As a longtime smut collector, my copy of the March 1967 issue of Playboy is one of the more noteworthy pieces in my library. Sharon Tate’s in that one, and honestly, I’m kind of surprised the murder memorabilia folks haven’t driven up the price into the astronomical range. Old Hugh and his publisher friends must have printed plenty of copies, because you can still score one on eBay for under a hundred bucks easy. I think it’s one of the better showcases of Sharon ever made, though I am biased in favor of the naughtier stuff.

Sharon Tate might not sound like the typical kind of babe I write about here at ThePornDude, but that’s only because her work in entertainment was overshadowed by the infamous horrors that ultimately befell her. The American actress and model was a legitimate sex symbol of the late ‘60s, not just a crime victim. She was a real beauty, the kind of chick who still inspires retro crushes today, so let’s talk more about the woman herself and less about the crazy-ass hippy cult she’s typically associated with.

How’d Sharon Tate Get Famous? Like, Before, You Know…?

She actually began her entertainment career as an extra in the 1961 film Barabbas, which featured Anthony Quinn in the lead. Sharon just played some pretty chick in the crowd, barely even a character, let alone one that gets a credit. It’s only in retrospect that people pull up split-second shots of her and go, “Hey, that’s Sharon Tate!” Had her career not ended on the same note, I wonder if the scenes would have been remembered in the same way.

Her first real role was in the 1966 British mystery horror movie, Eye of the Devil. This is another flick that wasn’t a commercial success in its day, but has found a cult audience, probably on account of the cult murder it’s associated with. On working with such big-name talent, Tate said, “I was nervous, but I was flattered rather than intimidated, because everybody put me at such ease. They are such pros.”

Eye of the Devil was actually the last black-and-white flick put out by MGM, and it’s noteworthy in relation to Tate for a couple other reasons. For one thing, the reviews of her performance were a little mixed; people thought she was gorgeous but might not be the greatest actress. “Chillingly beautiful but expressionless” was how the New York Times put it, and she didn’t even have the benefit of being Don Johnson’s kid.

Another weird-ass detail was that Tate’s voice had been dubbed over in the flick. You can find videos online comparing her original voice track to the overdub, and maybe I’m biased as an American, but I think the real Sharon Tate sounded great. The dubbed voice has an English accent, so I guess it was a better fit with the rest of the cast and for the setting, but it rings so formal to my ears.

From an Extra to the Real Thing

The full wiki entry on the movie is worth a read if you’re into film history; I had no idea until a few minutes ago that famous sci-fi nerd Harlan Ellison had worked on the screenplay, and the whole production was plagued with issues. The list of names they wanted involved was full of ‘60s hotties like Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda, Kim Novak, Debbie Reynolds, and even Mia Farrow. I tend to associate Mia with Polanski because of the Rosemary’s Baby connection, but she got off much easier than Sharon.

Ultimately, Valley of the Dolls was shot with Sharon Tate starring alongside big-name contemporaries Patty Duke and Barbara Perkins. The movie’s kind of campy, which has helped it find cult status among the LGBT community as well as murder fanatics. Personally, I think the film’s death spiral of drug abuse and broken relationships paralleled real life in often unsettling ways. Then again, that weird feeling you get while watching is part of its lasting appeal.

Talking About Roman Polanski without Mentioning the Worst Stuff

Hugh was rumored to have introduced the pair, and you have to wonder if he ever felt like he was in some way responsible for the events of August 9, 1969. In any case, it was an odd romance, with both parties admitting they weren’t impressed when they first met. They grew closer as she starred in his 1967 film, The Fearless Vampire Killers, during which he made her shoot the same scenes dozens of times. Her confidence grew, as did their love. When shooting ended, she moved into Polanski’s London apartment.

The same year, Sharon appeared in that issue of Playboy I’ve got framed on the wall. (My Tinder matches who listen to murder podcasts get wet when they see it and giggle when I say that’s really weird.) Roman himself was behind the camera, snapping shots of his wife-to-be. It’s a timeless spread, and the issue is cheap enough to make it an easy recommendation to both smut collectors and true crime fiends, but you can find the pics easily enough online if you don’t want to pay for them. It’s not like Sharon gets a cut, anyway. The joke I originally made here was dark enough to get its own cut. Snip!

Dancing Around the Last Chapter

“They should have stayed there,” I can hear you saying, but how can you predict shit like this? After getting knocked up a few months later, the newlywed couple moved to Los Angeles. The house on Cielo Drive is still there, and was on the market for around 60 million just a couple years ago. Would you pay more or less for a house with that kind of history?

Because you all know what happened next, right? It feels a little strange mentioning it here in my world-famous directory of online pornography, but Charles Manson’s wigged-out troupe of homeless kids showed up and made a huge fucking mess. The fluids spattered around the home were not the usual human juices that end up on the walls in the movies I typically write about. The grisly details are widely available elsewhere, jotted down by writers without an overwhelming urge to put dick jokes in every paragraph. They’ll serve you better than I can with my irrelevant expertise in the masturbatory arts.

Sharon Tate wasn’t just a victim of one of the most notorious murders in American history. She was a beautiful, talented sex symbol with a blossoming career and a baby on the way. We can speculate on what Sharon would have gone on to do had she not met such a tragic end, but I chose to remember her for good looks and her all-too brief filmography. The Fearless Vampire Killers is available to stream for a few bucks, and I think I’m just stoned enough to really enjoy it right now.

• American model, actress, and late ‘60s sex symbol
• Infamous murder victim
• Golden globe award nominee
• Playboy model

• Career ended on a sad note