Sorry I have not been on lately and some news about the new Sharon biography

Sorry I have not been on lately.  My girlfriend and I broke up and things have not been good lately.

Anyway, some news on Sharon... There is a new biography of her that was suppose to be released this month called Sharon Tate: The Life of a Victim.  It is now pushed back to October 22, 2011 and has been changed to Sharon Tate: The Biography by Ed Sanders who wrote The Family. 

I will try to be back soon but for awhile I will probably just do a once a week sort of thing. It is very hard to come up with something everyday, even though I enjoy searching for Sharon (don't get me wrong).  So for the time being as things are, I think it would be better for a weekly sort of thing.  Plus it would probably be easier for fans to keep up with so much on the internet these days.

Thanks, in advance, for your understanding and support.  Here are a few rare pix from ebay for the fans:

And here's a great rare photo of Carole Lombard one of Sharon's favorite actresses:

Drew Barrymore Dolled Up As Sharon? Catherine Denueve Talks Roman Polanski and More

I think I was right in suspecting Drew Barrymore of copying Sharon's look lately.  In the new Harper's Bazaar she even came up with an idea to do a spread in a sort of "Sharon Tate and Veruschka" style.  Within the pages of the magazine,  you can definitely see the "Valley of the Dolls" inspiration:

Drew admits that the 60s is her favorite fashion era.

Here is the interview from the magazine with Barrymore:

http://kool.radio.com/2010/09/15/cats-pajamas/

Catherine Deneuve was interviewed recently and asked what it was like to work with Roman Polanski:

"It was one of the most important experiences I’ve had because I was quite young at the time when I did 'Repulsion.' And being a French actress working in London with him, who was a Polish director. We were very separated, you know, from the crew, we were very close and he’s really a director that loves to direct actors, I really listened to him very closely, I was very close to him, very close to him and very close to the film."

In the same interview, Denueve admitted that one of her own favorite actresses was Carole Lombard.  Lombard was also one of Sharon's favorites. 

For more of Denueve's interview go here:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/a-talk-with-catherine-deneuve/

Here are two more art pieces I found on Sharon:

Just a Pretty Girl in San Pedro--Now Look Sharon Tate and more

Here is another great newspaper article from Melissa in Canada:

Independent Press Telegram - Women and Travel , August 21, 1966

Just a Pretty Girl in San Pedro--Now Look!

By Margaret McKean

"The lid's off Hollywood's newest sex pot!" screams the tabloids.

"She left for England just a pretty girl... and came back an actress," says her mother. 

The girl who was underwraps for three years--producer Martin Ransohoff barred pictures, parties and premieres--is Sharon Tate, who formly lived with her parents in San Pedro.

She began her career as an extra in a movie being filmed in Verona, Italy, where her father Maj. Paul Tate, U. S. Army was stationed.

"There wasn't anything so great in her being chosen... Everytime an American film company they called the Army base for extras who looked like Americans," her mother shrugged.

On the set Sharon became good friends with actor Richard Beymer, who told her, "When you get to California, call my agent."

She did and with absolutely no experience (she'd never even been in a school play), began a round of auditions.  Ransohoff saw her and barked, "Take that girl out of the line--we'll put her in films."

It's reported that he's spent a million dollars in the past year to perfect Sharon's talk, walk and ways.  She's had drama, ballet, singing, gymnastics, diction and horseback riding lessons.

She's finished two movies titled "13" and "Vampire Killers," both shot in England and France.  She worked with David Niven, Deborah Kerr and one of Europe's favorite actors, Roman Polanski.

A few weeks ago Sharon's mother got a phone call from the studio, "Sharon wants you to meet her plane and we'll go from there to the Beverly Wilshire."

"It'll be a chance to get caught up on what's happened during all the months she's been away," her pretty mother thought.

But stardom does not have much time for girl talk.  After arriving, Sharon fell into bed to get a few hours' sleep before a 9 am wardrobe call.

Since then she's been on the set "Don't Make Waves" with Tony Curtis in Malibu.

A stage mother Gwen Tate is not.  "This is the life Sharon wants, she can have it.  She was always kind of pretty and I'll have to admit that she's worked hard.  She'll be 24 next January and it would seem she's behaved herself and come through all this glamour pretty well."

There are no raptures or glowing gushiness from the star's mother or kid sisters, Debbie, 13 and Patti, 9.  Her father is now stationed in Korea and tape recordings the family exchanges center on such important things as 'how mother and dad can take another long separation' and 'is the yard work getting done?'

"We've got a new house in Palos Verdes and Sharon hasn't even had a chance to come see it yet," her mother commented.

In some ways, Sharon is disillusioned--"She hates what studio beauticians do to her hair and recombs every set."   She recently wrote her dad--"I finally own a Christian Dior and now I don't like it.  Mother dressed me better from her sewing machine at home." 

My only question is: Wasn't Sharon suppose to have been in a high school play of 'Romeo and Juliet' playing Juliet?

A few more articles that came up today on Sharon:

This one includes her in photos with a group of other great glamour girls including: Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Gloria Swanson, Grace Kelly, Pola Negri and Ava Gardner:

http://coldcopper.livejournal.com/202107.html

This is another sad article on stars who died before the age of 30.  Sharon is on this A-list with some of the greats of film including: Brandon Lee, River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, James Dean, Jean Harlow, Aaliyah, Brad Renfro, Freddie Prinze and Heather O'Rourke.

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/218971_10-movie-stars-who-died-young-before-the-age-of-30

Tomorrow another special edition of Photo Comparison with another great up and coming actress who many have said looks like she copies Sharon's style.

Why Sharon Tate had trouble finding roles that were worthy of her.

I ran across a vintage article that has a few actresses talking about how hard it is for women in the industry to find good movie roles.  Some of the quotes made me think of Sharon and how Ransohoff handled her career.  We all know Sharon wanted to get better film parts.  She did not want to be the next Marilyn Monroe, she wanted to be the next Catherine Deneuve/Carole Lombard.  Even MM got tired of playing sexy roles and was like Sharon in that respect.  Both wanted to be taken more seriously as an actress.

The article comes from TV Radio Mirror September 1973

Ask the Stars by Bob Lardine

Do you think actresses are discriminated against in show business?

Suzanne Pleshette said: "The last ten years have been really rough on actresses.  Even when the material was available, they had to settle for secondary parts."

Julie Newmar said: "Women definitely are being discriminated against.  And the reasons are quite obvious.  Most of the writers are men.  Most of the producers are men.  Most of the directors are men.

"I say 'most' in the above instances when in some cases the better word would be 'all.'

"It's very difficult for an actress to have a juicy part when the show business field is so dominated by males.  The only solution is to permit more women into the industry."

Stella Stevens said: "I think it's quite obvious that women aren't given the same opportunities as men in show business."

Bette Davis adds: "There's no question that women aren't getting the same breaks as men.  It's a man's world in show business as well as anywhere else."

Sharon's friend, Jacqueline Bisset is also quoted in the article:  "Unfortunately, a lot of men regard women as inferior creatures, or as nothing but sex objects.

"It's really up to the woman as to how she wants to be treated.  If you rebel against being regarded in that light, you discover that people start to look at you differently.

"Though it's true that actresses seldom get juicy parts, it's also true that when they do get them, it results in exciting movies.

"For example, I thought Jane Fonda's part in 'Klute' was magnificent, and it turned out to be an exceptional movie."

I think these quotes fit Sharon's career.  Ransohoff definitely thought of Sharon as a sex object.  He put her in a Marilyn Monroe type part in "Don't Make Waves" as the not to bright sexy Malibu.  It was only when Roman Polanski entered her life that she started to rethink things and Polanski and Steve McQueen helped her in deciding to get out of her seven year contract with him.  She was finally able to do this and who knows what great parts she could have went on to play.  Polanski and Tate talked about doing a western and, of course, "Tess" together.  I have never thought of Sharon along the lines of the Fonda part in "Klute" but, who knows?  She could have gotten it and done wonders with the role.  After all, that role was only a few years after Fonda appeared as the sexy "Barbarella."

I've always thought it was a shame she didn't get the Tuesday Weld role in "The Cincinnati Kid."  We can only imagine what roles may have come her way had she gotten that part. Steven McQueen wanted her for it but the director Norman Jewison didn't think Sharon had enough experience and, after original director Sam Peckinpah was fired from the production, Sharon was replaced by Weld.

We will, unfortunately, never know what might have become of Sharon's career, had she lived.  I have always wished she at least had been able to do one role that she was really proud of.  But, according to friend Sheila Wells, Sharon did not feel this way.  Often Wells says Sharon would say: "Oh, Sheila, the movie I just made was so awful, don't bother going to see it."

I think Polanski would have helped her to become the actress she was wanting so much to be.  I would have loved to see Sharon's career florish as time went on.  But, at least, with this insight into how hard it was for actresses to get the 'really juicy parts' we can see what forces Sharon was up against.

Carole Landis and Sharon Tate

Jacqueline Susann modeled the character of Jennifer North on the real life actress Carole Landis. Sharon played North in Valley of the Dolls, however, the similarities between these two beautiful women do not end there.

Sharon and Carole were close to the same height; Sharon was 5' 5", Carole was 5' 5 1/2".

Both were raised in the Catholic faith.

Both made friends easily.

Both enjoyed England, Carole saying the British "people are wonderful." And Sharon loved it there too.

Both appeared in films that never really got great critical reviews, most reviewers did, however, take notice of their breathtaking beauty. They seldom noticed their acting and comedic potential.

If Hollywood had given both of these ladies more of a chance, they could have been two of the brightest stars in film history.

Both were in their 20s when their lives ended too soon.

Both knew author Jacqueline Susann.

Landis, whose real name was Frances Ridste, chose the name Carole because she was a fan of Carole Lombard. Sharon was also a fan of Lombard's saying that she wanted to be a comedic actress in the Carole Lombard style.

Both women wanted to have children. Landis said: "I'd like to be happily married and have some children" more than anything. Sharon expressed the same thing in interviews.

Both won local beauty contests at very young ages.

Both wanted to be taken seriously as actresses but they were used for blond sexpot roles instead. Sharon jokingly called herself "sexy little me" because of the way she was seen by the studio heads.

Two men who were close friends to Carole and Sharon committed suicide shortly after hearing about these ladies deaths; Carole's friend, actor and set designer Robert Love leaped out of a Hollywood Office Building on the fifth floor and died. Sharon's friend, Hollywood Columnist Stephen Brandt was depressed over her death and took an overdose of pills.

Both died tragically, Landis committed suicide and Sharon was murdered.

Both mother's of Sharon and Carole never fully recovered from their daughter's deaths.

Both women were tragically found dead by their maids.

In Susann's Valley of the Dolls best seller she writes that Jennifer had "a face so naturally beautiful" and that her "eyes seemed warm and friendly." Susann goes on to say of the character:

It was an innocent face, a face that looked at everything with breathless excitement and trusting enthusiasm, seemingly unaware of the commotion the body was causing. A face that glowed with genuine interest in each person who demanded attention, rewarding each with a warm smile. The body and it's encounterments continued to pose and undulate for the staring crowd and flashing cameras but the face ignored the furor and greeted people with the intimacy of meeting a few new friends at a gathering.

Elsewhere, Susann calls Jennifer "the most beautiful girl in the world."

All of that could also be said of Sharon.

If anyone can add more comparisons please leave a reply.