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.

Ellen Graham and Sharon Tate

Thanks to Melly for sharing this article on photographer Ellen Graham and Sharon Tate:

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/4159

Ellen Graham’s eye on the world: Sharon Tate

I first knew Ellen and her husband Ian Graham in Los Angeles where they have a wonderful house in Beverly Hills and often entertain with cocktail parties. Ellen’s fabulous photographs are kept mainly in one large room, a gallery/library. There are so many famous faces in fascinating places that you can’t resist being distracted by them. Many times you’d see the same faces out on the Grahams’ terrace or around the pool during cocktails. In 2004 she published some of them in her “The Bad and the Beautiful” (Harry Abrams) with Christopher Walken on the cover.

Sharon Tate

The photograph (above) was taken in May of 1969. It was a beautiful spring day in Beverly Hills around four o’clock in the afternoon when the light is right, on the lawn of the house on Cielo Drive that she shared with the director Roman Polanski.

She was one of the most beautiful women I ever photographed – one of three at the time – Julie Christie (see NYSD 2.9.08) and Candy Bergen being the other two. Those are faces of perfection, with all the beauty of the old movie stars like Swanson and Garbo – the bone structure, the eyes, the skin.

She was very sweet, very much of a lady, very cooperative and very much appreciative. She trusted me completely but I didn’t have to tell her anything. She knew what to do (and she didn’t have to do anything because she was so beautiful; nobody could look better).

Ellen Graham

She was pregnant expecting her first child. She trusted me completely. I was overwhelmed with her beauty and her kindness. There were no press agents, no handlers, no stylists, no makeup people, unlike today when those people are always around. Without them, you have an intimacy with your subject –there’s no one to get in the way (these people don’t know anything; anyway).

Sharon Tate didn’t need that; she loved the camera and the camera loved her. The session lasted about an hour – I try not to go beyond that because people get tired. She changed her clothes a couple of times. It was a very easy session and she was pleased enough with it that she told me she wanted me to photograph her baby.

Three months later that hideous tragedy which occurred in that very house ended all that might have been for this beautiful woman and her child. When I saw Roman several years later in Paris, I said, “I have some beautiful pictures of Sharon.” He said, “I don’t want to be reminded.”

I understood. But looking back, I now think we should all be reminded.

— Ellen Graham