The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Kim Henkel (story) and
Tobe Hooper (story)

Release Date:

1 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The idyllic summer's day that became a nightmare of fear and blood... [UK Video]

Plot:

Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Ed Gein | Midnight Movie | Hammer | Sole Survivor | Chainsaw Murder

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marilyn Burns	...	Sally Hardesty
Allen Danziger	...	Jerry
Paul A. Partain	...	Franklin Hardesty
William Vail	...	Kirk
Teri McMinn	...	Pam (as Teri Mcminn)
Edwin Neal	...	Hitchhiker
Jim Siedow	...	Old Man
Gunnar Hansen	...	Leatherface
John Dugan	...	Grandfather
Robert Courtin	...	Window Washer
William Creamer	...	Bearded Man
John Henry Faulk	...	Storyteller
Jerry Green	...	Cowboy
Ed Guinn	...	Cattle Truck Driver
Joe Bill Hogan	...	Drunk
Perry Lorenz	...	Pick Up Driver
John Larroquette	...	Narrator (voice)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Kim Henkel		(story and screenplay) and
Tobe Hooper		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Kim Henkel	....	associate producer
Tobe Hooper	....	producer
Jay Parsley	....	executive producer
Richard Saenz	....	associate producer
Louis Peraino	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Wayne Bell		(music score)
Tobe Hooper		(music score)

Cinematography by
Daniel Pearl

Film Editing by
Larry Carroll
Sallye Richardson

Production Design by
Robert A. Burns		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert A. Burns

Makeup Department
W.E. Barnes	....	makeup artist: grandfather
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup artist (as Dorothy Pearl)

Production Management
Ronald M. Bozman	....	production manager (as Ronald Bozman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sallye Richardson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Wayne Bell	....	boom operator
Wayne Bell	....	post-production sound
Jay M. Harding	....	dubbing mixer (as Jay Harding)
Paul Harrison	....	sound re-recordist
Robert Knudson	....	dubbing mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Ted Nicolaou	....	location sound recordist
Patrick Yacono	....	sound re-recording mixer (restorated version) (uncredited)

Stunts
Mary Church	....	stunts
Perry Lorenz	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Tobe Hooper	....	additional photographer
Lynn Lockwood	....	lighting (as Lynn Lochwood)
J. Michael McClary	....	camera assistant (as J. Michael Mcclary)
Lou Perryman	....	assistant camera
Rod Ponton	....	grip
Lynn Scherwitz	....	key grip (as Linn Scherwitz)

Other crew
George Baetz	....	production assistant
Jerry Bellnoski	....	production assistant
Mary Church	....	script girl
Jim Crow	....	production assistant
Paula Eaton	....	production assistant
Tom Foote	....	production assistant
Paulette Gochnour	....	production assistant
Charlie Loving	....	production assistant
Sally Nicolau	....	production assistant
N.C. Parsley	....	production assistant
Robert Pustejowski	....	production assistant (as Robert Pustejovski)
David Spaw	....	production assistant
Ray Spaw	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Vortex

Distributors

• Bryanston Distributing (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• New Line Cinema (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Astral Films (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Bac Films (France) (re-release)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• CMV Laservision (1999) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Cinema Mondo (1996) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Converse Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Dark Sky Films (2006) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Dark Sky Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Dex Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Future Film (2001) (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Pioneer Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Raven Pictures International
• René Chateau Productions (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Reserva Especial (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Rosebud Communications Releasing
• Stormovie (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Succéfilm AB (????) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (????) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Wizard Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles: opticals & prints (as CFI)
• Screen Time Images  film restoration
• Todd-AO Studios  sound mix (as Todd/AO)

Also Known As:

Headcheese (USA) (working title)
Leatherface (USA) (working title)
Stalking Leatherface (USA) (alternative title)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

83 min | Germany:75 min (new longer Version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 (cut) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (2003) | Finland:K-18 (1996) | UK:(Banned) (original rating) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1999) | Sweden:15 (re-rating: 1994) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | New Zealand:R16 (re-rating) (2007) (uncut) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (2001) (uncut) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) | New Zealand:R18 | UK:R (original rating: 1975) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating: 1974) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating: 2004) | West Germany:(Banned) | Brazil:18 (1998) | Brazil:(Banned) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:R | Chile:(Banned) (re-rating) (1978) | Chile:18 (original rating) | Denmark:15 (video rating) | France:-16 (re-rating) | France:X (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) (original rating) | Iceland:16 (re-rating) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (1997) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:(Banned) (1984) | USA:R | Singapore:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Vortex

Trivia:

Gunnar Hansen hit his head on doorways and other objects several times during the shoot because the Leatherface mask severely limited his peripheral vision and the three-inch heels he wore made his 6'4" frame too high to clear all obstacles.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the hitch-hiker, in relation to the lorry, as it hits him, changes between shots. Also, the hitch-hiker is an obvious dummy as he is hit; you can see the fake limb attachment on his arm.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Chameleon Killer (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

POCO A POCO NO

Pure, uncompromised horror! A modern classic which still confronts, disturbs and terrifies audiences worldwide.

Tobe Hopper's 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' is a landmark low budget horror movie which must be considered a modern classic. Hooper's subsequent career has ben extremely uneven, and frequently disappointing, but even if he never made another movie he would still be a legendary figure. As would Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and his twisted family played by Edwin Neal and Jim Siedow, and immortal scream queen Marilyn Burns. These actors never have to set in front of a camera again, they'll never be forgotten by horror buffs worldwide! In this day and age of cynically conceived and marketed MTV-friendly teen slashers it's a revelation to see old school horror classics like this, Romero's 'Night Of The Living Dead' and Craven's 'Last House On The Left'. Uncompromising movies, pure horror that makes no attempt to water themselves down and court a mainstream audience. This movie was one of the most controversial of the 1970s, censored or banned here in Australia, and in Britain, and despite the hundreds of horror movies released since, it is still powerful and fresh. There is an undercurrent of bizarre black humour underneath the film, a lot subtler than the sequel and other more obvious "horror comedies". The terror isn't compromised, the uneasy giggles make the extreme images even more difficult to dismiss. The cast, all unknowns at the time, and from what we know know paid diddley squat, are all pretty good, especially Marilyn Burns (who Hooper used in his underrated 'Eaten Alive' and who also appeared in the Charles Manson TV biopic 'Helter Skelter'), and whiny paraplegic Paul A. Partain (who went on to bit parts in 70s Drive-In faves 'Race With The Devil' and 'Rolling Thunder' and very little else). One would have thought both would have went on to bigger things watching their performances in this movie but sadly it wasn't meant to be. Gunnar Hansen is absolutely extraordinary as Leatherface. An amazing performance with his features obscured and no real dialogue to speak of. I don't think it's an exaggeration to compare it to Boris Karloff in the original 'Frankenstein'. Leatherface is a horror icon, and 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' is a landmark movie that remains essential viewing for every horror buff. It's a sensational movie that still has the power to confront, disturb and terrify audiences worldwide!