet Trego in the 1964 "Giant Jackrabbitt" episode of The Beverly Hillbillies with Max Baer, Jr. and Nancy Kulp.
I'm one of those mad, irrational characters who simply loves men. I love them because they're men. Women, ...I don't like to compete against them or play games. It's a waste of time.
This is a interesting 10-minute behind-the-scenes look at actress Sharon Tate while she was filming "Eye of the Devil" with Deborah Kerr, David Niven, and David Hemmings. It includes a interview with her as well as footage of her in training for her role and dancing at a nightclub.
These are my top 10 movie actresses of the 60's and the films that they performed in:
Katharine Hepburn:
1962 Long Day's Journey Into Night
1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (video below).
1968 The Lion in Winter
1969 The Madwoman of Chaillot
By the 1960′s Katherine Hepburn had been making films for over 30 years, with 8 Academy Award Nominations and one win. In 1960 she was nominated a 9th time for Best Actress in the film, Suddenly Last Summer, opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. In 1963, she again was nominated for a tenth Oscar as Mary Tyrone in the film, Long Day’s Journey Into Night(1962). Then in 1968 and 1969, Kathrine won her second and third Oscar for Best Actress in, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and The Lion in Winter. The 1960′s introduced her to a whole new group of fans.
Fay Dunaway:
1969 The Extraordinary Seaman
1969 The Arrangement
1968 A Place for Lovers
1968 The Thomas Crown Affair
1967 Bonnie and Clyde
1967 The Happening
1967 Hurry Sundown
Her first film was in 1967 in, Hurry Sundown, but that same year, she got the leading female role in, Bonnie and Clyde (opposite Warren Beatty) which won her an Oscar nomination. Very few actresses started off their Hollywood careers with Oscar nominated roles.
It would be another ten years before she won her Oscar, but in my opinion her greatest role was that of Bonnie Parker in, Bonnie and Clyde.
Audrey Hepburn:
1967 Wait Until Dark
1967 Two for the Road
1966 How to Steal a Million
1964 My Fair Lady
1964 Paris When It Sizzles
1963 Charade
1961 The Children's Hour
1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's
1960 The Unforgiven
Audrey Hepburn, best work may have been in the 1960′s with one of her best known roles as Holly Golightly in, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Eliza Doolitle in, My Fair Lady (even though her voice was dubbed in the singing parts). Beautiful, elegant, Hollywood.. had very few actresses like, Audrey.
Audrey's work with UNICEF, made the organization a household name.
Elizabeth Taylor:
1969 Anne of the Thousand Days
1968 Secret Ceremony
1968 Boom!
1967 The Comedians
1967 Reflections in a Golden Eye
1967 Doctor Faustus
1967 The Taming of the Shrew
1966 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1965 The Sandpiper
1964 Becket
1963 The V.I.P.s
1963 Cleopatra
1960 BUtterfield 8
1960 Scent of Mystery
In the 1960′s Taylor was known for her beauty, but she also was very talented. She was the winner of the 1960 Best Actress award in the film, Butterfield8 as a prostitute and in 1963′s Cleopatra and in 1966 she won the Best Actress award for the second time for her performance in, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. Based on the controversial play by Edward Albee, this noir-ish 1966 drama stars former real-life couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, which maybe their best performances.
Jane Fonda:
1969 They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1968 Barbarella
1968 Spirits of the Dead
1967 Barefoot in the Park
1967 Hurry Sundown
1966 Any Wednesday
1966 The Game Is Over
1966 The Chase
1965 Cat Ballou
1964 Circle of Love
1964 Joy House
1963 Sunday in New York
1963 In the Cool of the Day
1962 Period of Adjustment
1962 The Chapman Report
1962 Walk on the Wild Side
1960 Tall Story
Her stage work in the late 1950's help prepared her for her film career in the 1960s. She averaged almost two movies a year throughout the decade, starting in 1960 with Tall Story, in which she recreated one of her Broadway roles as a college cheerleader pursuing a basketball star, played by Anthony Perkins. Period of Adjustment and Walk on the Wild Side followed in 1962. In Walk on the Wild Side Fonda played a prostitute, and earned a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.
Fonda's breakthrough came with the film, Cat Ballou (1965), in which she played a schoolmarm turned outlaw. This comedy Western received five Oscar nominations. Soon after she performed in the comedies, Any Wednesday (1966) and Barefoot in the Park (1967).
In 1968 she played the lead role in, Barbarella, directed by her French film director husband Roger Vadim. The film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) earned her first Oscar nomination. Fonda was very selective by the end of the 1960s, turning down lead roles in Rosemary's Baby and Bonnie and Clyde.
Video from: Barefoot in the Park.
Marilyn Monroe:
1960 Let's Make Love
1961 Misfits
1962 Something's Got to Give
Marilyn, had no real acting techniques. It was only Marilyn, a "star" and "sex symbol" of the "60's".
Her last completed film, The Misfits, was directed by John Huston and costarring Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter. Shooting taking place in the hot Northern Nevada desert. Monroe was frequently ill and unable to perform. Making the film was a difficult experience for all the actors; in addition to Monroe's illness, Montgomery Clift had frequently been unable to perform and by the final day of shooting, Thelma Ritter was in hospital suffering from exhaustion. Gable, commenting that he did not fell well, left the set without attending the wrap party. Within ten days Gable had died from a heart attack. Gable's widow, Kay, commented to Louella Parsons that it had been the "eternal waiting" on the set of The Misfits that had contributed to his death.
In 1962 Monroe began filming Something's Got to Give. It was to be directed by George Cukor, and co-starred Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse.
On May 19, 1962, she attended a birthday celebration of President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, at the suggestion of Kennedy's brother-in-law, actor Peter Lawford. Where Monroe performed "Happy Birthday".
Monroe returned to the set of, Something's Got to Give and filmed a scene in which she performed nude in a swimming pool. Commenting that she wanted to "push Liz Taylor off the magazine covers", she gave permission for several partially nude photographs to be published by Life. Monroe was dismissed and was replaced by Lee Remick, and Dean Martin refused to work with any other actress.
Following her dismissal, she gave an interview to Cosmopolitan and was photographed at Peter Lawford's beach house sipping champagne and walking on the beach. She next posed for Vogue in a series of photographs that included several nudes. Published after her death, they became known as "The Last Sitting".
In the final weeks of her life, Monroe was planning future film projects, and to continue negotiations on the film, Something's Got to Give.. Among the projects was a biography of Jean Harlow filmed two years later with, Carroll Baker. Starring roles in, Irma la Douce and What a Way to Go! were also discussed. A film version of the Broadway musical, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, and an unnamed World War I–themed musical co-starring Gene Kelly were also discussed, but the projects were never to be.
Brigitte Bardot:
1969 Les femmes
1968 Shalako
1968 Spirits of the Dead
1967 Two Weeks in September
1965 Dear Brigitte
1965 Viva Maria!
1964 Agent 38-24-36
1963 Contempt
1962 Love on a Pillow
1962 A Very Private Affair
1961 Famous Love Affairs
1961 Please, Not Now!
1960 The Truth
1960 It Happened All Night
Brigitte's, "sex kitten" beauty took the US by storm. In 1965 she performed as herself in, "Dear Brigitte" (1965) with James Steward (she only appeared in one scene).
She prefers life outside of stardom. The Paparazzi constantly hounded her with their cameras. After her life in the spotlight, Brigitte went on to become a leading spokesperson for animal rights and started the "Foundation Brigitte Bardot".
Goldie Hawn:
1969 Cactus Flower
1969 Five the Hard Way (unconfirmed)
1968 The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.
Hawn, began her acting career as a cast member of the comedy Good Morning, World during 1967-1968, her role was the girlfriend of a radio disc jockey, with a stereotype "dumb blonde" personality. Her next role, was as one of the regular cast members on the 1968-1973 comedy show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. On the show, she would break out into giggles in the middle of a joke, and deliver a perfect performance a minute later. Hawn, was known as the "60s It" girl.
Hawn's Laugh-In personaiity was used in the film, Cactus Flower. Hawn had made her feature film debut in a bit role as a giggling dancer in the 1968 film, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, in which she was billed as "Goldie Jeanne", but in her first major film role, in Cactus Flower (1969), she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Walter Matthau's suicidal fiancée.
Sharon Tate:
Sharon Tate had performed only bit parts, but was considered a beautiful and rising actress. Tate met film director Roman Polanski then starred in Valley of the Dolls, followed by, The Wrecking Crew with Dean Martin.
1969 The Wrecking Crew
1967 Valley of the Dolls
1967 The Fearless Vampire Killers
1967 Don't Make Waves
1966 Eye of the Devil
Ava Gardner:
1968 Mayerling
1966 The Bible: In the Beginning...
1964 The Night of the Iguana
1964 Seven Days in May
1963 55 Days at Peking
1960 The Angel Wore Red
Ava Gardner, is thought of as one of the most beautiful actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. In 1966, Gardner tried out for the role of Mrs. Robinson in the film, The Graduate (1967).
In 1968, she made what some consider to be one of her best films, Mayerling, in which she played the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Austria opposite James Mason as Emperor Franz Joseph I.
Don't Make Waves (1967), which starred Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate. The film is based on the 1959 novel, Muscle Beach, by Ira Wallach. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, the film showed a series of romantic triangles between the cast members living the Southern California life style. I think this film is fun to watch because it perfectly captures the Southern California scene in mid-sixties, a very interesting time. Please look for my list of favorite 60s films, which I will post up soon.
The score was composed by Vic Mizzy. Jim McGuinn and Chris Hillman wrote the title song, "Don't Make Waves," performed by The Byrds over the opening credits.
Sharon Tate told her husband Roman Polanski that her experience working on this film was tense, and it was worsened when a stuntman drowned when he parachuted into the Pacific Ocean.
The film was Sharon Tate's third to be produced, but is considered to be her debut. MGM ran a huge campaign that was based on Tate and her character, Malibu, and life-sized cardboard cutouts of Tate wearing a bikini were placed in cinema foyers throughout the United States. It was also linked to a widespread advertising campaign by Coppertone which also featured Tate.
The Malibu Barbie doll, first produced in 1973, was based on Tate and her character, Malibu.
In American Prince, his 2009 autobiography, Tony Curtis wrote of making Don't Make Waves: "The plot was utterly ridiculous, but I agreed to appear in the film because I got a percentage of the gross."
This is one of those movies not too many people may know about. I saw it the other night on TCM and liked it. It's not the usual 60's style sex beach comedy with tons of laughs or really much deep thought. Actually it's kinda weird in certain scenes but it held my interest the entire time. Tony Curtis plays New Yorker Carlo Cofield, newly arrived in Southern California, who while stopping at the local beach, has one hell of a day. He runs into quirky artist Laura (played by Claudia Cardinale) who manages to send Carlo's car running downhill off the side of the road, crashing and burning. He loses all his belongings and once Laura finds out it was her fault, does the only sensible thing...she takes him home with her. Of course Laura has a sugar daddy...a married executive named Rod Prescott (played by Robert Webber) who takes offense to Carlo being there. Well Rod kicks Carlo out, who has to sleep on the beach overnight. The next day Carlo goes swimming in the beach and gets promptly knocked out by oncoming surfers. He is pulled from the water and given CPR by a lovely girl named Malibu, who also happens to be a sky diver...it could happen (love the name and she is played by Sharon Tate). Carlo immediately is smitten with her and puts in motion a plan to seduce her. All he is to do is avoid her boyfriend Harry, a hulk of a body-builder. In the meantime, Carlo finagles his way into Rod's office and secures a job through blackmail. If Rod doesn't agree, Carlo goes straight to his wife Diane (wonderfully played by Joanna Barnes). So Carlo is now in the business of selling pools, which is very lucrative in California. And has to deal with three beguiling women. Everyone ends up at Carlo's hillside house during a severe rainstorm and eventual mudslide. A lot happens in this movie doesn't it? Like I said it's not the greatest but it does have it's moments. And the cast is very easy on the eyes. Curtis is in tip top shape as he has several scenes sans his shirt. And he gets most of the best lines in this movie. He even has a scene with Tate jumping from a airplane doing a skydive. Well Carlo passes out because he looses his parachute and it's one of the funniest reactions you will ever see. The women all are stunning especially Cardinale. Tate looks great too, but her part is very under-demanding. Joanna Barnes delivers the best performance of the three as the much put upon wife who is smarter than everyone else in the movie except maybe for Curtis. So all in all Don't Make Waves is a diverting comedy that will pass the time quite quickly at 97 minutes. Two sidenotes, the musical score is by Vic Mizzy, who did the Green Acres TV show score. And Jim Backus shows up with his wife and they play themselves in a cool little scene as Carlo tries to sell them a pool. Backus even gets to do a Mr. Magoo impression. Like I said a lot of stuff happens in this movie.
Sharon Tate, made her first on screen test in 1964 for Sam Peckinpah, opposite Steve McQueen, in the film, The Cincinnati Kid. Tate's timidity and lack of experience caused her to loose the part to Tuesday Weld.
She went on to gain experience with small television performances and auditioned unsuccessfully for the role of Liesl in the film, The Sound of Music. Although, Ransohoff did gave Tate walk-on roles in: The Americanization of Emily and The Sandpiper.
In 1965, Ransohoff gave Tate her first major role in the film, Eye of the Devil, co-starring David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, and David Hemmings. As part of Ransohoff's promotion of Tate, he filmed a short documentary called All Eyes on Sharon Tate, to be released at the same time as Eye of the Devil.
In the film, Eye of the Devil, Tate played Odile, a witch who has power over a landowner, played by Niven, and his wife, played by Kerr. Tate's performance was considered crucial to the film. Niven called Tate a "great discovery", and Kerr also thought, Tate would be a "great success". Much of the filming took place in France and after filming Tate, stayed in London, where she became interested in the fashion world and nightclubs. Around this time she met Roman Polanski.
While Polanski was in the planning stages of making the film, The Fearless Vampire Killers, which was being co-produced by Ransohoff, he wanted Jill St. John for the female lead. Ransohoff insisted that Polanski cast Tate, and after meeting with her, he agreed on the condition that she wore a red wig for the movie. Polanski also played one of the main characters, a young man who is interested in Tate's character and begins a romance with her. They began a relationship, and Tate moved into Polanski's London apartment after filming ended.
Tate returned to Hollywood to film, Don't Make Waves with Tony Curtis. Tate played the part of Malibu, which was believed to be the inspiration for the popular "Malibu Barbie" doll. The film was also intended to become one of "beach movies". A advertising campaign by Coppertone featured Tate, ran at the same time..
Polanski was contracted by the head of Paramount Pictures, Robert Evans, to direct and write the screenplay for Rosemary's Baby. Polanski wanted Tate to star in the film and had hoped that someone would suggest her, but he was not comfortable to make the suggestion himself and Mia Farrow was cast. Tate appeared uncredited as a guest in a party scene.
A March 1967 article about Tate in Playboy magazine began, "This is the year that Sharon Tate happens..." and included six photographs taken by Roman Polanski during filming of, The Fearless Vampire Killers. Also that year she had been signed to play a major role in the film, Valley of the Dolls. She admitted to Polanski that she did not like the book or the script.
Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins and Judy Garland were cast. Susan Hayward replaced Garland a few weeks later. Director Mark Robson was very critical of the three principal actresses but, according to Duke, directed most of his criticism at Tate.
Tate, Duke and Parkins developed a close friendship which continued after the completion of the film. During the shooting of Valley of the Dolls, Tate confided to Parkins that she was "madly in love" with Polanski. She frequently commented on her admiration for Lee Grant, with whom she had played several dramatic scenes.
When asked about her acting ambitions she said, "I don't fool myself. I can't see myself doing Shakespeare." In other interviews she said she wanted to become "a light comedienne in the Carole Lombard style". She talked about two contemporary actress that she was influenced by: Faye Dunaway and Catherine Deneuve.
The Wrecking Crew (1968). Cast: Dean Martin, Elke Sommer and Sharon Tate. The fourth and final film in a series of comedy-spy-fi featuring Martin as secret agent Matt Helm. As with the first three movies (The Silencers, Murderers' Row and The Ambushers), the film is based on Donald Hamilton's 1960 novel of the same name.
The story is simular to the Bond novel/film, Goldfinger, Helm's assignment is to bring down the evil count who is trying to steal gold. Along the way, Helm is partnered with a British agent played by Sharon Tate an accident-prone spy. Chuck Norris makes his film debut in a small role. It was the first film in the series to not be written by comedy writer Herbert Baker but by former police reporter and crime novel author William P. McGivern. The Wreaking Crew, is best known for the perfomance of Sharon Tate, who performed her own stunts and martial arts scenes cheroeographed by Bruce Lee.
