“I will be faithful to her for the rest of my life,” says Roman Polanski. A book promoted by her sister recovers the figure of the actress 45 years after her murder at the hands of the “Manson family” clan
Roman Polanski has confessed that he has never been able to forget her, that it is difficult for him to enjoy purely aesthetic matters without being reminded of the one who was going to be the mother of his son, even though 45 years have passed and despite the eternal cliché that time heals him all. That is why he has not hesitated to participate in the tribute that her closest relatives have wanted to pay to Sharon Tate in the form of a book – «Sharon Tate: Recollection» – and, as the publisher responsible for the work says, the people who knew her best. The list is extensive despite the fact that she left abruptly at the age of 26.
At that point, the young woman, born in Texas, had already had to do with giants of the industry such as Jane Fonda or Joan Collins, people who had to live with astonishment the news that was generated on August 9, 1969 in the house of the Franco-Polish director. Over there, At 10050 Cielo Drive, in a luxurious Los Angeles mansion, Charles Manson’s followers attacked the actress and the four people who were in the house with her. In total, four murderers of the Manson family entered, and one of them, Susan Atkins, stabbed 16 times a woman who did not understand what was happening and who begged for her life and that of the eight-month-old baby she was carrying in her arms. bowels.
The Mansons took the life of a woman who, in addition to youth and beauty, exuded personality, like the actresses that Polanski threw his glove on during his years of full cinema. The book is a reflection of Tate’s character based on photos, essays and reflections that remained from the actress’s career, portrayed by masters such as Milton Greene, Jean-Jacques Bugat or Shahrokh Hatami. “The goal is to provide the legions of current and future fans with the true meaning of what Sharon was: a unique and gentle spirit that transcended beyond the screen,” says Debra Tate, the sister of the actress who has captained the effort of the work According to her description, it is by no means a classic biography, but a retelling of the material to reflect the impact Tate had on her time, an actress in full swing after having worked on films such as “The Devil’s Seed” and “The Valley of the Dolls”, described by Steve McQueen as the most beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of meeting.
That talent and that display of greatness of hers belonged to Polanski, who had been married to her for a year when she was brutally murdered, a love that was ripped from her roots. “Even after so many years, I find myself unable to see a spectacular sunset, or visit a charming old house, or experience visual pleasure of any kind without thinking how much she would have enjoyed it. In that kind of thing I will remain faithful to her for the rest of my life », indicated the 80-year-old director in the book, for which he has also contributed a love letter.
Polanski has helped bring back Tate’s figure in a moment of popular revival of his figure after “Mad Men” actress Jessica Paré wore the same t-shirt on screen as the one Tate wore in a photo shoot for the magazine. “Esquire” in 1967. His spirit has returned to beat strongly.
A life in photographs
The book “Sharon Tate: Recollection”, edited by Running Press and led by her sister Debra Tate, celebrates the life and career of the actress who was part of the revolution of the 1960s through unpublished portraits from his family album and photographs signed by David Bailey, Terry O’Neill or Peter Brüchman, among others. In addition, it includes never-before-seen images of his role in the film “The Valley of the Dolls”, digitally reproduced from the original negatives.
