Sharon's Last Year....1969

In 1969 Sharon completed her last film, initially called "13", but later titled "12+1", supposedly for superstitious reasons after Sharon's death.

Sharon had married Roman Polanski on Jan 20, 1968.

In Feb, 1969 they moved into a remote and isolated estate at 10050 Cielo Drive, high above Benedict Canyon in the Hollywood Hills.

Just two weeks later Sharon took off for Europe to film "12+1" in Italy with Orson Welles, Vittorio Gassman and Vittorio de Sica.

An article that I found recently.

Christopher Jones.

As his relationship ended with Pia, Christopher met Sharon Tate. Sharon was in Italy filming 12+1. She was already married to Roman Polanksi and carrying his child, but Roman couldn't get a Visa into Italy to be with her. Chris became a close friend of Sharon's, taking it upon himself to watch after her while she was alone in Italy. It is during this time that they had a brief affair. Sharon confided to a friend that she had done it to “get even” with Roman for his philandering and it had made her feel better about herself. Sharon eventually finished her filming and as the baby was beginning to show, she returned to London and Roman, she never told him about her relationship with Christopher.

He stayed on in Italy then went to Ireland to complete Ryans Daughter. On August 9, 1969 Sharon Tate and four others were brutally murdered by the Manson Family in Benedict Canyon. A darkness fell over the entire Hollywood community. One of Chris' managers Rudi Altobelli owned the property where the murders took place and left immediately for Los Angeles. To make matters worse, Christopher had actually lived in the house. The murder of his close friend was particularly devastating for Christopher as he had become extremely close to Sharon. Already isolated from the others on the set, he suffered in silence.

When a grueling year of filming came to an end, Christopher Jones flew home to Los Angeles and vanished from the public eye. "I'd had a nervous breakdown over Sharon Tate's death. I had done three pictures in a row in Europe, and had so many love affairs I was exhausted. I was tired, man." Chris explained in a 1996 interview. The Looking Glass War premiered in February of 1970 and Ryan's Daughter opened in November Christopher Jones was noticeably absent.

The two films were not a great success, but Christopher was still sought after for future projects. His managers were wheeling big deals but their star was reluctant to continue with the exhausting pace. He'd moved into his manager's guest house on the property where the Tate killings had occurred in Benedict Canyon. Chris, still very upset over Sharon's death, watched unbelieving as the owner's guests were shown blood stained carpets and repeated grizzly stories over and over. When they suggested he go for a week of retreat in Virginia, putting him through a bizarre attempt to get him back into the swing of things, Chris walked away cold, making himself unavailable to anyone in the industry.

He struggled with the years he experienced status as a hot property in Hollywood, years filled with more obligations than time to live life. He contemplated power and his feelings of powerlessness in the aftermath of Sharon's death. Yet, unlike many influential people of his generation, Chris Jones survived, finding his way on his own terms. He'd earned over a million dollars since making Wild in the Streets, he had his Porsche and people he considered his friends. He has virtually vanished from the limelight, (even though he was hunted out by Quentin Tarantino to star in a movie) and now concentrates on his painting and his family.

In July, 8 months pregnant, she took the QEII back to America. She spent the last few weeks of her life at the Cielo Drive house preparing to have her baby.

It was she said, the supreme moment of her life and having her baby was the most important event in her life.

In, Hollywood, Sharon spent most of her days at the house on Cielo Drive quietly, making preparations for the expected baby by redecorating the nursery. Now everything centered around the baby. Sheilah Wells, friend and former roommate, recalls their many afternoons together: "Sharon was taking every precaution to have a healthy baby and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the child. She wanted to be a mother more than anything in the world. It wasn't to be."

Sharon with her pet dog, Prudence.This shot was on a roll of film in a camera discovered at her house after the murders. It is thought to have been taken just a few hours before she died.

In the early hours of 9th August 1969, Sharon, three of her friends and a young man who was visiting her caretaker were brutally and senselessly murdered. There was no reason for the crime and she was not even the intended victim. Her murderers were just told to go to that particular house and murder anyone there as savagely as possible.

It was a cruel and stupid act and it took away a lady that we, her fans had come to love, someone in the very prime of her life, expecting her first baby in a matter of weeks. A tragedy impossible to comprehend.

Roman breaks down at Sharon's funeral, the lady to the left is her mother Doris Tate, and the young girl is Sharon's sister. It is obvious from this how much grief this caused those nearest to her. The fight is still going on to keep these murderous animals in jail. Sharon's younger sister is now taking on her late Mother's role to see that Sharon's killers are not paroled.

It must be prayed for that her murderers are never released, as people who could commit this sort of barbarity do not deserve to live among us.

**Please note
YOU CAN HELP
to keep Sharon's murderers in jail!

Write a letter to commend the Board of Prison Terms on their decision to keep Susan Atkins in jail.
Board of Prison Terms
1515 K St; Suite 600,
Sacramento, CA 95814-2329
Attn: David A Hepburn, Chairman
Letters should include Re: Susan Atkins, W-08304

Also you can send a copy of your letter with a request that it be placed in Susan's Central File to:
California Institution for Women
16756 Chino-Corona Road
Frontera CA 91720
Attn: Gwendolyn Glenn, C & PR

Remember that she is the one who said "I have no mercy for you, bitch!" as she held Sharon and Tex thrust the bayonet into her. She also stabbed the dying Sharon and delighted in telling how she tasted her blood, and wanted to cut the baby out, but didn't have time! This is the same woman who now says she has found God and "is sorry".
Sorry hardly seems enough for the torture that she helped to perpetrate on Sharon, Jay, Abigail, Voytek and Steve that night, plus the torment to their families still. Please do your bit to maintain that they stay in prison!

click on Sharonto go to next page.

Please note that this next page contains an excerpt from "Helter Skelter" dealing with the murders. If you would find this distressing please
GO NO FURTHER!!

© 1997 hautforte@optushome.com.au

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