More of the Translated Article: How Sharon's career got started, 'Macbeth' and Polanski and Polanski's First Wife

More of the Translated Article from Yesterday:

L'Europeo August 21, 1969



My meeting with Sharon Tate

by Adriano Botta

Continued...

The adventure of the body (if not the soul) for Sharon had begun very early in the second years of age. Sharon Tate is her real name. Her father, Paul Tate, was an officer of the American Army, department-- information. He lived in Dallas, making Sharon Texas-born. "In two years" her mother says, "I had her portrait taken with a bow on her head and her legs curled up on a round cushion. I sent the photos to a newspaper, for the Main Competition of Miss Baby and Sharon met her first triumph.  She was Miss Bebe. All the moms from Texas were full of envy."



Little was in Dallas. His father was transferred frequently. California, Washington, Omaha, Italy. And Sharon was a department mascot on a training airplane in California, she was Miss Richland in the federal capital and Miss Nebraska at Omaha. Her career in films was born in Verona. She was seventeen years old and spoke good Italian. She buttoned her blouse too low and waited for a secret audition in Technicolor in Venice before her father came home. Renzo Avanzo was a long-time public relations man for Technicolor's film lab in Rome and a cousin of Roberto Rossellini. Avanzo was to do the audition.  The audition and participation in a fleeting show of Pat Boone kindled her imagination. Returning to America for the new transfer of Paul Tate, who was now the rank of major, Sharon decided to try her luck in Hollywood. She was eighteen years old, her body was sometimes something of a spectacle. Major Tate was beginning to get tired of hearing the full regiments, the officers in his head, whistling to the passing of his daughter. Yes, it was time that she was on her own. The last time she buttoned her blouse too low her father said, "I recommend that you keep yourself covered in the best possible way. 'Now you're a woman.' "

Sharon debuted pouring wine to customers at a restaurant in Los Angeles, in an Irish costume, for twenty-five dollars a week.   She poured wine and seduction. A director from TV filled his glass up, got drunk and took Sharon to Filmways, the editor was his friend, Martin Ransohoff, and Martin cried when he saw Sharon and told his secretary to make up a contract for her. "She is the girl I always wanted. She could be another Marilyn Monroe to the seventies, I am willing to bet my reputation."

More tomorrow as Sharon decides she does not want to be the Next Marilyn Monore...

Here is an interesting theory on why Polanski chose Shakespeare 's "Macbeth" after the death of Sharon. 

http://ghettoraga.blogspot.com/2010/02/time-music-in-third-ear-bands_14.html

Paul Minns (Musician and was in the band, 'Third Ear Band', this band did the music for Polanski's Macbeth):

"Macbeth" was done at Air Studios playing live to black/white rushes. Often we repeatedly watched gory scenes. Polanski related quite a bit but was under pressure from the bankers as things dragged on. He had strong views about film music such as doing the complete opposite to that on the screen. This was contrasted with "cartoon" type sound for each action in the fight scenes. We spent a long time in the studio with very little material to show for it. The engineers didn't know what the hell was going on (I don't blame them). I was struggling and had to restrained from attending the last sessions. Buckmaster reminded us of his needing to protect his reputation and there was general jockeying for Polanski's favour. The Sharon Tate murder had happened not long before and I felt that by choosing "Macbeth" Polanski hoped to substitute one grisly act by another, so erasing his memory. My playing was very shaky on the record which I produced - everyone else having done a runner.

Also, some said that one of the articles on my blog said something about Sharon being Roman's first wife.  This is apparently a mistake as Barbara Lass-Kwiatkowska was his first wife and Sharon his second.  Hope that clears that up.  Here is a photo of Barbara and Polanski:

A closer view of Lass:

Speaking of Polanski, here is another interesting take on his current situation:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/is-roman-polanski-really-no-different-than-leni-riefenstahl.html

And a great review of "The Ghost Writer" by Rolling Stone Magazine's Peter Travers:

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/32254953/review/32254955/the_ghost_writer

A Fairytale That Ended in Tragedy, Cool Sunglasses on Sharon, Xmas Sharon and Polanski News

Thinking of Christmas I saw a description of the Biography Channel's Special on Sharon.  I thought some might want this for Xmas if you don't already have it.  Here is the description from Biography Channel Website:

A fairytale that ended in tragedy. The Hollywood star and pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski was murdered by Charles Manson's notorious 'Family' in the 60s.

Born in Dallas in 1943, her mother, Doris Tate, would later recall how passers-by used to stop to gaze at her tremendous beauty, as a baby in her pram.

Her father was in Army Intelligence, and the Tate family had to move quite frequently, all over the United States and Europe.

The victor of many beauty pageants, she won a bit-part on a Pat Boone special in 1960, before the family moved to Italy.

Back in the US, she hitchhiked part of the way to Hollywood, and became a regular on the TV show, 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. She also had small parts in films including 'The Americanization of Emily' (1964) and 'The Sandpiper' (1965).

Her first real role, in 'Eye of the Devil' in 1965, opposite David Niven and Deborah Kerr, was filmed in London. There, she met the movie director Roman Polanski, after auditioning successfully for his horror spoof, 'The Fearless Vampire Killers', in 1967.

They soon became a couple and were married in January 1968.

Tate’s breakthrough came in 'Valley of the Dolls', the hit 1967 film based on the Jacqueline Susann novel. She followed this with 'Don’t Make Waves', which starred Tony Curtis.

With Polanski achieving huge critical acclaim with 'Rosemary’s Baby' in 1968, the couple became increasingly famous, although Tate never sought to capitalise on the pairing through collaborations.

Returning from filming '12 + 1' in Italy in 1969, Tate arrived at the couple's home in Bel Air, while her husband was in London. Eight-months pregnant, Tate, along with three other guests, was viciously murdered by members of apocalyptic fantasist, Charles Manson's, cult.

Manson and four of his followers were convicted of what notoriously became known as ‘The Tate Murders’, and spawned the unsavoury and enduring Manson legacy.

You can buy it here:
 
http://shop.biography.com/detail.php?p=67884&v=All
 
Another blog mentions Sharon and other stars wearing sunglasses:
 
http://lovelyboheme.blogspot.com/2009/11/im-looking-through-you-part-2.html
 
Thinking of Christmas and Sharon I found this nice artwork that reminds me of her:
 

News on Polanski :  He needs more time to come up with bail money ;
 
http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=444452>1=28101