The Texas Chain Saw Massacre filming made Tobe Hooper 'hated' by cast and crew

By /Oct. July 10, 2022 at 10:58 a.m. EDT

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Few films, if any, are more gruesome than 1974's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." The groundbreaking slasher flick follows Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), and their friends (played by Allen Danzinger, Terri McMinn and William Vail) as they drive around the fictional town of Newt, Texas in a green motorhome. Their goal is to verify the burial site of the Hardesty's grandfather amid reports of grave robberies in the area, but the trip takes a deadly turn when the crew picks up - and quickly kicks out - a hitchhiker. denies (Edwin Neal) and makes a stop at the old Hardesty family farm nearby.

It turns out that the hitchhiker is part of a sadistic and cannibalistic family. His chainsaw brother, Leatherface (played by a masked Gunnar Hansen), brutally kills Franklin and the other friends one by one until Sally is the last girl to hunt. It's here that "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" stands out from later horrors, such as "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th." The unhinged family subjects Sally to the prolonged servitude and torture that Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees spare their victims. The sound of the chainsaw spinning as Leatherface chases Sally through the dark woods not only scares you for Sally the character, but also for Marilyn Burns the person. This was all intentional.

The late Tobe Hooper co-wrote, directed and produced the film, taking inspiration from real-life murderer Ed Gein. Although the plot was mostly fictional, he marketed the film as being based on true events and used tactics during filming to make the film appear as real as possible. His plans, however, made him hated by his cast and crew.

Tobe Hooper was a master at creating real tension Bryanston Distributing Company

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" was filmed in Hard Rock, Texas, not far from Austin. In a 2014 Q&A with Interview Magazine, Tobe Hooper opened up about the horrible working conditions he established. He littered the set with real animal carcasses and skeletal remains. Believe it or not, some of the skeletons you see in the Leatherface family farm are those of real humans. Hooper explained that it was cheaper to buy real skeletons in India than to buy plastic props (he used the real McCoy again when he directed the 1982 horror classic "Poltergeist") . He added that because more lights were needed to make a movie comeback, the lighting on set cooked the bones, which produced a foul smell. Hooper also said he didn't let Paul A. Partain have lunch with the rest of the cast and bathe (his character is treated somewhat like an outcast). He then explained:

“There were ways to create tension. Everyone in the cast and crew was in sync, but the work was very demanding. years...